Exercise is an integral part of every healthy lifestyle, and it is often associated with burning calories.

You may have heard that certain exercises burn more calories than others, but the question is how many calories does exercise burn? The answer is not simple since it depends on various factors such as weight, age, fitness level, and intensity. In this article, we will take a closer look at the science behind the calories burned during exercise and give you a rough estimate of how many calories you can expect to burn during different exercises.

How do we burn calories during exercise?

Before we dive into the specifics of different exercises, it’s essential to understand how we burn calories during exercise. The body needs energy to perform any physical activity, and the primary source of that energy is glucose.

The glucose stored in our bodies converts to ATP(Adenosine Triphosphate) to fuel our muscles. As a result of the conversion of glucose to ATP, stored fat cells in our bodies start getting used for primary energy.

The amount of calories burned during exercise depends on the type of physical activity and its intensity.

During exercise, our body produces heat, which is known as the thermic effect of exercise, the more heat produced by the body, the more calories burned. Additionally, our basal metabolic rate (BMR) also contributes to the number of calories we burn during exercise. BMR is the minimum energy needed to sustain basic body functions like breathing, and it increases with regular physical activity.

As a result, even after the workout’s completion, the body continues to burn calories at a higher rate than normal.

Factors that affect calories burned during exercise

The following factors impact the calories burned during exercise:.

Body weight

One of the crucial factors that affect the number of calories burned during exercise is body weight. The more a person weighs, the more calories they will burn while performing the same task because more force is needed to move the body around.

On average, a person can expect to burn around 240-356 calories during a 30-minute session of low-impact aerobics. However, this number varies according to the weight and intensity of the exercise.

Age

Age is an essential factor that affects the number of calories burned during exercise. As we age, our BMR decreases, causing the body to burn fewer calories.

For instance, an individual who is in their 20s, may burn more calories compared to an individual in their 50s performing the same task.

Fitness Level

The fitness level of an individual plays a significant role in the number of calories burned during exercise.

For instance, people who are in better physical shape tend to burn more calories compared to those who are unfit while performing the same exercise.

Intensity

The intensity of an exercise determines the number of calories burned. Exercises with high intensity cause the body to burn more calories than low-intensity exercises.

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Hence, high-intensity workouts like circuit training and HIIT, will burn more calories compared to low-intensity workouts like walking or yoga.

How many calories does different types of exercise burn?

Running

Running is a high-impact cardio exercise that is known to burn a significant number of calories. The number of calories burned during running depends on various factors such as weight, age, fitness level, and intensity.

According to the American Council on Exercise, an average-sized person can burn approximately 100 calories per mile of running. Therefore, a 150-pound person, running six miles at a moderate pace, can burn approximately 600 calories.

Cycling

Cycling is an excellent low-impact cardio workout that helps increase endurance and burn calories. Depending on the intensity of the cycling workout, a person can burn anywhere from 400-1000 calories in an hour.

A moderate cycling workout will burn around 500-600 calories in an hour, while a high-intensity interval workout can easily burn over 1000 calories.

Swimming

Swimming is a low-impact workout that is gentle on the joints and an excellent exercise for burning calories. A 30-minute swim can burn approximately 200-350 calories.

However, the number of calories burned depends on factors like stroke, distance covered, and intensity. For instance, a pro swimmer can burn more calories than a novice swimmer.

Weightlifting

Weightlifting is an excellent resistance training exercise that helps build muscle and improve overall strength. When it comes to calorie burn, weightlifting won’t burn as many calories as cardio workouts.

However, the body continues to burn calories at a higher rate than normal when the muscles repair after exercise, and helps preserve lean muscle mass. On average, weightlifting workouts can burn anywhere from 100-350 calories in 30 minutes.

Yoga

Yoga is a low-impact exercise that helps maintain flexibility and increase strength. Despite being a low-intensity workout, an average yoga session can still burn around 150-200 calories per hour.

The number of calories burned depends on the type of yoga and its intensity levels. For instance, power yoga and vinyasa flow yoga can burn more calories than regular yoga.

High-Intensity Interval Training

High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) is a popular cardio exercise that helps increase metabolism and burn calories. HIIT workouts typically involve exercising intensely for short periods of time, followed by rest periods.

A 30-minute HIIT workout can burn anywhere from 200-500 calories, depending on the intensity level. A high-intensity HIIT workout will burn more calories than a low-intensity HIIT workout and can also increase the body’s metabolism rate for many hours after the workout’s completion.

Conclusion

How many calories you burn during exercise depends on various factors, including your weight, age, fitness level, intensity, and the type of exercise you perform.

In general, high-intensity workouts such as running, cycling, and HIIT tend to burn more calories compared to low-intensity exercises like yoga and Pilates.