While enjoying a brisk walk yesterday with my best friend, the topic came up about which workout burns the most calories. After years of working out and doing a variety of fitness activities, training, and exercise, this is something we should know but didn’t.
Bicycling is the winner for the most calories burned in 30 minutes. Running, stationary rowing, high-impact aerobics, and rollerblading are excellent choices as well.
(source – Harvard Med Pub/Diet & Weight Loss)
The number of calories you burn during a workout is greatly impacted by intensity level.
For instance, by running for 30 minutes at a 10-minute/mile pace you will burn 360 calories. If you pick up your pace to an 8.5-minute/mile pace, you burn 450 calories.
Another good example is bicycling. You can burn 594 calories if you are able to sustain a 20mph pace for 30 minutes. However, if your pace drops to the 16-19mph range, the number of calories burned drops to 432.
So, if you want to know what exercisesburn the most calories the fastest, just understand all aerobic activities are great options. As you increase your intensity level, the number of calories you burn will increase as well.
How to calculate burning calories
Whether you’re trying to lose weight or improve your fitness level, are interested to know how much to fuel your body after a workout, or are just curious about how many calories you burned during exercise, you can estimate your calorie expenditure by using a simple calculator.
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To use this “calories burned exercising” calculator, just follow these simple steps:
- Pick your activity
- Enter how long you performed it for
- Enter your weight
You’re burning calories all the time simply by doing your normal daily activities. Exercise can help you burn even more. The amount depends on the type of exercise and how long you do it.
Which workout machine burns the most calories?
Ellipticals are an excellent way to burn calories. During a one-hour workout, you can expect to burn 600-800 calories, based on the settings you select. I also like that elliptical machines provide a low-impact workout.
What are the best cycling workouts for weight loss?
Interval training provides the best workouts for performance improvement and weight loss. It also can be used for running training as well.
Here’s an example of what a basic interval training program looks like:
-Start with a warmup (low intensity) period of 10-15 minutes
-2 minutes of high-intensity sprinting
-2 minutes of low-intensity recovery
-Repeat the sprinting and recovery several times, based on fitness level
-End 10-15 minutes of low-intensity
Here is a list of which workout burns the most calories
| Activity, Exercise or Sport (1 hour) | Calories Burned based on 155 lb (Body Weight) |
| Cycling, mountain bike, BMX | 598 |
| Cycling, <10 mph, leisure bicycling | 281 |
| Cycling, >20 mph, racing | 1126 |
| Cycling, 14-15.9 mph, vigorous | 704 |
| Cycling, 16-19 mph, very fast, racing | 844 |
| Stationary cycling, moderate | 493 |
| Weight lifting, bodybuilding, vigorous | 422 |
| Weight lifting, light workout | 211 |
| Aerobics, low impact | 352 |
| Aerobics, high impact | 493 |
| Aerobics, step aerobics | 598 |
| Aerobics, general | 457 |
| Jazzercise | 422 |
| Running, 8 mph (7.5 min mile) | 950 |
| Running, 9 mph (6.5 min mile) | 1056 |
| Running, 10 mph (6 min mile) | 1126 |
| Basketball game, competitive | 563 |
| Basketball, shooting baskets | 317 |
| Boxing, punching bag | 422 |
| Boxing, sparring | 633 |
| Golf, walking and pulling clubs | 303 |
| Handball | 844 |
| Playing paddleball | 422 |
| Playing racquetball | 493 |
| Soccer, competitive | 704 |
| Playing soccer | 493 |
| Softball or baseball | 352 |
| Playing tennis | 493 |
| Tennis, doubles | 422 |
| Tennis, singles | 563 |
| Walking 3.0 mph, moderate | 232 |
| Walking 3.5 mph, brisk pace | 267 |
| Walking 3.5 mph, uphill | 422 |
| Walking 5.0 mph | 563 |
| Skiing, water skiing | 422 |
| Swimming laps, freestyle, fast | 704 |
| Swimming laps, freestyle, slow | 493 |
| Swimming leisurely, not laps | 422 |
| Ice skating, average speed | 493 |
| Cross country skiing, moderate | 563 |
Claudia Faucher is a full-time fitness training expert and lifestyle blogger. She is also been a certified Les Mills BodyPump instructor for the past 5 years and a fitness instructor for over 20 years. Claudia is a personal trainer and creates fitness training programs for seniors and people of all ages. She likes to use her skills and experiences to help others on their fitness journeys.