Average Calorie Burn for Physical Activities
UncategorizedThey key to weight loss is achieving a caloric deficit. This means expending more calories each day than you take in through food. To gain energy, your body will burn fat instead. If you sustain a caloric deficit over time, you will lose weight. This is how most diets work, though eating fewer calories isn’t the only way to achieve and sustain a caloric deficit. You can also burn calories through movement and exercise. Here, Dr. Christine Ren-Fielding shares examples of how many calories your body burns during physical activities.
Calorie Burning for Weight Loss
Your body burns calories all the time, even while you’re sleeping. The number of calories your body burns while you’re resting is called your basal metabolic rate (BMR). This number indicates how many calories your body needs to maintain your current weight. A good rule of thumb for weight loss is to plan for a 500 calorie deficit each day. This can be achieved by removing 500 calories from your diet or by adding activities. All physical activities count toward this deficit, too.
The following are estimates of how many calories a 185 lb person would burn while doing the activity for 30 minutes. Note that if you weigh more, you will burn more calories for each activity.
| Category | Activity | Calories burned |
| Daily Life | Sleeping | 28 |
| Watching tv | 33 | |
| Reading | 50 | |
| Sitting at desk | 78 | |
| Stair climbing | 266 | |
| Chores | Cooking | 111 |
| Child care | 155 | |
| Shopping with grocery cart | 155 | |
| Heavy cleaning | 200 | |
| Gardening | 200 | |
| Mowing (power mower) | 200 | |
| Mowing (push mower) | 240 | |
| Exercise | Bowling | 133 |
| Walking | 178 | |
| Dancing | 244 | |
| Biking | 355 | |
| Swimming | 400 |
Every calorie burned counts toward your deficit. You don’t have to go to the gym, though sustained exercise burns the most calories. Adding calorie-burning habits to your daily routine will help, too. For example, taking the stairs adds significantly to your daily deficit. Changing from a power mower to a push mower makes a big difference, too. What activities can you add to your daily routine? See more examples here.
Schedule an Appointment with Dr. Christine Ren-Fielding
Are you struggling with weight loss? The NYU Langone Weight Management Program offers many helpful resources. From nutritional counseling to weight loss surgery, their medical weight loss experts are ready to help.
To schedule an appointment with Dr. Christine Ren-Fielding and colleagues, call 212-263-3166 or email weightloss@nyumc.org.
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