The average person burns approximately 20 calories every ten minutes of grocery shopping. This is largely due to the walking required while shopping and the push, pull, or lifting motion necessary to operate a shopping cart or basket. The number will vary according to the shopper’s size, the amount they move around the store, and the weight of their groceries.
Grocery shopping is something we all must do somewhat regularly. So, why not look at it as a little extra exercise in your day? We’re exploring the topic, “how many calories burned grocery shopping” and how to increase that number so you know how to optimize your shopping burn. Read on for some tips and tricks.
Calories burned Grocery Shopping Calculator
How many calories do you burn while grocery shopping?
Grocery shopping can feel exhausting at times. This is because you are actually burning a fair number of calories while doing it. Walking up and down the aisles, reaching for that can of beans on the top rack, or lifting your case of bubbly water into the shopping cart requires physical exertion and therefore burns calories.
The average person will burn around 20 calories every ten minutes they shop. This may not seem like a lot when compared to walking at a brisk pace and this is because grocery shopping usually can’t be done at a brisk pace. Unless you are in a big rush, most people take their time strolling the aisles, looking for each item on their list.
However, despite the slower pace, the calorie burn is still not insignificant because the activity does require quite a bit of walking even if the pace isn’t brisk. This is especially true if you’re a shopper who tends to check their list at the end of the shop and then needs to run around the store to collect the various items they’ve forgotten (as most of us are).
Another reason for the calorie burn is the lifting required to grocery shop. The more groceries you are pushing around in your cart or lifting in your basket, the more of a workout you will get.
How many calories do you burn while grocery shopping for 30 minutes?
On average, a person will burn roughly 60 calories every 30 minutes they grocery shop. This number varies depending on the person’s size. For instance, a 200 lbs person will burn significantly more calories than a 100 lbs person while grocery shopping as with any physical exercise.
Additionally, how much the person moves around the store for those 30 minutes and the pace they move at will also influence the number of calories they burn. The final factor has to do with the groceries the person is carrying around.
An overflowing cart full of heavy items such as cans and liquids will use more energy to push around. If you run into the store to grab just one or two items, you won’t be exerting much energy and the calorie count will likely be less than 20 calories every ten minutes.
Does grocery shopping even count as exercise?
A wise person once said, “view everything as exercise”. Cleaning your house can be exercise, just as taking your dog for a walk or painting can be so why can’t grocery shopping count? Remember, there are some simple ways to increase the burn while grocery shopping. First, try carrying a basket instead of a shopping cart.
Of course, this will only work if you have a medium grocery load but carrying around a heavy basket will burn more calories than pushing a grocery cart.
You can also increase your burn by moving around the store as much as possible. For instance, you can pick up half the items you need in the produce aisle then go on to the dairy aisle on the other end of the store. After that, go back to the produce section for the other half of your items. This will increase your movement and your calorie burn.
Finally, shop at a bigger grocery store so you have to walk further!
Final Thoughts
Maybe grocery shopping isn’t your first thought when it comes to exercise activities however, it’s something we all have to do so why not build in some extra burn?
