Our list of the 40 exercises and activities that burn the most calories shows how many calories you burn per hour with each activity and it may surprise you!
You may have wondered, ‘How many calories would I burn if I participated in one of my favorite physical activities?’ You should find the solution to your problem here!
what Activities Burn the Most Calories?
You need to be aware that calories serve as the fuel for all of the functions in your body. Your calorie count is crucial in determining whether you will lose or gain weight.
It is also significant in the regulation of several other bodily factors. If you have invested considerable effort and time into exercise or activity, you will undoubtedly want to determine whether or not those efforts were effective.
Therefore, we have included a table below that shows, depending on your weight, how many calories you could burn participating in the various activities.
| Exercise or Sport | Calories Burned Per Hour |
|---|---|
| Walking | 200 – 400 |
| Slow Jog | 200 – 400 |
| Fast Jog | 300 – 500 |
| HIIT/ Interval Training | 500 – 900 |
| CrossFit | 600 |
| Resistance Training | 300 |
| Yoga | 180 – 228 |
| Kickboxing | 600 – 900 |
| Jiu Jitsu | 900 |
| Soccer | 500 – 700 |
| Swimming | 430 – 575 |
| Basketball | 300 – 728 |
| Sit-Ups | 350 |
| Ice Skating | 700 |
| Hiking | 430 – 550 |
| Callisthenics | 520 |
| Jump Rope | 600 |
| Circuit Training | 450 |
| Badminton | 475 – 525 |
| Golf | 300 – 600 |
| Horse Racing | 200 – 420 |
| Roller Skating | 550 |
| Skateboarding | 600 |
| Canoeing | 300 – 500 |
| Volleyball | 430 – 600 |
| Zumba | 300-900 |
| Rowing | 440 |
| Table Tennis | 300 – 450 |
| Gardening | 300 |
| Tennis | 440 – 600 |
| Hockey | 660 |
| Cycling | 450 – 750 |
| Stair Machine | 400 |
| Archery | 300 – 400 |
| Boxing | 650 |
| Fencing | 355 – 700 |
| Rock Climbing | 500 – 900 |
| Baseball | 350 – 500 |
| Surfing | 400 |
| Wrestling | 430 – 575 |
1. Walking
Walking is perhaps the least complex and most straightforward kind of physical activity and exercise on our list. However, do not let its straightforwardness deceive you. This simple activity may burn as much as 255 calories in one hour, given that it is possible to perform it anywhere, making it highly convenient.
2. Slow Jog
Jogging is a transitional activity between walking and running. Simply walking at a little faster pace can burn up to 350 calories per hour, depending on the person’s body weight. Moreover, various technologies and software can assist you in calculating the number of calories you’ve burnt more accurately. Jogging at a moderate pace has been proven in several studies to have positive effects on individuals.
3. Fast Jog
This is a more effective form of walking or slow jogging. Fast jogging has several health advantages. Due to its close resemblance to running while requiring much less energy, it brings incredible results. An hour of fast jogging can burn as many as 600 calories. The pace at which you walk and jog is a significant factor in influencing the number of calories you burn during exercise.
4. HIIT/ Interval Training
High-intensity interval training (HIIT) is a workout that requires a lot of energy. When you engage in high-intensity or interval training, your body draws on its aerobic pathways to generate energy. After every HIIT training, you receive a replenishment period of around 20 to 30 seconds. These workouts and activities contribute significantly to the process of calorie burning and have the potential to burn as much as 900 calories.
5. CrossFit
CrossFit is a style of functional activity that is performed at high intensity. The body receives stimulation during each session due to such continuous sustained movement. As a result, it takes your degree of physical fitness to the next level. The exercises result in a greater number of calories burned.
6. Resistance Training
This training or exercise is an activity mainly intended to enhance your muscles as well as your overall level of fitness. When you engage in resistance training, the muscles in your body are forced to contract in response to external resistance. The primary objective of resistance training is to work the muscle or any form of muscle group appointed by the activity.
7. Yoga
Yoga involves both the body and the mind. Meditation, movement bending and breathing methods are all components of this practice. You may be surprised to know that even while yoga poses are performed extremely slow and standing still, they can help you burn calories. It all depends on your body weight and the type of yoga you do. You might burn anywhere from 200 to 400 calories.
8. Kickboxing
Kickboxing is a type of cardio that combines many martial arts techniques with fast-paced cardio. This great exercise will assist you in being more flexible, increasing your stamina, and burning many calories. It’s possible to burn as much as 900 calories in just one hour of kickboxing. Research indicates the amount of energy you get when doing kickboxing and physical activity regularly is significantly increased.
