How to Burn 100 Calories: 17+ Ways in Under 30 Minutes
Do you want to become a healthier and fitter version of yourself but don’t quite have the time to do it? Cutting back on your daily calorie intake can be difficult, but what if we told you that by simply performing any of these 17+ different activities for less than 30 minutes each day, you could easily burn over 100 calories?!
Whether you’re an amateur athlete just beginning your fitness journey or someone who is already knowledgeable about exercise routines, this blog post will provide tips and tricks so that you can start burning those pounds in no time! Read on to learn more about easy-yet-effective ways how to burn 100 calories without putting too much strain on your body.
Sports
1. Basketball
Whether you’re playing a full-court pick-up game, a half-court pick-up game, or just shooting around, playing basketball is an easy way to seamlessly burn calories. Using WebMD’s exercise calculator, a 160lb person could expect to burn around 110 calories by shooting around for just 20 minutes.
2. Soccer
Just 15 minutes for a 160lb person can help you burn around 120 calories.
3. Football
15 minutes of football can burn well over 100 calories.
4. Spike Ball
On average, 15 minutes of spike can help burn over 100 calories.
5. Pickle Ball
Pickleball has been becoming more and more popular and is a great way to burn calories. According to Pickleheads.com, playing a 30-minute game of pickleball as a 160 person can burn around 200 calories.
6. Tennis
Playing a singles 15-minute round of tennis, a 160lb person expects to burn close to 140 calories.
7. Boxing
Boxing is a great calorie burner whether you’re sparring or just punching a bag. A 160lb athlete can expect to burn over 100 calories by punching a bag for 15 minutes. While sparring for 10 minutes can give you about the same results.
Aerobic Activities
8. Walking
Walking is one of the most popular forms of cardio and even therapy for many. Talking a relaxing walk around the neighborhood, on a treadmill, or even on a track can help you burn calories at a low intensity.
You can go by yourself while listening to music or an audiobook, with a friend to chat with, or even with a group to keep you accountable and motivated. Walking at a moderate pace (3mph) for 30 minutes as a 160lb person, you can expect to burn about 120 calories.
9. Jogging/Running
Similar to walking, a nice morning jog can be therapeutic for many. It’s a great way to start the day to wake you up and get you energized for the day ahead. Jogging for just 15 minutes as a 160lb person, you can expect to burn over 100 calories.
10. Swimming
Swimming is a great “non-weight-bearing exercise“. Meaning you aren’t forced to carry your body weight through this movement. These low-impact exercises are great for recovering from injuries (Drugs.com,2023).
At a slow to moderate pace, a 160lb person could expect around 120 calories to be burned.
11. Biking/Cycling
Biking is another great form of non-weight-bearing exercise since your body weight is being supported onto the bike. This will help elevate the impact on your joints. Biking at a moderate pace (about 12-13mph), a 160lb person can expect to burn around 140 calories in just 15 minutes.
12. Stair Climbing
Whether you’re on a stair master or taking the stairs on your way to work, stair climbing will help you burn more calories than standard walking on a flat surface.
You can expect to burn well over 100 calories in just 15 minutes of stair climbing.
Fun Activities
13. Dancing
For those of you who love to move your body, dancing for many is a great form of cardio. Group exercise classes like Zumba are very popular in many gyms.
Doing Zumba for just 15 minutes as a 160lb person burns well over 100 calories. Most Zumba classes last about 1 hour so you can expect near 600 calories to be burned if you stay for the full session!
14. Jump Rope
Used by many boxers, jumping rope is great for burning extra calories and warming up for your workout. Even at a slow pace, a 160lb person can burn close to 100 calories in about 10 minutes of jumping rope.
15. VR Gaming
With this rise of technology, VR gaming has grown to be not just a fun form of gaming, but in some cases a great workout. From boxing, dancing, sports, or other physically active games, you can burn tons of calories by playing a video game.
A well-known VR game known as “Beat Saber” can help you burn close to 7 calories per minute (Vr.space). Doing some basic math, you can burn 100 calories around 15 minutes of gameplay.
16. Hiking
Hiking is a fun way to adventure out from your standard neighborhood walks. Exploring nature can be mentally freeing and give you plenty of fresh air.
Similar to stairclimbing, hiking is walking on an elevated surface, so you can expect to burn 100 calories in under 20 minutes.
17. Dog Walking
Do you have a pet that loves going for a walk? As man’s best friend, dog walking is one of the best ways to keep yourself accountable to get some fresh air and easy cardio.
Not only are you getting some movement for yourself, but your dog will be happy to roam around and keep you company while you do so.
18. Beach Volleyball
Taking a trip to the beach? Grab a volleyball and some friends to get your blood pumping. Just 15 minutes of beach volleyball can burn you well over 100 calories.
What is a Calorie?
A calorie is defined as the amount of energy that is required to raise the temperature of 1 gram of water by 1 degree Celsius (Lingo 2023). As humans, we burn calories each and every day through 3 expenditures (Poehlman 1989):
- Resting Metabolic Rate (RMR)
Calories burned while your body is at rest. - Thermic Effect of Feeding (TEF)
Calories are burned through eating and digesting. - Thermic Effect of Activity (TEA)
Calories burned through activities such as exercise, walking to and from your car, cleaning your house, basically physical movements throughout the day.
Factors that affect calories burned
When it comes to burning calories, not everyone is created equal. There are many factors that will affect how much you burn within a given time frame such as:
- Sex/Gender
- Bodyweight
- Body Fat
- Level of intensity
- Activity
For example, a 160lb male might burn 100 calories shooting around a basketball for 20 minutes, but a 240lb female could burn over 150 calories shooting around 20 minutes.
How many calories should I burn a day?
This is a tough question to answer simply because there are so many factors influencing it. For example, a person looking to lose weight vs someone looking to bulk up will have different needs. You must also consider how fast you’re trying to reach your goal and if you’re doing so safely.
Trying to burn over 500 calories a day might be normal for some athletes while burning 200 calories can be challenging for others.
As a general rule of thumb, burning even just 200-300 calories a day can help lose body fat and keep your weight under control. Pair that with a nutritious diet and you’ll be on your way to becoming healthier.
Conclusion
Taking small steps towards a healthier and more active lifestyle can have immense payoffs. While it is important to remember that everyone’s body and needs are different, this list of 17+ activities serves as a great starting point for anyone looking to burn off 100 extra calories in their day.
Whether it’s walking for 30 minutes or jumping rope for 10, the advantages of physical activity will not only help you reach your goals of weight loss or toning up but also contribute massively to improving your overall wellbeing. With the right diet and exercise regime, the possibilities are endless. So what are you waiting for? Let’s get moving!
References
ET;, Poehlman. “A Review: Exercise and Its Influence on Resting Energy Metabolism in Man.” Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 21 Oct. 1989, pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/2691813/.
“Non Weight Bearing Activity – What You Need to Know.” Drugs.Com, 6 June 2023, www.drugs.com/cg/non-weight-bearing-activity.html#:~:text=Non%20weight%20bearing%20(NWB)%20activity,and%20balance%20with%20NWB%20activities.
Devineé Lingo, M.S. “What Are Calories and How Many Do You Need?” EatingWell, 8 Mar. 2023, www.eatingwell.com/article/8033186/what-are-calories/#toc-frequently-asked-questions.
“Which Virtual Reality Games Burn the Most Calories per Minute?” VR.Space, 15 June 2022, vr.space/which-virtual-reality-games-burn-the-most-calories-per-minute/#:~:text=The%20amount%20of%20calories%20burned,to%201%20calorie%20per%20minute.
