Training
Marisa HeinzeFebruary 5, 2023
Which sport burns the most calories? We solve the question!
Are you planning to lose a few kilos to get your beach figure back? The path to your dream figure requires a healthy diet and lots of exercise. How can you lose weight fast? Which sport burns the most calories? We introduce you to the best sports and give you useful tips on training.
H.I.I.T for effective calorie consumption
H.I.I.T. stands for "high-intensity interval training" and is all the rage these days. With this fitness sport you can burn up to 900 calories per hour!
Note:H.I.I.T. training usually lasts only 20 to 30 minutes at the most. With this type of training - as the name suggests - you train in highly intense intervals that last for a certain time period.
You can design your H.I.I.T. training quite freely and you don't even necessarily need equipment for it. For example, you can do a series of timed exercises (e.g., 30 seconds) or set a number of repetitions.
Start gently and increase both the duration of the training session and the duration of the intervals within the H.I.I.T training. Then you can burn the most calories with this sport!
Swim yourself slim
Now, what other sport burns the most calories? Swimming is a double hit. The swimming exercise burns calories but regulating your body temperature also uses energy. Normal breaststroke burns about 250 to 350 kilocalories per hour. With a brisk crawl, you can burn 500 to 600 calories per hour. The best way to do this is to use different swimming techniques.
To burn calories, you need a correct technique. You can quickly improve your swimming style with a little instruction and discipline.
Swimming partially cancels out gravity and is therefore a sport that is very easy on the joints. Perfect for beginners or returning swimmers. The necessary equipment and the costs are very manageable. You do, however, need a swimming pool or lake nearby.
Running to a slim figure
Running is a top sport for burning calories. One hour of brisk running burns 600 to 700 kcal. The faster you run, the higher your power metabolism (your calorie consumption).
In sport, there are aerobic and anaerobic training zones. In endurance sports you use the aerobic zone. It means that your lungs take in enough oxygen to supply your body with enough. This is important because aerobic exercise allows you to maintain the load for a long time. You burn a constant amount of energy throughout the training session.
Important to know for your run:
- Wear suitable shoes and increase your mileage slowly.
- The right surface plays a role. If possible, you should not run on asphalt.
So, which sport burns the most calories? Running is an effective sport that works your whole body. You can jog anytime and anywhere, and you don't need any special equipment. It is a strenuous sporting activity compared to others and requires a certain basic level of fitness.
Beginners, overweight people, or people with joint problems should start with walking to prepare the joints.
Burn calories while cycling
At a normal pace, you burn between 450 and 600 kcal, when cycling. However, there are many ways to cycle. It is therefore very difficult to make general statements. Mountain biking or road cycling, for example, burn a lot of calories.
You burn more calories by changing pace. Do a short sprint to the next town sign or ride up small hills quickly. Spinning classes are also a great way to burn calories with cycling. Depending on the pace and intensity, it is a very demanding sport. On average, you burn 600 to 800 kilocalories per hour.
You can cycle and burn calories with family and friends. Cycling is also a great sport for beginners. 60 to 70% of your body weight is on the saddle. The joints are relieved, and the muscles are not so stressed. You can often start at the front door and cycle to school or the office.
Cross-country skiing for the figure
Cross-country skiing is one of the sports that burn the most calories. You train the whole body, all muscle groups, and the blood circulation. You can burn 500 to 700 kilocalories per hour with this sport.
Cross-country skiing is suitable for beginners, as it does not put too much strain on joints or muscle groups. The disadvantage is that you can only do cross-country skiing in winter and only in certain areas. You need certain equipment, but you can rent equipment in many places.
Lift weights to burn calories
Onto another indoor sport that burns a lot of calories: weight training. Here you lift heavy weights and burn 400 to 450 kcal per hour. That's less than with endurance sports, but it's still worth it. Every muscle contraction in the body uses energy. Training large muscle groups such as the thighs and back muscles is particularly useful to burn off more calories.
What is particularly beneficial about strength training is that your body gains muscle mass as a result. The more muscle mass you have, the higher your basal metabolic rate. Even on non-exercise days, you burn more calories than a person with less muscle and therefore a lower basal metabolic rate.
Yoga burns calories and stress
Wouldn't you have thought? Even with yoga you can effectively burn calories between 200 - 600 kcal per hour. It is important to note that the calories burned depend on the style of yoga. Also note that yoga classes usually last 75 - 90 minutes.
If you do a slow style of yoga that focuses more on execution and stretching, you will naturally burn fewer calories. These styles include Hatha Yoga or Iyengar Yoga, for example, where the calorie consumption is around 200 kcal per hour.
The more intensive yoga styles, such as Ashtanga Yoga or Power Yoga, can consume up to 500 or 600 calories.
Regardless of how many calories yoga burns, it is a good sport for beginners as well as advanced practitioners and can be adapted to different levels. Besides calorie consumption, yoga also offers many other benefits, such as stress reduction and improved concentration.
Conclusion: which sport burns the most calories?
So, which sport then burns the most calories? You will burn the most calories in the long term if you follow these tips:
- Remember that calorie consumption always depends on your fitness, weight, age, and other factors!
- Alternate aerobic exercise and long training sessions, such as running (3 times per week) with high-intensity sessions, such as H.I.I.T., which are shorter, lasting no more than 30 minutes (1 to 2 per week).
- Make sure you eat a balanced diet: no sport can compensate for an unhealthy diet!
- Combine muscle and endurance training. Muscle increases your basal metabolic rate and lets you burn calories even when resting. However, endurance training usually burns more calories during the session.
- After exercise, shower first, then eat. This improves the afterburn effect. Read more about the afterburn effect here.
- You should do endurance sports throughout your life, several times a week for 45 to 60 minutes.
- Consider your inclinations, wishes, interests and possibilities. You must be able to do the sport locally. It must suit you and your individual circumstances.
To answer the question, which sport burns the most calories, it can be said that it is usually highly intense cardio or strength-endurance sessions. However, you should not disregard other forms of exercise for their benefits! The most important thing is that you enjoy the sport. Here you can find the calorie consumption/hour/sport again:
H.I.I.T: 900 calories
Swimming (depending on style): 250 - 600 calories
Jogging: 600 - 700 calories
Cycling: 450 - 600 calories
Spinning:600 - 800 calories
Cross-country skiing: 500 - 700 calories
Lifting weights: 400 - 450 calories
Yoga(depending on style): 200 - 600 calories