Which activities burn the most calories? If you are a Fitbit advocate like me, you're probably going to be looking for activities that burn more calories. The Fitbit is a great way to get you to be more active, because the more calories you burn, the more you can eat. And hello, this is the Cheeseslave blog. I love to eat.
Which Activities Burn the Most Calories?
The following list is calories burned PER HOUR of activity.
Note: These numbers are based on my weight. Calories burned per hour depends on your weight. To find your total calories burned per hour, use your Fitbit dashboard under Activities.
Kettlebell – 1,200 Calories
Running, Slow – 1,000 Calories
Roller Blading (In-Line Skating) – 695 Calories
CrossFit – 600 Calories
Swimming Laps, Freestyle, Fast, Vigorous Effort – 556 Cals
Tennis, Singles – 445 Calories
Calisthenics (Pushups, Situps, Pullups, Jumping Jacks) – 445 Calories
Rock or Mountain Climbing – 445 Calories
Yoga, Vinyasa – 406 Calories
Skiing, Cross Country – 389 Calories
Skating, Roller – 389 Calories
Hiking, with a 9-Pound Pack – 389 Calories
Gardening with Heavy Power Tools, Tilling A Garden, Chain Saw – 334 Calories
Weight Lifting (Power Lifting or Body Building, Vigorous Effort) – 334 Cals
Yoga, Bikram – 328 Calories
Skating, Ice, 9 Mph or Less – 306 Calories
Walking, Less Than 2 MPH – 278 Calories
Skiing, Downhill – 278 Calories
Snorkeling – 278 Calories
Golf, General – 250 Calories
Basketball, Shooting Baskets – 250 Calories
Yoga, Ashtanga – 239 Calories
Bicycling, Slow – 223 Calories
Gardening, General – 223 Calories
Swimming, Slow – 223 Calories
Pilates, Beginner – 173 Calories
Weight Lifting (Light Workout) – 167 Calories
Ballroom, Slow (E.G. Waltz, Foxtrot, Slow Dancing) – 167 Calories
Child Care (Standing – Dressing, Bathing, Grooming, Feeding, Occasional Lifting Of Child-Light Effort) – 167 Calories
Surfing, Body or Board – 167 Calories
Canoeing or Rowing – 167 Calories
Cleaning, House, General – 167 cals
Wii Fit Super Hula Hoop – 139 Calories
Child Care (Sitting/Kneeling – Dressing, Bathing, Grooming, Feeding, Occasional Lifting Of Child-Light) – 139 Calories
Cooking or Food Preparation – 139 Calories
Wii Golf – 128 Calories
Sitting – Writing, Desk Work, Typing – 100 Calories
Standing – Talking or Talking on the Phone – 100 Calories
What I Learned About Which Activities Burn the Most Calories
I was really surprised by some of the things in this list. Here are some of the things I found:
Kettlebell is the Clear Winner
I've said this on the blog before, but kettlebell is the number one exercise you can do. Kettlebell burns the most calories in the shortest amount of time. It actually burns more calories than running. Not only that, but it combines cardio with weightlifting. Bottom line: you get the most bang for your time invested.
Gardening is Just As Good as Biking or Swimming
Gardening (general, light to medium effort) burns as many calories as bicycling (slow), or swimming slow laps, and it actually burns more than light weight lifting. If you're doing heavy gardening, like tilling and digging, it is better in terms of calorie burn than Bikram yoga. (Of course there are other reasons to do yoga, for body shaping and building muscle, and increasing flexibility.)
This was shocking to me! And very exciting! I'd much rather work on my garden all weekend than spend hours in the gym. Plus, you get the benefit of soaking up a lot of vitamin D and breathing fresh air.
If you enjoy gardening as much as I do, it's a great way to burn calories.
Standing or Sitting? Doesn't Matter
I've heard some people say they got a standing desk because it's cheaper than a treadmill desk. But it turns out that standing really doesn't burn any more calories. The treadmill desk really is worth it in my opinion, because I'm able to burn almost 3 times as many calories while I am working as if I were sitting (or standing). Working for 3 hours at my treadmill desk burns over 800 calories — more than an hour of crossfit or rollerblading.
Childcare? Cooking? Housework? Nope!
I always hear moms say they get their workout from chasing after their kids. Not according to this list. You barely burn more calories than sitting. Same goes for cooking. And yep, housework.
Guess that gets me off the hook! Better to hire a housekeeper and go rollerblading!
Wii Games? Not So Much
Wii games don't really burn a lot of calories. Then again, neither does surfing. But I'd rather take up surfing than play computer games any day! (Another benefit of surfing is you soak up a LOT of magnesium in the ocean.)
