And that 20 per cent should not just be cardiovascular (which is usually emphasised when it comes to exercise equivalents), but strength, too.
The more lean body mass - muscle - you have, the higher your basic metabolic rate, Denton says. In other words, a 68kg person with high fat will burn less than a 68kg person with a higher ratio of lean body mass.
"The contribution to weight loss from exercise is minimal," says Scott Kahan, a Washington weight-loss doctor and director of the National Center for Weight and Wellness, adding he still sees value in exercise equivalents as a way to put food into perspective.
"Any access to data about the caloric load of what you are going to eat in restaurants and elsewhere is of value," Kahan says. "Exercise equivalents can help contextualise."
Many people don't realise how much harder it is to burn calories than consume them, says Denton. "People tend to overestimate the energy they expend when they exercise and underestimate the calories they consume."
Breaking down actual numbers can provide a reality check.
According to AthleteInMe.com's Exercise Calorie Converter, an In-N-Out-Burger meal at 1180 calories is the exercise equivalent of 208 minutes of walking, 132 minutes of spinning, 116 minutes of swimming or 83 minutes of jogging.
"When you present it that way, it shocks people," says Stan Reents, author, health coach and chief executive of AthleteInMe.com.
"And we know that if you want to change human behaviour, you have to create an emotional response."
But Claire Mysko, chief executive of the National Eating Disorders Association, says framing exercise in a compensatory way is a risky business, especially for those vulnerable to eating disorders.
"Instead of looking at foods as good or bad and exercise as a mechanism to burn calories, we try to encourage people to think about exercise as something that makes you feel good and food as something that gives you energy."
Eating and exercising, Mysko says, should not be about numbers that potentially invite shame and punishment spirals. "Getting into the numbers game can become very unhealthy," she says.
Along with giving you energy, food is also about getting the right amount of vitamins, minerals, protein, fat and other essential nutrients for good health.
And on the flip side, exercise is about so much more than countering calories consumed.
Says Kahan: "There are so many benefits to exercising, including mind, mood, joints, feeling good, sleeping better."
Denton says that although most clients check the box of "want to look good naked" on their new-client form, after some time training, that's not their focus any more - even though it's a nice bonus.
"People just feel more capable in their everyday lives," Denton says.
"They feel stronger carrying groceries, playing with grandkids, hiking with friends. Exercise makes you happier, better focused and a kinder person."
Does all this mean we should never indulge?
No, that's not the message. But Kahan says the exercise equivalents might help us avoid poor food choices
Denton says she generally eats very healthily but might indulge more in social situations because community is another cornerstone of health.
And yes, sometimes that means enjoying a margarita with friends.
- Washington Post
