1 hour of basketball = 4 hours of pool = 580 calories
Looking to burn off those nachos you scarfed down in a moment of late-night weakness? Hit the courts instead of the pool hall. Yes, playing a few games of pool burns about 150 calories—but you could work off nearly four times that throwing a ball around. Plus, playing an hourlong pickup game sounds a lot less creepy than playing four straight hours of pool.
1 hour ice skating = 2.5 hours ballroom dancing = 511 calories
Searching for a wholesome, healthy activity for your next date? Head to the rink. Most people burn the same amount of calories in one hour of ice skating as they do in 2 1/2 hours of ballroom dancing. Of course, that’s not factoring in the post-skate hot chocolate.
1 hour rollerblading = about four hours bowling = 900
OK, so it shouldn’t come as a surprise that aerobic activity burns more calories than more sedentary sports. But the disparity can be remarkable: You could potentially burn the same amount of calories in an hour of rollerblading as you would in
four hours of bowling. Rollerblades are more flattering than bowling shoes, anyhow.
1 hour of running (7-8 mph) = about four hours Hatha yoga = 900 calories
Yes, yoga boasts enormous health benefits—flexibility, increased strength, and inner peace, among them—but when it comes to burning the big ones, running is simply a more efficient option. Note that more intensive forms of yoga (like Bikram and Vinyasa) do give running a run for its money, so to speak.
1/2 hour jumping rope = almost an hour of hula hooping = 365 calories
If you’re feeling an urge to recreate P.E. class, you’re better off reaching for the jump rope than the hula hoop; the former burns twice as many calories. Doing either for a continuous stretch of time provides excellent exercise, however—and once you add weights to a hula hoop, your calorie expenditure will rise.
1 hour swimming laps = 1 hour and 45 minutes of water aerobics = 511 calories
While swimming laps may not be nearly as entertaining as participating in water aerobics (for you
or onlookers), you’ll burn more calories getting your breaststroke on than dancing in place.
1 hour on the elliptical = 4 hours of playing Frisbee = 800 calories
If efficiency’s your thing, you’re far better off making a beeline for an elliptical machine than meandering over to a field for a game of Frisbee. That’s right: You’d have to spend four hours tossing the round disc to equal an hour at the gym. That said, ellipticals are far less dog-friendly.
1 hour on the stair machine = about two hours of golf, carrying clubs = 660 calories
Perhaps there’s a reason not every professional golfer looks like Adonis. While you burn about 330 calories in an hour on the links—assuming you are carrying your own clubs—you will burn twice as many on a rotating stair machine. And avoid having to wear golf pants.
1 hour of singles tennis = about 2.5 hours of ping pong = 584 calories
While ping pong may qualify as a high-energy parlor game (as parlor games go), it’s still no match for singles tennis. Don’t let Forrest Gump fool you.
1 hour jogging = two hours tai chi = 584 calories
Engaging in two hours of tai chi will likely help you to feel more centered, but it won’t shrink your waistline the way jogging can. That said, after two straight hours of practicing the ancient Chinese self-defense moves, you may care less about your waistline, anyway.
1 hour of kickball = nearly 3 hours of darts = 493 calories
Looking for a healthy after-work activity? Consider rousing your colleagues into a game of kickball instead of a game of darts—you'll burn nearly three times the calories, and get to relive your youth.
1 hour of stationary rowing = 1 hour and 45 minutes of walking (3 mph) = 511 calories
While neither activity promises major thrills, rowing on a stationary machine does promise to burn more calories than walking. Go, stationary rowing machines!
1 hour of backpacking = about 1 hour and 40 minutes of having sex = 511 calories
If you or your honey are seeking an intimate weekend activity, be forewarned: You’ll burn nearly twice as many calories backpacking as having sex. Yes, the latter is often touted as a calorie-burning aerobic activity—but you’d have to engage in it for an
hour and 40 minutes to equal the calories burned in an hour on the trails. Or you could just do both.