Rollerblading Beats Rollerskating and Biking
Rollerblading, rollerskating and ice skating are pretty good ways to exercise. You burn anywhere from 3-7 times more calories than if you were sitting.
I'm not sure why rollerblading burns so many more calories than rollerskating (almost twice as much). Rollerblading also burns 3 times more calories than biking slow. I'm ready to go get a pair of rollerblades and head over to Venice Beach. Again, sunshine and fresh air. And it's a great family activity.
Golf or Basketball?
Golf burns as many calories as shooting baskets. Amazing, right? Personally, if I had to choose between the two. I'd much rather take up golf. Why? Because golfing is something you can do while you network. Not so easy to network getting all sweaty on a basketball court.
I'm a very social person, so if I can socialize and get exercise at the same time, that's a great way to go. And again, fresh air and sunshine. Plus, you get to wear those cute golf skirts and tops.
Who knew I would make a list like this and end up wanting to take golf lessons?
How To Choose Calorie-Burning Activities That You Enjoy
When trying to decide on activities that burn the most calories, there are a couple of things to remember when choosing things to do to get more active…
Keep in mind, it's very important to look for activities that you enjoy. Exercise is a very personal thing. Don't just do something because it burns a lot of calories, because then you won't enjoy doing it and you'll avoid it. And the more you enjoy something, the more you will do it.
I personally like working out with a kettlebell not only because I can do it at home in my bedroom (no need to drive to the gym) but also because I can watch a TV or listen to a podcast while I work out. I'm not the type to enjoy going to exercise classes. I get bored listening to a yoga instructor. That said, I do enjoy swimming laps because it's so quiet and it gives me a chance to think.
Look For Calorie-Burning Activities That You Can Incorporate Into Your Lifestyle
If you can find things to do that you can easily incorporate into your lifestyle, it's a lot more likely that you will do them.
For example, perhaps you can ride your bike to work. If work's too far and you need to drive, perhaps you could just keep a bike at work and ride it to a restaurant or a park for lunch. Or bring a pair of rollerblades and do some blading at the park during your lunch hour.
If you work in an office building with an elevator, take the stairs instead.
When planning a vacation, think of things you can do to keep your activity level up: walking, hiking, skiing, snorkeling, biking or rowing.
It's Not Just About the Calories
It's also important to remember that it's not all about the calories. There are many other health benefits to exercise besides just burning calories. There are other factors to consider, like the importance of strength training and building muscle, increasing flexibility, and doing cardio.
How to Track Your Calories Burned
I highly recommend using a FitBit to track your steps and your heart rate. My Fitbit has been critical to not only track my exercise, but more importantly, it motivates me to exercise in the first place.
It's so easy to track calories with a Fitbit. Just enter your exercise in the dashboard. You can also keep track of how many calories you eat — so it's easy to create a calorie deficit if you need to lose a few pounds. The Fitbit is my number one tool for staying in shape and keeping the pounds off.
Mother's Day Sale: Save up to 50% on a Fitbit
If you've been wanting to buy a Fitbit, NOW is the time to do it! Fitbit has all their trackers on sale this month for Mother's Day 2017 -- save up to 50%. Reward yourself with the gift that keeps on giving -- this is my favorite way to motivate myself to stay in shape.
Order on the Fitbit site and get free shipping over $50.
Or you can order on Amazon and get free shipping with Prime.
You can also save $20 on the brand new Alta HR -- it's just like the regular Alta which I love, but now you can track your heart rate (which helps you keep the pace up on walks or bike rides).
Hurry! The sale ends this Friday, May 12, 2017
Pin This Post: Which Activities Burn The Most Calories?
What Are Your Favorite Calorie-Burning Activities?
What are your favorite things to do to burn calories? Please share your comments below.
Photo credit: Kettlebell, Gracefully in the Garden, Swimming, Rollerblading, Grand Cayman Golf
Dear Ann-Marie, you said that you swim laps. I like swimming as an exercise, but am very leery of spending time in a pool because of all the chemicals. We absorb a large amount of chemicals in our baths and showers, so wouldn’t swimming in a pool be highly toxic? How do you counter the chemicals you absorb? JK
That is why I don’t swim as much anymore. The main issue I have with swimming pools is the chlorine.
I look for saltwater pools and when I can find them, I swim a lot — they have some chlorine I believe but it’s a lot less.
Actually I’m about to switch from the YMCA to a more expensive gym in LA, and this is the main reason. The Y has a chlorine pool and the more expensive gym has a saltwater pool.
