Getting in shape for the summer. Part I

Everyone wants to be in shape and toned for the summer, but a lot of us have misconceptions about exercise or diet. So over the next month or so I’ll be posting a series of blogs about some of these misconceptions. The first one is walking VS running. A lot of people think that since you are covering the same amount of distance just over a different amount of time you must burn the same amount of calories. This is incorrect for two reasons. The first is the amount of oxygen consumed and the second is metabolism after burn.  A resent study at Syracuse University found that when a person walked one mile they burned 88 calories and when that same person ran a mile they burned 124 calories. This has to do with the amount of oxygen consumed. Your body burns roughly five calories for every one liter of oxygen you use, and since running requires more oxygen, you burn more calories.  So running burns roughly 50% more calories depending on how in shape you are.

The second reason is calorie after burn. When you perform an exercise that increases your heart rate a good amount and keeps it going at a higher pace for at least 30 minutes your metabolism stays at an increased level for at least 30 minutes after you are done working out. This means if you run for at least 30 minutes your body will keep burning extra calories for the next 3o minutes, not so with walking because it doesn’t raise your heart rate enough. Some exercises can raise your metabolic rate for even longer. Check back later for more!

Dr. John Warren, New Life Chiropractic

San Diego, Ca