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Many women exercise to burn calories for weight maintenance or weight loss.2 Our research found that the average 132-pound woman expended between 5.6 to 9.9 Calories per minute, depending upon the length of the board and the rate of sliding. As slide board length increased from 5 to 6 feet, each subject expended an additional 1.4 Calories per minute on the longer board. Also, as the rate of sliding was increased (an additional 10 slides per minute), the caloric expenditure increased an additional 1.3 Calories per minute. Based upon the weight of the subject, the sliding rate and the length of the board, the exercise intensity can vary greatly.

Table 1 shows an example of the predicted number of calories for individuals of different weights and different sliding rates on 5- and 6-foot boards. This table shows a similar exercise intensity when the sliding rate was set at 40 slides per minute on a 5-foot board, compared to 30 slides per minute on a 6-foot board. A similar energy cost was also found for sliding on a 5-foot board at 50 slides per minute, compared to a 6-foot board at 40 slides per minute.

By increasing the sliding rate on a shorter board, the same relative exercise intensity can be obtained as when sliding on a longer board at a slower sliding rate. These data indicate that subjects can vary their workout by manipulating either sliding rate or board length.

Another way to estimate the number of calories expended during slide board exercise is to use the nomogram shown in Figures 1 and 2. Select the chart for the appropriate board length. Then find the weight in pounds on the left axis and the music speed on the right axis. Draw a straight line from the music speed to the weight, and where that line intersects, the Kcal/min axis is the estimated number of calories expended per minute. These figures are based upon subjects of average fitness level performing the standard slide technique. The number of calories may vary depending upon the fitness level of the subjects and their ability to perform the sliding exercise. The nomograms provide an estimate of the number of calories expended per minute while performing slide board exercise.