Walk off those cheesecake calories

I love cheesecake. It’s my favorite kind of cheese. But one slice of cheesecake brings a whopping 257 calories, and I don’t like exercising or dieting.

However, the easiest type of exercising, the one I can talk myself into most, is walking. By walking at a moderate pace, you can burn 177 calories, and if you are walking uphill (three-quarters of a walk in Chadron is uphill) you can burn 354 calories. So, if you carve out one hour for walking, mostly uphill, you can have one slice of cheesecake.

But who has time to walk for cheesecake? I suppose I could settle for a 53 calorie apple (17 minutes of level walking). It’s just not the same. Burning three calories a minute (six uphill and four high-speed), how far on-campus would I need to walk for cheesecake? I can walk between Memorial and Burkhiser (about 15 minutes) burning 90 calories on the way up or 45 calories on the way down. From High Rise to the Student Center is about six minutes (18 calories), but from Edna to the Student Center is ten minutes (30 calories). Starting at the Student Center, suppose I have class in Old Admin. This is a six minute stroll with a minute on the stairs (24 calories).

Then, I book it up to Burkhiser, about ten minutes plus some uphill (50 calories). Afterward, I decide to drop off my books at the dorm, then stop at the Mari Sandoz Center to check out to latest exhibit, about 17 minutes plus a minute on the stairs (57 calories). From there, I head to the mail room to pick up a package, seven minutes uphill (42 calories), then head to the campus library, 12 minutes downhill (36 calories). From the library, I head to Memorial at a brisk walk, about seven minutes (28 calories). After class or playing  on the piano in the practice rooms, I stroll back to the Student Center, 12 minutes (36 calories).

By walking on errands, I burned 273 calories, 16 more than a piece of cheesecake. Please remember my calculations are based on my walking speed, and yours may be different. Feel free to calculate your own walking plan, and enjoy your guilt-free cheesecake.