Science
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Everything we do burns calories.
But have you ever wondered how your running habits compare to your friend's cycling sessions? Or how your weekend kayaking trip stacked up to a morning swim?
Calorie-counting isn't the best way to lose weight - for that, you're better off focusing on which foods you eat. But exercise offers a huge range of mental and physical health benefits, and it can be useful to know how much fuel you are burning.
The Mayo Clinic drew on research from the National Institutes of Health to rank 36 popular forms of exercise based on their caloric impacts. We've ordered them below from least to most intense, and added a few sports (soccer, rock climbing, and kayaking). Our list includes the approximate calories burned in an hour for a 160- and a 200-pound person (in that order). According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, American women weigh 168.5 pounds on average, compared with 195.7 pounds for the average American man.
Of course, the number of calories you burn varies based on body mass, body fat, age, sex, efficiency of movement, and conditions like altitude that impact the energy required for an activity. To get a more accurate estimate, you can factor your specific weight and chosen physical activity into our guide.
It's also important to note that the figures below only count time spent engaged in the activity - so 60 minutes playing soccer doesn't count as a full hour if you spent 15 minutes on the sideline. Also, doing an exercise in a vigorous way can burn up to twice as many calories as doing the same activity in a casual way.
Here's the full list:
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39. Hatha yoga: 183 calories/hour 228 calories/hour
38. A slow walk (2 mph): 204 calories/hour 255 calories/hour
35. Bowling: 219 calories/hour 273 calories/hour
35. Ballroom dancing: 219 calories/hour 273 calories/hour
35. Tai Chi: 219 calories/hour 273 calories/hour
34. Canoeing: 256 calories/hour 319 calories/hour
31. Slow, easy cycling (under 10 mph): 292 calories/hour 364 calories/hour
31. Volleyball: 292 calories/hour 364 calories/hour
31. Power yoga: 292 calories/hour 364 calories/hour
28. Golfing (and carrying your clubs): 314 calories/hour 391 calories/hour
28. Casual downhill skiing or snowboarding: 314 calories/hour 391 calories/hour
28. A brisk walk (3.5 mph): 314 calories/hour 391 calories/hour
23. Low-impact aerobics: 365 calories/hour 455 calories/hour
23. 'Jogging' on the elliptical: 365 calories/hour 455 calories/hour
23. Resistance training/weightlifting: 365 calories/hour 455 calories/hour
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23. Kayaking: 365 calories/hour 455 calories/hour
23. Baseball/softball: 365 calories/hour 455 calories/hour
22. Water aerobics: 402 calories/hour 501 calories/hour
21. Light or moderate lap swimming: 423 calories/hour 528 calories/hour
18. Hiking: 438 calories/hour 546 calories/hour
18. Rowing on a machine (at moderate intensity): 438 calories/hour 546 calories/hour
18. Water skiing: 438 calories/hour 546 calories/hour
17. Slow cross-country skiing (2 1/2 mph): 496 calories/hour 619 calories/hour
14. Backpacking: 511 calories/hour 637 calories/hour
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14. Ice skating: 511 calories/hour 637 calories/hour
14. Racquetball: 511 calories/hour 637 calories/hour
13. High-impact aerobics: 533 calories/hour 664 calories/hour
12. Rollerblading: 548 calories/hour 683 calories/hour
8. A game of basketball: 584 calories/hour 728 calories/hour
8. Flag football: 584 calories/hour 728 calories/hour
8. Rock or mountain climbing: 584 calories/hour 728 calories/hour
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8. Tennis, singles: 584 calories/hour 728 calories/hour
7. Running (5 mph): 606 calories/hour 755 calories/hour
6. Running up stairs: 657 calories/hour 819 calories/hour
5. Vigorous lap-swimming: 715 calories/hour 892 calories/hour
3. Taekwondo: 752 calories/hour 937 calories/hour
3. Soccer: 752 calories/hour 937 calories/hour
1. Jump rope: 861 calories/hour 1,074 calories/hour
1. Running, 8 mph: 861 calories/hour 1,074 calories/hour