Calories burned by activity: 40 exercises ranked
Every activity on this site, ranked by energy cost using MET values from the Compendium of Physical Activities. The spread is bigger than most people expect: jump rope burns about 415 calories in 30 minutes for a 155-lb person — 4.2× more than casual walking (98) and nearly 6× more than cooking (70).
The 10 biggest calorie burners
Calories per 30 minutes at 155 lbs. Heavier burns more; lighter burns less.
All 40 activities, ranked
Click any activity for its full page — calorie tables by weight and duration, burn-target times, and category comparisons.
| # | Activity | Category | MET | 30 min | 1 hour | Intensity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jump rope | Gym | 11.8 | 415 cal | 830 cal | vigorous |
| 2 | Running (8 mph) | Running | 11.8 | 415 cal | 830 cal | vigorous |
| 3 | Running (7 mph) | Running | 11 | 387 cal | 773 cal | vigorous |
| 4 | Martial arts | Sports | 10.3 | 362 cal | 724 cal | vigorous |
| 5 | Cycling (vigorous) | Cycling | 10 | 352 cal | 703 cal | vigorous |
| 6 | Running (6 mph) | Running | 9.8 | 345 cal | 689 cal | vigorous |
| 7 | Boxing (sparring) | Sports | 9 | 316 cal | 633 cal | vigorous |
| 8 | Stair climber | Gym | 9 | 316 cal | 633 cal | vigorous |
| 9 | Trail running | Running | 9 | 316 cal | 633 cal | vigorous |
| 10 | Running (5 mph) | Running | 8.3 | 292 cal | 584 cal | vigorous |
| 11 | Swimming (freestyle) | Swimming | 8.3 | 292 cal | 584 cal | vigorous |
| 12 | Circuit training | Gym | 8 | 281 cal | 562 cal | vigorous |
| 13 | Zumba | Dance & Yoga | 7.5 | 264 cal | 527 cal | vigorous |
| 14 | Tennis | Sports | 7.3 | 257 cal | 513 cal | vigorous |
| 15 | Jogging | Running | 7 | 246 cal | 492 cal | vigorous |
| 16 | Rowing machine | Gym | 7 | 246 cal | 492 cal | vigorous |
| 17 | Soccer | Sports | 7 | 246 cal | 492 cal | vigorous |
| 18 | Cycling (moderate) | Cycling | 6.8 | 239 cal | 478 cal | vigorous |
| 19 | Basketball | Sports | 6.5 | 228 cal | 457 cal | vigorous |
| 20 | Shoveling snow | Daily Life | 6 | 211 cal | 422 cal | vigorous |
| 21 | Walking uphill | Walking | 6 | 211 cal | 422 cal | vigorous |
| 22 | Stationary bike | Cycling | 5.5 | 193 cal | 387 cal | moderate |
| 23 | Hiking | Walking | 5.3 | 186 cal | 373 cal | moderate |
| 24 | Elliptical trainer | Gym | 5 | 176 cal | 352 cal | moderate |
| 25 | Salsa dancing | Dance & Yoga | 5 | 176 cal | 352 cal | moderate |
| 26 | Swimming (backstroke) | Swimming | 4.8 | 169 cal | 337 cal | moderate |
| 27 | Mowing the lawn | Daily Life | 4.5 | 158 cal | 316 cal | moderate |
| 28 | Golf (walking) | Sports | 4.3 | 151 cal | 302 cal | moderate |
| 29 | Cycling (casual) | Cycling | 4 | 141 cal | 281 cal | moderate |
| 30 | Volleyball | Sports | 4 | 141 cal | 281 cal | moderate |
| 31 | Walking (brisk) | Walking | 3.8 | 134 cal | 267 cal | moderate |
| 32 | Gardening | Daily Life | 3.5 | 123 cal | 246 cal | moderate |
| 33 | Water aerobics | Swimming | 3.5 | 123 cal | 246 cal | moderate |
| 34 | Weight lifting | Gym | 3.5 | 123 cal | 246 cal | moderate |
| 35 | Cleaning house | Daily Life | 3.3 | 116 cal | 232 cal | moderate |
| 36 | Pilates | Dance & Yoga | 3 | 105 cal | 211 cal | moderate |
| 37 | Tai chi | Dance & Yoga | 3 | 105 cal | 211 cal | moderate |
| 38 | Walking (casual) | Walking | 2.8 | 98 cal | 197 cal | light |
| 39 | Yoga | Dance & Yoga | 2.8 | 98 cal | 197 cal | light |
| 40 | Cooking | Daily Life | 2 | 70 cal | 141 cal | light |
Methodology
Figures use the standard MET formula — calories = MET × weight (kg) × hours — with MET values from the Compendium of Physical Activities, the academic reference for exercise energy cost. The table shows a 155-lb (70 kg) reference person; calorie burn scales linearly with body weight, so a 185-lb person burns about 19% more in every row. MET values are population averages — individual burn varies with effort, fitness, and conditions.
Free to cite with attribution to MyHealthCalcs. Get your exact numbers with the calories burned calculator or plan intake with the TDEE calculator.