How many calories you burn doing 39 popular exercises

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Everything we do burns calories.

But have you ever wondered how your running habits compare to your friend's cycling sessions? Or how your weekend kayaking trip stacked up to a morning swim?

Calorie-counting isn't the best way to lose weight — for that, you're better off focusing on which foods you eat. But exercise offers a huge range of mental and physical health benefits, and it can be useful to know how much fuel you are burning.

The Mayo Clinic drew on research from the National Institutes of Health to rank 36 popular forms of exercise based on their caloric impacts. We've ordered them below from least to most intense, and added a few sports (soccer, rock climbing, and kayaking). Our list includes the approximate calories burned in an hour for a 160- and a 200-pound person (in that order). According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, American women weigh 168.5 pounds on average, compared with 195.7 pounds for the average American man.

Of course, the number of calories you burn varies based on body mass, body fat, age, sex, efficiency of movement, and conditions like altitude that impact the energy required for an activity. To get a more accurate estimate, you can factor your specific weight and chosen physical activity into our guide.

It's also important to note that the figures below only count time spent engaged in the activity — so 60 minutes playing soccer doesn't count as a full hour if you spent 15 minutes on the sideline. Also, doing an exercise in a vigorous way can burn up to twice as many calories as doing the same activity in a casual way.

Here's the full list:

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39. Hatha yoga: 183 calories/hour | 228 calories/hour

38. A slow walk (2 mph): 204 calories/hour | 255 calories/hour

35. Bowling: 219 calories/hour | 273 calories/hour

35. Ballroom dancing: 219 calories/hour | 273 calories/hour

35. Tai Chi: 219 calories/hour | 273 calories/hour

34. Canoeing: 256 calories/hour | 319 calories/hour

31. Slow, easy cycling (under 10 mph): 292 calories/hour | 364 calories/hour

31. Volleyball: 292 calories/hour | 364 calories/hour

31. Power yoga: 292 calories/hour | 364 calories/hour

28. Golfing (and carrying your clubs): 314 calories/hour | 391 calories/hour

28. Casual downhill skiing or snowboarding: 314 calories/hour | 391 calories/hour

28. A brisk walk (3.5 mph): 314 calories/hour | 391 calories/hour

23. Low-impact aerobics: 365 calories/hour | 455 calories/hour

23. 'Jogging' on the elliptical: 365 calories/hour | 455 calories/hour

23. Resistance training/weightlifting: 365 calories/hour | 455 calories/hour

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23. Kayaking: 365 calories/hour | 455 calories/hour

23. Baseball/softball: 365 calories/hour | 455 calories/hour

22. Water aerobics: 402 calories/hour | 501 calories/hour

21. Light or moderate lap swimming: 423 calories/hour | 528 calories/hour

18. Hiking: 438 calories/hour | 546 calories/hour

18. Rowing on a machine (at moderate intensity): 438 calories/hour | 546 calories/hour

18. Water skiing: 438 calories/hour | 546 calories/hour

17. Slow cross-country skiing (2 1/2 mph): 496 calories/hour | 619 calories/hour

14. Backpacking: 511 calories/hour | 637 calories/hour

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14. Ice skating: 511 calories/hour | 637 calories/hour

14. Racquetball: 511 calories/hour | 637 calories/hour

13. High-impact aerobics: 533 calories/hour | 664 calories/hour

12. Rollerblading: 548 calories/hour | 683 calories/hour

8. A game of basketball: 584 calories/hour | 728 calories/hour

8. Flag football: 584 calories/hour | 728 calories/hour

8. Rock or mountain climbing: 584 calories/hour | 728 calories/hour

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8. Tennis, singles: 584 calories/hour | 728 calories/hour

7. Running (5 mph): 606 calories/hour | 755 calories/hour

6. Running up stairs: 657 calories/hour | 819 calories/hour

5. Vigorous lap-swimming: 715 calories/hour | 892 calories/hour

3. Taekwondo: 752 calories/hour | 937 calories/hour

3. Soccer: 752 calories/hour | 937 calories/hour

1. Jump rope: 861 calories/hour | 1,074 calories/hour

1. Running, 8 mph: 861 calories/hour | 1,074 calories/hour

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