Christmas dinner stock (David Davies/PA)
(Picture: PA Archive)Brits would need to jog for six hours to burn off a typical Christmas dinner, an expert has said.
Amanda Daley, a professor of behavioural medicine at Loughbourgh University, calculated the average energy in a festive meal and the exercise that would be needed to burn it off.
She said it would be the equivalent of walking approximately 50 miles or jogging five to six hours.
Writing in The Conversation, she said: “For an adult weighing 84kg it will take about 12 hours of steady paced walking (around four miles an hour) to burn off the calories of an average Christmas dinner.
“This is the equivalent of walking approximately 50 miles. Or, if you prefer, you could jog for about five to six hours.”
However, this depends on a person’s age, gender, and weight.
The academic said a yule log was equivalent to just over two hours of walking, and two glasses of prosecco was equivalent to a 46-minute walk.
The professor added: “While walking for 12 hours straight isn’t something anyone wants to do during the holidays, there are many easy ways you can sneak more physical activity in during the holidays each day.
“For example, try walking to the shops instead of using your car if you can, or take a cycle around your neighbourhood with your children to look at the Christmas lights”.
Adults often consume up to 6,000 calories on Christmas Day, according to the British Dietetic Association.
