August 27, 1999

Yes, these are the lazy days of summertime. But exactly how lazy – too much or not enough? A trip to one of the Web's many exercise calorie counters can help. My current favorite is the one at http://primusweb.com/fitnesspartner/jumpsite/calculat.htm. Enter your weight and the time in minutes you'll partake of a particular activity, and it does the rest. Unlike other calorie calculators out there, this one doesn't make you figure out what "brisk" or "moderate" exercise is; it offers 178 different activities, including seven different jogging speeds. This list includes numerous jobs and household activities, revealing, for instance, that an hour of "computer work" burns remarkably fewer calories than mining coal or grooming a horse.
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Rob Pegoraro rob@twp.com