9. Jiu Jitsu
Jiu-Jitsu is a martial art that primarily focuses on grappling on the ground. It applies pressure, time, and angle principles to its work. Unlike the other martial arts, which place a primary emphasis on hitting and striking, this one does not. Jiu-Jitsu has a focus on grappling and techniques that are performed in close quarters. It may be a surprise to know that this sport can burn as much as 1,000 calories, although the exact number depends on factors such as the participant’s body weight and the amount of time spent on the mat.
10. Soccer
Due to its popularity, we likely do not need to say much about this. This is a sport played by 11-person teams against other 11-person teams. The eleven players are assigned defensive and offensive roles on the field. Depending on your weight and the duration of your play, you could burn up to 550 calories.
11. Swimming
Swimming is a water sport that requires arm and leg movement. Swimming is a sport that can be performed for fun or competitively. If you want to lose weight, swimming is a wonderful way to go about it. The number of calories you burn when swimming depends on your weight and how long you are in the water.
12. Basketball
This is one of the most well-known sports throughout Northern America. It is a game played between two teams, each of which consists of five players, and goals are scored by passing a ball through a netting-covered hoop positioned at both ends of the court.
13. Sit-Ups
An abdominal workout, known as ‘sit-ups,’ is performed by laying on one’s back and raising one’s torso back and forth from the initial position. Your body weight is used in this exercise to develop the core abdominal muscles. Sit-ups target more muscles than other workouts because of their vast range of motion. Consequently, it is a great way to build muscle and burn calories.
14. Ice Skating
Ice skating is a fun activity that can be done when there is snow during the winter. The activity is played on ice and is considered one of the best-known winter sports. It is all about gliding and maintaining your balance when you are on the ice while wearing a blade below your boots. This exercise is relatively entertaining and helps you burn calories without requiring too much effort.
15. Hiking
You might have a challenging time with this activity. Walking across a considerable distance, often over paths or mountains, is involved in hiking. You must remember that hiking and trekking are two very different activities. The term ‘trekking’ refers to longer adventures, whereas ‘hiking’ alludes to shorter outings. One of the best ways to get some exercise and burn calories is to go hiking.
16. Callisthenics
It is strength training that involves the performer doing a variety of different movements with their bodies. These exercises are often done with very little equipment and involve using one’s body weight as resistance. The benefits of calisthenics include increased stamina, strength, flexibility, and coordination. This activity may also serve as a type of warm-up before engaging in more physically demanding sports.
17. Jump Rope
The term ‘skipping rope’ or ‘jump rope’ refers to a rope used for skipping and jumping. At the very least, you must have done this at least once in your life. This simple jumping rope workout provides a wide range of beneficial properties. Therefore, stamina and endurance are boosted. Lowering your calories can help you lose weight.
18. Circuit Training
The term ‘circuit training’ refers to physical conditioning for the body that combines endurance, resistance, and high-intensity training into a series of shorter, more intense workouts carried out in the same manner as HIIT. It focuses on the strengthening of your muscles as well as the endurance of the muscles.
19. Badminton
Badminton is a popular racquet sport in which players hit a shuttlecock through a net using a racquet. Both professional and recreational players can enjoy this game. It’s a great way to improve stamina and energy. This game is excellent for increasing stamina and providing a source of energy. One hour of playing may cause you to burn as many as 500 calories.
20. Golf
The objective of golf is to hit a series of little balls into various holes with various clubs. It is an excellent activity for enhancing stamina and endurance. Your flexibility has also likely increased as a result of playing golf.
21. Horse Racing
This is a very traditional kind of sport. It’s a game where the horses and their riders compete in races against one other. They put riders on their horses and race them around a track while the animals carry the riders. It is a fantastic game that has the potential to eliminate a lot of calories. Simply riding a horse can help you burn up to 300 calories.
22. Roller Skating
There are a staggeringly large number of teenagers who take part in this activity. Roller skating refers to moving on various surfaces with the assistance of roller skates. It is an excellent method of transportation and can help you burn calories while you are on the go.
23. Skateboarding
Skateboarding is another action sport requiring participants to execute various acrobatics and tricks while riding a skateboard. Skateboards are made to use for a variety of purposes. While some use it as a mode of recreation, others utilize it as a mode of transportation. The most exciting prospect is that you can burn calories while skateboarding.
24. Canoeing
Canoeing consists of paddling a canoe with a single long paddle, which is a particularly fascinating kind of water sport. It takes a significant amount of physical strength and mental fortitude to accomplish. In turn, this causes a substantial amount of caloric burn. Canoeing can help you burn up to 450 calories in one hour.
25. Volleyball
Volleyball is a team sport that is competed by two teams, each with six participants. A net lies between them to keep them apart. Each side aims to earn points by gaining control of the ball while it is on the other team’s court. Participation in this sport requires the use of both hands.
