One chart shows why exercise only plays a tiny role in weight loss

• Exercise has many healthy benefits, but it only plays a small role in weight loss.
• Working out makes up about 5% of the energy we burn in a day, according to research.

People often think they need to hit the gym or go jogging five times a week to lose weight — and you can see the logic considering weight loss comes down to being in a calorie deficit — but exercise actually plays a surprisingly small role in fat loss.

The reason working out contributes less to weight loss than most people think is that it only makes up on average about 5% of the calories we burn over the course of the whole day, according to research.

As shown in the chart below, exercise — or what is known exercise activity thermogenesis (EAT) — is only a small part of our total daily energy expenditure (TDEE) or the calories we burn in a day.

In fact, we burn around 70% of our calories by existing and keeping our bodies functioning while at rest. This is known as our basal metabolic rate (BMR) or resting energy expenditure (REE).

The numbers will vary from person to person and day to day, but the remaining energy expenditure comes in two further categories:

• The thermic effect of food (TEF): the energy our body requires to digest the food we eat.
• Non-exercise activity thermogenesis (NEAT): general movement such as cleaning, carrying groceries, or walking up stairs.

Research suggests that exercise alone is rarely enough for long-term weight loss, and this is why many personal trainers don't recommend people exercise to burn calories, but rather to build strength and muscle.

"It's really hard to train to get yourself into a calorie deficit," personal trainer Luke Worthington told Insider. "It's almost impossible."

Relying on cardio is the biggest mistake people make when it comes to fat loss, personal trainer Ben Carpenter told Insider, primarily because it doesn't burn as many calories as most people think (and it can make you more hungry).

If weight loss is your goal, create a calorie deficit by focusing on your nutrition and non-strenuous activities (NEAT), personal trainer Courtney Pruce previously Insider.