Workouts That Burn The Most Calories

You've probably been told since you were a kid that physical activity is a necessity for a healthy lifestyle. Exercise keeps your heart and lungs working correctly and strengthens muscles, leading to better health overall. According to the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, about half of all American adults have at least one preventable chronic illness. And "seven of the ten most common chronic diseases are favorably influenced by regular physical activity," the guidelines revealed.

Working out also has another crucial responsibility: It burns calories, which our bodies need to do to help us maintain or lose weight. No matter what kind of activity you participate in, you're burning at least some calories, and any calorie burn is better than no calorie burn. However, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends at least 150 minutes of moderate or at least 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic exercise every week just to maintain your weight.

What exercises can help you reach that goal? Some workouts are definitely better than others when it comes to calorie burn. Read on to learn about some of the best calorie-burners to squeeze in each week.

Circuit training combines both aerobics and strength training, making it an excellent full-body workout. A typical circuit training routine uses repetition with several seconds of resistance exercises followed by short resting periods. When you're done resting, you move right into the next exercise, with each one targeting different muscles. Because each aerobics and strength training burn a lot of calories on their own, you can expect to get an incredible calorie burn from circuit training.

Wayne L. Westcott, a fitness research director at a Quincy, Massachusetts YMCA, told WebMD that circuit training is so beneficial because it boosts metabolism naturally. When leaving the gym, you'll still be "burning a third more calories than [you] did in the workout — and this goes on for hours! Once you build muscle, muscle burns more calories [than fat], so you continue to burn more," explained Westcott.

Just how many calories does circuit training burn? According to information gathered by Livestrong, you can burn off between 102 to 183 calories in just 20 minutes.

Swimming is an intense full-body workout. When you swim, you're working the arms, legs, glutes, and core all at one time. That means you're getting your heart pumping for some cardio and building strength in all areas — and burning a lot of calories as you do it.

Physiologist and triathlete Tom Holland told Healthline, "A 150-pound person will burn roughly 400 calories during an hour-long swim at a moderate pace and 700 at a vigorous one." And when you're in the pool to cool off after a long, hot day, that hour-long swim can go by quickly and barely feel like a workout.

In addition to its notable calorie-burning benefits, swimming can do wonders for your overall health. A 2021 study published in BMC Sports Science, Medicine and Rehabilitation followed 40 participants diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. Half of the participants participated in no exercise during the study period, while the other half participated only in swimming lessons over 16 weeks. Researchers found significant improvements in body fat percentage, body mass index (BMI), blood pressure, and other variables in those who participated in swimming lessons.

Everyone remembers "Miss Mary Mack" and "Down the Mississippi" from their childhood days of jumping rope. But working out with a jump rope is far from just a kid's activity. It has loads of physical benefits. Jumping rope is a cardio exercise that raises your heart rate while strengthening and toning both the upper and lower body (per WebMD).

The American Heart Association notes that a 100-pound person can burn about 500 calories during a one-hour jump rope workout, while a 200-pound person might shed as much as 1,000 calories. That beats what you would typically lose by swimming or walking for two hours.

Want to get started jumping rope? Consider starting slowly and make sure the impact of this exercise works with your body. As Dr. Peter Schulman, physician and associate professor of cardiology and pulmonary medicine at the University of Connecticut Health Center, explained to WebMD, "You're putting direct stress on knees, ankles, and hips, but if done properly it's a lower-impact activity than jogging." Once you get some practice under your belt, you can try this calorie-incinerating jump rope workout.

Slip on those rollerblades and head out the door for an all-body workout. According to the Mayo Clinic, a 160-pound person can expect to burn 913 calories per hour (via Livestrong). Roller skating/blading is considered a moderate activity based on intensity level, so it won't fit your needs if you're looking for a more intense exercise (via CDC). Still, it comes with lots of benefits for the body and a high calorie burn. Plus, it can make for a fun switch from your usual workout routine.

A Healthier Michigan reported that rollerblading or skating can be a good option for people needing low-impact workouts that still burn calories. You use similar muscles as you'd use when jogging or running, but because the wheels help propel your legs and body forward, you're not impacting your knees and feet. However, you still use your leg and core muscles, which can help you build strength and coordination.

Martial arts include several skill forms designed to teach self-defense, like karate, judo, jujitsu, and taekwondo. The moves taught and practiced in various martial arts require a tremendous amount of body control, coordination, and strength that comes from a strong core. Each workout can lead to an excellent calorie burn, thanks to coordinated movements throughout the body. A medically-reviewed chart from the University of Rochester Medical Center gives martial arts a 720-calorie burn for a 150-pound person practicing for one hour.

Martial arts can also be good for the mind. Martial arts expert Michael Jai White explained the many benefits of martial arts in an interview with WebMD. "There are a lot of physical benefits, but to me, it's the psychological benefits that make the martial arts so special — especially the way that it teaches you to overcome obstacles. When you practice the martial arts, you get more obstacles thrown at you than life would conjure up naturally, so your mind will become well-equipped to mentally and physically face any obstacle life throws at you. Discipline, respect for others, being humble, truthful, healthy — they're all part of being a true martial artist," he said.

Sports can be effective forms of exercise, especially when they require relatively consistent movement of your entire body, like football. According to the University of Rochester Medical Center, football can burn as many as 648 calories per hour for a 150-pound person. That's competitive football, but even a fun game of flag football can eliminate 576 calories.

That's because football is a muscle builder and fat burner, which is the perfect combination for shedding calories effectively. Football is a type of cardio activity that can simultaneously build bone strength, increase coordination, and improve cardiovascular health (per NHS Inform). A 2018 article in the British Journal of Sports Medicine refers to football as "medicine" because of its many positive impacts on health. According to the article, research has shown that participating in regular football play for at least 12 weeks can reduce fat mass, increase muscle mass, and decrease blood pressure in hypertensive patients.

Don't feel like you have enough time to squeeze 30 to 60 minutes of exercise into your day? Doing work around your home could be a good alternative to still burn calories and get some physical movement in. Clean the floors, organize closets, or scrub down the kitchen — they'll all get you moving around and scorching calories.

But one of the best calorie burners seems to be yard work. According to Livestrong, a 155-pound person can burn 334 calories with general gardening, 372 by digging dirt, and 446 by shoveling snow for one hour. When you have lots of yard work to do, those calories will quickly stack up to equal an excellent workout.

Other significant calorie burners include chopping wood (446 calories), mowing the lawn (334 calories), and laying sod or rock (372 calories). But even less intense tasks, like raking and planting shrubs, can burn between 298 and 334 calories. So get outside and do what you need to do. You'll burn calories no matter what.