Skip to main content

13 fun sports that burn calories

More than a grueling workout

The best kind of exercise is the kind you enjoy, since if you like what you’re doing, you’ll stick with it over time. Baseball, basketball and even kickball count as long as you get your heart rate up — the harder you play, the more calories you’ll burn. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says adults need at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity (like brisk walking) each week, and sports can contribute to this. So round up some friends and family for a pickup game. Here are 13 sports to try, ordered from least to most by their ability to burn calories in an hour of playtime:

(Calories are calculated based on “The Compendium of Physical Activities Tracking Guide.” You can adjust the activity, weight and workout time.)

More from U.S. News

5 Strength Machines You Should Start Using ASAP

10 Signs You Should Break Up With Your Gym

8 Signs You Are Made to Be an Athlete

13 Fun Sports That Burn Calories originally appeared on usnews.com

07/06/16: This slideshow was originally published on October 11, 2011. It has been updated.

WTOP photo tour: Historic nuclear power plant at Fort Belvoir to be dismantled

The red button was always there — just in case. Most people never knew the United States' first nuclear power reactor to provide sustained electricity to a commercial power grid was — and is — on the grounds of Fort Belvoir, the U.S. Army installation in Fairfax County, Virginia.
Read Next Story