Beth Skwarecki

Beth Skwarecki Senior Health Editor

Experience

Beth Skwarecki is Lifehacker’s Senior Health Editor, and holds certifications as a personal trainer and weightlifting coach. She has been writing about health for over 10 years.

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May 21, 2026

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Table of Contents

The word “calorie” may bring up thoughts of nutrition labels and treadmill readouts, but really calories are just units of energy. Your car runs on gas, your house runs on electricity, and your body runs on food energy. So how many calories do we burn each day, and how many should you burn? Let’s dig in.

You actually burn most of your calories at rest

Calories aren’t only burned during exercise. It takes energy to keep the lights on, so to speak—for your heart to beat, your brain to think, your cells to repair themselves, and more.

In fact, most of our calories are burned doing these maintenance chores.…