JK, Holistic Squid just did a great post on how to protect against pool chemicals:
http://holisticsquid.com/4-cheap-and-easy-ways-to-protect-against-swimming-pool-chemicals/
I have Neen looking EVERYWHERE for this info all in one place! I am sharing to the world!
I don’t think all of those are accurate. I’m a trainer and have spent time wearing heart rate monitors with calorimetry tracking. If you’re only burning 330 calories from weight training in an hour you’re doing it wrong. And 1,000 calories from a slow run is false.
I’m sure they’re not all accurate, and definitely not for anyone else. These are based on my numbers from my FitBit dashboard.
I like to err on the conservative side of how many calories I burn because I am new to exercise and I don’t train “hard”. I’m not active at all normally, so now when I exercise, I don’t push hard.
You mention that those of us that say that we get enough exercise chasing our kids, that it’s not true. Well. I chase my kids, do house keeping, cooking (with a lot more added in on a farm) but JUST those activities, for my normal 16-18 hour day equals over 2200 calories expended each day. Eating non processed foods, I’m not sure that my calorie intake is more than that 2200 calories expended. Which would explain why I keep losing more weight! Chasing kids is more than an hour a day activity. For those of us that are full time moms, cut us a little slack acknowledge that we ARE getting a work-out and stop making us feel guilty that we’re not “working out” to benefit our health!
If it works for you, great!
I think a lot of moms out there are not like you and are not LOSING weight, they’re gaining. It was written for them, not you.
I didn’t see anything in there that should MAKE you feel guilty. It’s just a list of numbers. Nor did it say moms only spend an hour a day on childcare….it said this is approximately what you burn per each hour that you do. You might want to examine what is making you feel so defensive.
Jan – the comment “I always hear moms say they get their workout from chasing after their kids. Not according to this list. You barely burn more calories than sitting. Same goes for cooking. And yep, housework. Guess that gets me off the hook! Better to hire a housekeeper and go rollerblading!” is what makes me so defensive.
And yes, I worded that poorly, nothing should “make” me or anyone else feel guilty and this definitely doesn’t “make” me feel guility at all, I know that I’m getting the activity that I need to stay healthy. but I have known a lot of other SAHM’s do feel guilty and feel that they need to get a gym membership, or some spend money on some other activity to get more “excercise” into their life because of comments such as the one Ann Marie made about moms who “say they get their exercise chasing their kids”. My point is, that when counting calories burned, most stay at home moms are doing this activity constantly, not just for an hour at a time. Those numbers said it was the same calories burned as someone weightlifting. I know no one who weightlifts for 16-18 or more hours a day yet people would say that they’re getting exercise, while the moms are said they’re not !
First let me say that I stayed at home nearly the entire time we raised kids, just so you and I understand we are on the same page. ;) Did very little working out. Might exercise for a few days or weeks, then nothing for a year. I was always thin though which I take as a gift of genetics and metabolism. Once my youngest was in high school I started running. Now I run every day, have done several marathons, lift weights, and lead a very active lifestyle.
The thing is, while I was always thin, I wasn’t fit. The day I started running, I couldn’t go 1/4 of a mile. I was always busy, and calories were being burned, but there is more to fitness than calories. The heart, lungs, muscles, bones and more, all benefit from exercise. I think we need to find a way to fit it in. When a person dedicates 18 years to raising a child, their health becomes even more important. Setting a good example for our children plays into it as well.
A gym membership isn’t necessary, it can be done with no money at all. Last night I saw a woman running through the park, her four children ahead of her on scooters and skates. Even a parent with no help who can’t afford a babysitter can push a stroller around the block.
I agree! LOL get my kids out in our couple acres and you are slow running with the rest of them… and stooping, and strange yoga poses, and lifting weights. LOL
I don’t want to be rude but this is a silly article.
You are being rude.
PS: Saying, “I don’t want to be rude, but…” does not give you an excuse to be rude.
Wish I could “like” this reply!
Me too!
As always, your information arrives at the perfect moment. I just started swimming lessons in a pool that uses bromine. I took notes on the holistic squid article and will look for more specifics on bromine. Am sensitive to many things. Don’t want to detract from the benefits of learning to swim laps.
That was interesting. Obviously you probably wouldn’t kettlebell swing as long as you would hike or walk around. Sometimes I find going shopping for a few hours actually burned a lot of calories because I did it for so long and didn’t even think about the fitness aspect of it. But I can’t go shopping everyday and its too hot where I live to always been walking around, so maybe I’ll invest in a kettlebell so I can bang out a good workout quick.
