by Michael Nicks

Created on: July 30, 2009

You probably have a general idea of what exercises burn the most calories, but don't know exactly how many calories are actually burned and what factors help determine so. Among those factors that help determine actual calories burned include, body weight, how intense of workout, metabolism and level of shape you are in.

Of course the most important factors for burning the most calories of all is how consistent you are with your exercise program and how much you really enjoy your chosen activity. The exercise should be something you have fun with, especially when beginning a program, and the intensity from the beginning should be light. The exercise should increase gradually as you build up endurance. Before starting any workout program make sure you have a medical checkup and talk to your doctor before hand.

A light beginning exercise is stretching and should be done on a regular basis. Stretching helps loosen up joints, muscles and ligaments and can help prevent injury.

Getting back to the factors that determine how many calories are actually burned. The greater your body weight the more calories you will burn in every activity. Now, that is the easy part, how intense your workout is will also determine your final caloric burn. A good example is running or cycling, both very aerobic activities that burn some of the most calories. Based on an hour of activity, running 10mph or about a six minute mile, burns about 900 calories on a person that weighs 130 pounds and goes up to 1300 calories for somebody that weighs 190 pounds. Now take a slower run of half that, 5mph or 12 minute mile and the figures are 470 calories for a weight of 130 pounds and 700 calories for a person that weighs 190 pounds. Bicycling has similar statistics, Racing a bicycle more than 20mph yields approximately the same figures as running at a fast pace, while leisure cycling burns 250 and 350 calories based on the bodyweights of 130 and 190 pounds.

So you say; you don't need that brisk of workout or you simply don't have time, well there are lots of other everyday activities that burn a substantial amount of calories. Just plain old slow walking burns 150 and 215 calories based on the same bodyweights as above. Mowing the lawn; 320 and 470 calories; carpentry; 200 and 300 calories, automobile repair; 170 and 260 calories, general house cleaning; 200 and 300 calories, general gardening; 295 and 430 calories, raking the lawn; 230 and 340 calories. All of the previous activities mentioned above would be great light to moderate exercise.

One last group of exercises are fun activities and sports played at the pace you enjoy. Exercise you receive through sports like golf, fishing, gymnastics, kayaking and softball; 230 to 430 calories burned. Sports with even lower calories burned are; Billiards, bowling, croquet, darts lawn or wall, slow ballroom dancing, playing music, general sailing and surfing provide a metabolism of between 100 to 250 calories approximately.

So to answer the question of; what activities burn the most calories for you, is going to be based on the information above but also on the consistency and the amount of total joy you receive from those activities. So relish what exercises you choose and you will be on your way to burning lots of calories.

Learn more about this author, Michael Nicks.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.