Losing fat depends on creating a calorie deficit. This means succeeding in at least one (and ideally both) of two scenarios: eating fewer calories than you need to maintain your current weight, and burning more calories than you expend.
The last part may be difficult. Figuring out how many calories you burn through exercise is not an easy task. There are many factors that affect that total (weight, gender, age, genetics, exercise intensity, etc.). Additionally, research shows that we can overestimate the amount of calories we burn in a single workout by as much as four times the actual amount.
But don’t worry, it’s possible. Here we help break through the confusion. Consider this a primer on calories burned during exercise.
The two biggest components of calories burned: duration and intensity.
When it comes to calorie burning through exercise, time and intensity are two important factors that determine your final total.
“Of the two, intensity is the most important because it affects how long your metabolism is maintained after you stop working out,” says Trevor Thieme, CSCS.
An hour-long steady-state cardio session can burn more calories than a short high-intensity interval training (HIIT) session. But that HIIT workout keeps your metabolism elevated long after your workout is over and your body recovers.
This “afterburn” effect is known as excess post-exercise oxygen consumption (EPOC). The longer and more intense your workout, the longer and more intense your recovery will be, and the more fat you will ultimately burn. why? Because fat is what the body uses to promote recovery.
Although it can be difficult to accurately calculate the calories burned by EPOC; International Journal of Sports Nutrition and Exercise MetabolismParticipants who spent just two minutes sprint cycling burned enough calories over the next 24 hours to equal 30 minutes of steady-state cycling.
Does weight affect calories burned?
In general, the more weight you gain, the more calories you burn during exercise and at other times. “It’s simply a function of the energy it takes to move your body,” Thiem says.
However, your muscle to fat ratio also determines the calories you burn in a day. “A lean, muscular 180-pound man will burn more calories during the same workout than a 180-pound overweight man, simply because the muscular man has more ‘metabolically active’ tissue,” Thiem says.
Does height affect calories burned?
Height can affect how many calories you burn through exercise, because height affects your weight.
“If you’re taller, you’re more likely to weigh more than someone who is shorter,” says Tim Church, MD, MPH, PhD, chief medical officer at Wonder Health. However, if you weigh less than someone shorter than you, you may burn fewer calories.
How do I calculate calories burned?
To understand how many calories you burn during exercise, refer to a method commonly used by exercise scientists to estimate energy expenditure: metabolic equivalents.
What is metabolic equivalent (MET)?
Metabolic equivalent (MET) is a measure of the amount of oxygen consumed during physical activity, expressed in calories. METs are calculated by multiplying 3.5 milliliters of oxygen per kilogram of body weight by the number of minutes of activity. To use a real-life example, a 70 kg (154 lb) person burns approximately 1.5 calories per minute while sitting in a chair.
What is a calorie?
We know that calories are central to weight gain and loss, but few people can explain what calories are.
A calorie, or calorie with a capital “C,” is actually a kilocalorie, meaning it is made up of 1,000 calories. One calorie can heat 1 kilogram of water by 1 degree Celsius.
Your body uses the nutrients (macronutrients, micronutrients, phytonutrients, etc.) in the calories you burn to fuel physical activity, digest food, keep your brain sharp, and more.
In fact, approximately 60 to 75 percent of the calories you need each day are used to keep your body functioning at rest. This is known as your basal metabolic rate (BMR) and varies from person to person. The main factors that determine BMR include age, weight, gender, genetics, and organ weights. There are various online calculators that can calculate your estimated BMR.
Calories burned during different types of exercise
Thankfully, you don’t have to be a scientist or mathematician to calculate the calories burned during a workout.
The Compendium of Physical activity provides MET values for various movements. Cornell University, on the other hand, offers an online calculator that lets you enter your weight, activity MET value (from the Compendium), and time to easily calculate how many calories you expect to burn.
We used both resources to provide estimates of how many calories a 150-pound person can burn while performing various physical activities.
1. Walking (239 calories/hour)
Walking at a moderate pace (2.8 to 3.2 miles per hour) on a flat surface will give you at least 3.5 METs. However, if you pick up your pace to 3.5 miles per hour, you’ll gain 4.3 METs, which is the equivalent of 293 calories per hour.
2. Jumping rope (750 calories/hour)
11.0 Mets Jumping rope is equivalent to running at a pace of 7 miles per hour (8.5 minutes per mile). Additionally, jumping movements have been shown to promote bone strengthening.
3. Weightlifting (239 calories/hour)
Gain 3.5 METs by building muscle mass and strengthening your bones with old-fashioned strength training. And, as we have already learned, adding muscle to your frame means you will burn more calories every day.
4. Oval (341 calories/hour)
Ride on the joint-friendly elliptical and pedal with moderate force to achieve a 5.0 MET.
5. Yoga (273 calories/hour)
There are many different styles of yoga, each offering a unique level of intensity. Power yoga, one of the more intense versions of this ancient form of meditation, gives you a 4.0 MET. Hatha yoga is usually slow and gentle, but it burns only 2.5 METs (171 calories/hour).
6. Swimming (396 calories/hour)
Swimming laps with light or moderate effort provides a low-impact workout that delivers 5.8 METs. However, if you increase the intensity and exercise intensely, you can gain 9.8 METs (668 calories/hour).
7. Squats (341 calories/hour)
Squats are a multi-joint exercise that recruits several large muscle groups, including your glutes and quadriceps. Doing these will earn you 5.0 Mets.
8. Exercise bike (464 calories/hour)
Not only is moderate-to-vigorous cycling easier on your joints than other aerobic activities (i.e. running), it also provides you with 6.8 METs.
9. Jumping Jacks (546 calories/hour)
Jumping jacks are considered an intense form of calisthenics, a category of exercises that involve bodyweight exercises. 8.0 Mets value too.
10. Hiking (409 calories/hour)
Spending time in nature gives you about 6.0 METs, but it only increases if you put on weight, such as a vest, or climb hills.
11. Sit-ups (259 calories/hour)
Moderate effort gymnastics, like classic sit-ups, are measured at 3.8 METs.
12. Climb the stairs (273 calories/hour)
Whether you’re riding the StairMaster or climbing stairs at work, you can earn 4.0 METs by climbing at a slow, easy pace. But if you exercise at a fast pace, you’ll get 8.8 METs (600 calories/hour).
13. Burpees (546 calories/hour)
8.0 Mets Burpees are a high-intensity calisthenics exercise that uses the entire body. In fact, a 2014 study found that performing burpees has similar cardiovascular benefits to doing sprints on your bike.
