Highest Calorie-Burning Exercises, Ranked (2026)

The top exercises for calorie burn include Jumping Rope at 415 calories in 30 minutes, Kettlebell Training at 345 calories, and Running also at 345 calories, for a 155-pound person.

This post ranks common exercises by calories burned for a 155-pound person. Factors influencing calorie burn include METs, body weight, duration, and intensity of the activity.

What Makes an Exercise Burn the Most Calories?

Exercises burn more calories based on their MET intensity, which measures energy expenditure. Heavier individuals burn more calories, and longer durations of exercise also increase total calorie burn.

Highest Calorie-Burning Exercises, Ranked

The following table ranks exercises based on calorie burn for a 155-pound person, highlighting the most effective activities.

All calories are for a 155-pound (70 kg) person; a heavier body burns more, a lighter body less.

#	Exercise	METs	Calories (30 min)	Calories (1 hour)	Impact
1	Jumping Rope	11.8	415 cal	830 cal	high
2	Kettlebell Training	9.8	345 cal	689 cal	moderate
3	Running	9.8	345 cal	689 cal	high
4	Stair Climbing	9.0	316 cal	633 cal	moderate
5	Spinning	8.5	299 cal	598 cal	low
6	Calisthenics	8.0	281 cal	562 cal	moderate
7	Circuit Training	8.0	281 cal	562 cal	high
8	Cycling	8.0	281 cal	562 cal	low
9	HIIT	8.0	281 cal	562 cal	high
10	Jumping Jacks	8.0	281 cal	562 cal	high
11	Boxing	7.8	274 cal	548 cal	high
12	Aerobics	7.3	257 cal	513 cal	high
13	Tennis	7.3	257 cal	513 cal	moderate
14	Jogging	7.0	246 cal	492 cal	high
15	Rowing	7.0	246 cal	492 cal	low
16	Skating	7.0	246 cal	492 cal	moderate
17	Soccer	7.0	246 cal	492 cal	high
18	Stationary Bike	7.0	246 cal	492 cal	low
19	Basketball	6.5	228 cal	457 cal	high
20	Zumba	6.5	228 cal	457 cal	moderate
21	Hiking	6.0	211 cal	422 cal	moderate
22	Skiing	6.0	211 cal	422 cal	moderate
23	Swimming	5.8	204 cal	408 cal	low
24	Badminton	5.5	193 cal	387 cal	moderate
25	Dancing	5.5	193 cal	387 cal	moderate
26	Mowing the Lawn	5.5	193 cal	387 cal	moderate
27	Elliptical	5.0	176 cal	352 cal	low
28	Golf	4.8	169 cal	337 cal	low
29	Walking	4.3	151 cal	302 cal	low
30	Table Tennis	4.0	141 cal	281 cal	low
31	Volleyball	4.0	141 cal	281 cal	moderate
32	Gardening	3.8	134 cal	267 cal	low
33	Weight Lifting	3.5	123 cal	246 cal	low
34	House Cleaning	3.3	116 cal	232 cal	low
35	Pilates	3.0	105 cal	211 cal	low
36	Walking the Dog	3.0	105 cal	211 cal	low
37	Yoga	2.5	88 cal	176 cal	low

Tracking Exercise in Nutrola

Calories burned only count toward your goal if you record them. Nutrola lets you log a workout by describing it in your own words by voice or text, by picking an exercise type and intensity, or by entering the calories directly, and on iOS and Android it can sync workouts automatically from Apple Health or Health Connect. Logged workouts sit next to the food you track from a photo, barcode, or voice entry, so calories in and calories out stay in one place. Nutrola is available from EUR 2.50 per month and shows no ads on any tier.

For related references, see how many calories jumping rope burns, best low-impact exercises to burn calories, highest calorie-burning cardio exercises.

How We Compiled These Numbers

Exercises are ranked by MET (metabolic equivalent) value from the 2011 Compendium of Physical Activities (Ainsworth et al.). Calories are estimated with calories = METs x body weight in kilograms x duration in hours, shown for a 155-pound person over 30 minutes and one hour. Real burn varies with fitness, technique, terrain, and effort, so treat these as close estimates. This is educational and not medical advice.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Which exercise burns the most calories?

Jumping Rope burns the most calories at 415 calories in 30 minutes for a 155-pound person.

How many calories does Kettlebell Training burn?

Kettlebell Training burns 345 calories in 30 minutes for a 155-pound person.

What is the calorie burn for Running?

Running also burns 345 calories in 30 minutes for a 155-pound person.

How many calories can be burned in an hour of Jumping Rope?

Jumping Rope burns 830 calories in one hour for a 155-pound person.

What is the calorie burn for moderate impact exercises?

Stair Climbing burns 316 calories, Kettlebell Training and Circuit Training each burn 281 calories in 30 minutes for a 155-pound person.

How many calories does Yoga burn?

Yoga burns 88 calories in 30 minutes for a 155-pound person.

Key Takeaways

• Jumping Rope: 415 calories in 30 minutes.
• Kettlebell Training: 345 calories in 30 minutes.
• Running: 345 calories in 30 minutes.
• Stair Climbing: 316 calories in 30 minutes.
• Spinning: 299 calories in 30 minutes.
• Yoga: 88 calories in 30 minutes.