26. Zumba
Zumba is a dance-based aerobic workout that incorporates dancing. Inspiring influences came from the Latin style of dancing. Millions of individuals all across the globe engage in this activity. It is not strenuous, and depending on your weight and the type of Zumba you do, it may burn anywhere from 300 to 900 calories.
27. Rowing
This sport is intriguing to watch. It is also sometimes called the crew. This boat racing is a sport that involves competing using oars. Oars are fastened to the boats, while paddles are free to move about on the water. This distinguishes it from paddling sports, which are performed using paddles. This sport leads to a high level of stamina and a lot of energy.
28. Table Tennis
Table tennis is a sport that can have anywhere from two to four players and involves hitting a lightweight ball back and forth on a table that has a net dividing it in the middle. This highly fast-paced activity requires a lot of movement on your part.
29. Tennis
This is similar to table tennis, except the objects are much larger. In this version of the game, two players compete against one another by hitting a ball with a stringed racket in the hope that it will bounce over a net placed in the middle of the court. Playing the sport requires a high degree of mobility and flexibility from its participants.
30. Gardening
This is something you may do daily at home. You may be surprised to learn that gardening can have many positive effects on the body’s physical health. The art of tending to and nurturing plants is known as gardening. You can now burn calories by engaging in activities that you like doing.
31. Hockey
The summer and winter seasons are both appropriate for playing the sport of hockey. Two teams, each consisting of six players, compete against one another in a game of ice hockey. Skaters use hockey sticks to maneuver them around the ice as they strive to hit the puck while they are working toward the goal of scoring against the other team. Field hockey is played on grass, and a ball is used instead of a puck.
32. Cycling
Cycling may refer to either an activity or a sport. This could function as a mode of transportation or recreational activity. Road racing, cyclocross, and pursuit are the three primary categories that make up the sport of cycling. Riding a bicycle over long distances demands a significant amount of energy and endurance. That alone may help you burn a couple of additional calories.
33. Stair Machine
It is a physical activity that uses a particular piece of equipment known as the stair machine. It is designed to make you feel like you are ascending stairs while improving your stamina and endurance. This operates similarly to a treadmill in that it enables the user to climb at a predetermined rate and for a certain amount of time.
34. Archery
The bow and arrow are the primary tools used in the sport of archery, which is also known as ‘the honorable skill’. In the past, this activity was utilized for hunting and fighting, but it is now employed in sports and contests where the main aim is to hit a target. In addition to helping you burn some calories, it is an excellent activity for improving your flexibility.
35. Boxing
Boxing is a kind of mixed martial arts contested between two competitors. Participation in this activity necessitates the use of protective gear and gloves. This sport is a practice of fighting only with the fist, and you will be required to wear padded gloves in your hand while competing. Your body will gain significant stamina and endurance through participating in this activity.
36. Fencing
The practice of duelling eventually gave rise to the sport of fencing. On a strip, two competitors compete against one another to win. The points a player gets are determined by the number of hits and touches they have scored against their opponent. To avoid injury from the sharp weapon, participants must wear various protective gear.
37. Rock Climbing
Participants in the sport of rock climbing climb artificial or natural rock formations to reach the top. Reaching the peak of the obstacle course unscathed is the primary objective. This sport takes a significant amount of physical and mental stamina, particularly in the upper body. This activity requires an understanding of the correct climbing methods.
38. Baseball
Baseball is a great sport that is enjoyed by millions of people. It is a bat and ball game between two teams, each consisting of nine players. A player on the field will toss a ball in the direction of the person holding the bat, and the other team members will attempt to hit the ball and rack up points.
39. Surfing
To participate in this water sport of surfing, a person must use a surfboard to ride forward on the advancing wave of the ocean, which takes them closer and closer to the beach. The pinnacle of achievement in surfing is using a surfboard to ride an uninterrupted wave portion and make forward movement on it.
40. Wrestling
It is a sport that consists of hand-to-hand combat and incorporates techniques like grappling, clinch fighting, and takedowns. To summarize, wrestling is the game or activity of grappling with only an opponent and attempting to throw or keep them on the ground, often following rules that govern the competition.
How to Fuel Your Workout?
It is essential to remember that your body operates similarly to a vehicle and that providing it with the proper fuel via proper nutrition and hydration will dramatically increase its performance.
To get the best out of your training regime, you should never forget the importance of taking the proper nutrients at the correct times. No matter what time of day you choose to exercise, providing your body with the appropriate fuel in the form of nutrition before your workout is an essential factor in determining how well you perform.
A pre-workout supplement should be able to assist you in making up for that deficit. Your exercise, as well as your stamina, endurance and energy levels, can all be improved with the help of pre-workout supplements, which can provide a spike of energy just before you start your workout.
