Mother Nature Network
Mother Nature Network

How many calories does this exercise burn?

A group of people all jumping up while exercising.
Edson Hong/Flickr

Exercise is beneficial in so many ways; it lowers the risk of heart disease and stoke, results in greater quality of life as you age ("Move it or lose it!" as my Dad always says), and also reduces anxiety and ups your natural feel-good chemicals. Over the long term, exercise can also help you maintain a healthy weight or even lose weight. So, how savvy are you about the energy you use? (All the estimates in this quiz are based on a 150-pound person.) 

Question 1 of 12

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Women running across a bridge.
hernan.seoane/flickr
Running burns plenty of calories, but how many depends on how fast you run. Running at 6 miles per hour for 60 minutes burns how many calories?

The number of calories burned depends on how fast you go. An average 150-pound person can burn anywhere from 570 calories if she jogs at 5 miles/hour, or 900 if she keeps an 8 mile/hour pace. At a pace of 6 miles/hour, a runner burns about 680 calories in 60 minutes.

Question 2 of 12

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A woman in red doing yoga outside.
ramnath bhat/flickr
A vigorous yoga class sure gets you sweaty, but how many calories does it burn?

Yoga can be a tough cardio routine or a relaxing, meditative experience. Vinyasa yoga, which keeps you moving and flowing from pose to pose, burns around 600 calories an hour. For comparison, a hatha or relaxing class uses around 175 calories in 60 minutes. (Be sure to calculate your calories based on active yoga time, not meditation, chanting or savasana.)

Question 3 of 12

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Two men playing ping pong.
-Jeffrey-/flickr
Ping-Pong burns more calories than you'd think. How many are burned in an hour of play?

A session of table tennis burns about 270 calories an hour (and that's about four or five regular games). 

Question 4 of 12

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A pushmower on a lawn and shadow.
Starre Vartan
Yardwork can be a pain — or a workout. How many calories does one hour of push-mowing burn?

Pushing a lawn mower around for an hour is great strength training for your shoulders and arms, and it provides a solid cardio workout. It burns about 300 calories in an hour. (Bonus: If you use an old-fashioned reel mower, you'll get a beautiful lawn sans carbon emissions and noise pollution!) 

Question 5 of 12

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People walking on a city street.
Chris JL/flickr
Walking is easy, and it burns serious calories. Walking at a medium-fast pace of 4 miles/hour, how many calories will you burn in an hour?

You can walk almost anywhere, so if you can't fit in a workout, just hoof it. If you keep a fairly brisk pace, you'll burn 350 calories an hour. 

Question 6 of 12

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A woman riding a horse.
airtank/flickr
Even though the horse is doing a lot of the work, how many calories can you burn in an hour-long active horseback riding session?

If you ride for an hour and are trotting most of the time, you will burn 440 calories. (Think of how many the horse must be using!) If you are walking, you'll only burn 170, so on your next trail ride, get your heart rate up and your thighs working with a faster pace. 

Question 7 of 12

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A man and a woman kissing outside.
Brandon Christopher Warren /flickr
Sex counts when you're counting calories. How many calories will you blast through during a 30-minute make-out session, followed by 30 minutes of sex?

A smooch session will burn through about 50 calories in half an hour, and sex itself will burn 140 calories in half an hour, so if you want to skip the gym, go slow when it comes to intimate time with your partner, and blast 190 calories the fun way.  

Question 8 of 12

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A coffee and donut.
futurowoman/flickr
Which activity will burn the 240 calories that are in a doughnut and morning coffee with milk?

An hour of Pilates burns 240 calories, though if you do it regularly, it tightens and tones muscles more than some activities that burn more calories. 

Question 9 of 12

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A couple washes their car.
domit/flickr
Too many chores? Don't worry — washing the car uses energy, too. How many calories will you burn in an hour detailing your ride?

Washing a car is a great workout; between hauling your hose around, sudsing the exterior, rinsing and waxing and then vacuuming the interior, it takes time and energy (about 300 calories per hour ). So save some cash by skipping the drive-through and burn some calories instead. 

Question 10 of 12

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A man lifting weights outside.
SCA Svenska Cellulosa Aktiebolaget/flickr
Lifting weights at the gym burns how many calories in an hour (for a non-bodybuilder)?

Weightlifting only burns about 220 calories an hour, but there's new evidence that you burn more calories after your exercise session if that exercise is weightlifting. So, you might only burn 220 calories while you're lifting, but you will continue to burn calories in the next 24 hours; with cardio, you might burn 350 calories during your exercise session but you will not continue to burn many more calories post-exercise.

Question 11 of 12

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A group of people in spin class.
sirwiseowl/flickr
Spinning (indoor cycling) is known for being a calorie blaster. But how many does it really burn?

Yes, if you're pushing as hard as your teacher's encouragement will make you go, you can burn up to 850 calories in an hour of spinning. But even tough spin classes are usually only 45 minutes long (and there's a 5-minute cooldown and warm-up), so keep that in mind. 

Question 12 of 12

Score: 0

A downhill skiier.
Skistar Trysilflickr
Which burns more calories, downhill skiing or snowshoeing?

Snowshoeing burns about 500 calories an hour and downhill skiing burns about 350. If you're doing either of those activities all day in the cold, you'll need some serious (but healthy) food to keep you going. 

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