No one should swing a kettlebell until you learn proper form from a certified instructor (look for RKC or SFG certification.) And if someone tells you you should swing a 10 lb bell, DON”T go to them. It should be the right kind of heavy for you. Don’t teach yourself from YouTube videos or ask a “personal trainer” (ie, someone who hasn’t learned how to teach kettlebell) to help you. And I HIGHLY recommend that you do this – kettlebell done the right way can change your life.
I read somewhere a while back that zumba, or even dancing in general… burns something like 500 calories an hour….you don’t list anything about dancing/zumba or ballet or those musical types of exercise, which are the only kind that keep me interested and motivated.
This is a very helpful article. I will reference in the future! My calories burned numbers are most certainly different, but it’s a great list to refer to when needed, Thanks!
It reminds me that I really need a treadmill desk!
Interesting article, although as a longtime on- and off-again runner, I also question the hour long run numbers. A runner around 150 pounds burns roughly 80-100 calories per mile at a 12-minute mile, or at least that’s how all the calorie counters I’ve used have calculated, and that has tracked with my fitness/calorie intake patterns.
As for the basketball vs golf – can’t network while you’re shooting sweaty hoops? Tell that to Obama – I think half of the cabinet is made up of his basketball friends. ;)
fun! I always find this article helpful (If I haven’t seen this one before, I’ve seen one like it). Sure, some of the numbers don’t seem to jive but that’s ok. I get the picture. I’m bummed that standing is the same as sitting for burning calories!! I guess I’ll have to dance at my desk then. That should be entertaining. Thanks for this!
Thank you Anne Marie for all the work you do! I’ve learned alot from your site and enjoy reading your articles whether I feel like they apply to me or not. Most of them do!! I loved listening in to the big village green conference this Spring too! People are weird…idk why people feel the need to post negative comments …why post at all…if you don’t like it or if it doesn’t apply to you…move on!
Personally I LOVE jogging. It is good for everyone, but with some precautions of course especially for people with cardiovascular disorders, outdoors or at home on a treadmill or an elliptical. It is always the most effective sport for me.
But it’s not that easy for beginners, start or restart a sport after a long period of inactivity is always difficult.
Thanks for sharing mate.
Calories burned also depends on the runner. If you are a fairly new runner you can burn more than 1k in an hour at 12/M. For a lifetime runner, such activity will not be near as taxing. Heart rate is a good indicator. Same with swimming. Fighting the water is much harder work than employing efficient form. Speaking of form, try to keep one goggle in the water when you breath. The picture shows over- rotation, may be just the neck cant see it now that i am writing this. Just take your breath with the rotation without twisting your neck too much. your neck will be glad :) I LOVE kettlebells and crossfit both! Starting to like running as well. Great thought-provoking article :)
I’m not sure what you meant by the sitting or standing doesn’t matter comment, but in fact sitting does. You lose years on your life the more you sit apparently. They did a study that sitting more than 3 hours a day can take 2 years off your life. Not great news for people working behind desks. Glad that’s not me, but I still sit more than I should.
This is awesome, I also train in the Russian Kettle Bell system and its an amazing workout, but the Gym Im at also does MMAXOUT Fitness which burns up to 1500 Calories . I love them both and I am in the best shape of my life. Jen
Try taking spin-classes, I see it’s not on the list – if you use a training watch that measures you pulse and you peddle to keep it at a certain level, I’m able to burn up to 780 calories in one hour, a lazy day I’m at about 600 (female 135 pounds)
If I run for an hour, I burn about 650 (6,2 miles per hour)
And spinning is not so stressful for your joints, and knees
You missed Horseback riding. I seen horsebackriding years ago on a list like this & it was #1.
I can’t believe you don’t have Zumba listed
How about hiking the Adirondack high peaks with a 20+ lb. pack, aka toddler in an Ergo?
And while the calories burned cooking, cleaning,standing, or child-rearing were not that different than sitting, the overall benefit to cardiovascular health is still present. Did anyone else hear the bit on NPR yesterday about the study done on people that regularily sit for work but still get a cardio workout of 30+ minues per day, compared to those who are most often walking, standing, or “puttering” around? Surprisingly, those that sit, EVEN IF they do get regular cardiovascular exercise, have a high risk of heart problems. I just now remembered it, I’ll try to find the link and post!
These numbers definitely look suspect to me
Cycling, fast running and cross country skiing usually come out on top of such lists and each approaches 1000 cals/hr
Having trained in these areas with heart rate monitors such figures are reasonable
Gardening and slow running don’t come close to these forms of exercise and it’s misleading to indicate so
Do they just mean kettlebell swings burns that many calories? I know there is a lot u can do with a kettlebell.