You can burn calories and fat doing just about anything, really. It all comes down to sustainable movement and effort. If you can work up a sweat, you can lose weight. But what activities are best to burn a certain number of calories?

That really depends on your unique physique. Some people are more prone to burn than others, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try.

The Best Activities to Burn Calories

The following list is one I’m compiling using myself as a case study and the Fitbit Charge 4. Over the years, I’ve grown to trust Fitbit’s ability to record accurate calorie burn thanks to a variety of experiments.

I’ve found that the Charge 4 is a strong product and works well to help me lose weight.

NOTE: This list is in constant development, which means I am adding new studies and experiments all the time. Also keep in mind these activities are all based on how I burn calories, which may be different from your own experience.

How Does this Spreadsheet Show Activities?

This spreadsheet highlights the activities I’ve found to burn the most calories per minute. Because each experience is different, depending on the amount of effort I put into them, the sheet centers on an average per session.

For example, I might not keep the same walking pace mowing the lawn on one day that I did on another.

Also, I’ll try to include the step count per activity. However, a lot of them probably won’t have much to do with walking, such as swimming.

Overall, I am listing the activities as to how many calories I can burn per minute, with the top being the number one method. So, this is as much for me as it is for anyone who visits this page.

Why Create a List of Activities to Burn Calories?

Because everyone is different, various activities are not going to have the same effect on two people. However, this list helps me identify which activities I should do more often to burn the greatest number of calories.

The reason I published the list is to help you see what activities you can try and how effective they may be for your own personal goals.

Now, I cannot guarantee you’ll have the same experiences as me. No one can, and those who do, are full of crap. The bottom line is that everyone’s physique is vastly different.

Not to mention the mentality toward specific activities will greatly alter its effectiveness.

For instance, what if you don’t want to clean your house? It’s unlikely you’ll put in the same amount of effort because it’s a chore you’re really not interested in doing.

But what if you love to golf? Then you’ll put far more effort into playing the game, which can lead to a greater level of burning calories as a whole.

How to Get the Most out of Activities to Burn Calories

As I said earlier, you can burn calories doing just about anything. Whether you’re vacuuming the carpet, washing dishes, or going for a jog, you’re body is constantly using calories to power itself.

Even when you’re sitting idle watching television on the couch.

It’s the amount of effort you put into these activities that will determine how much you’ll burn. So, what can you do to get the most out of burning calories and losing weight?

Find Activities You Enjoy Most

First, find activities that you thoroughly enjoy doing. The more fun you’re having, the more likely you’ll continue the activity for the long term. And this is crucial to losing weight and keeping it off.

Another way you can enjoy some of the mundane stuff is to find a way to make it fun. Gamifying fitness means you turn virtually any exercise into a “game” of sorts.

For me, it’s all about breaking personal records.

My point is that if you can really get into any activity, you’re less likely to get bored. You may even find yourself excited to jump into the exercise.

Go All-In with Effort

Regardless of the activities, putting in the maximum effort will help you burn more calories. This is because your body will pull from anywhere it can to keep supplying you with the energy to maintain movement.

You’ll burn more calories walking for 30 minutes at 3.5 miles per hour than you will at two. The faster you force yourself to move, the more you’ll burn.

This is how I’ll burn about 400 calories in a half an hour of playing the Xbox Kinect. When I play, I really get into the game and jump around the living room.

Don’t Be Afraid to Try New Things

You’ll never know what you find fun until you give it a try. This is mostly how I’ve grown to love house cleaning and yard work. It’s not because I’m one of those neat freaks. It’s because I turned it into a game and am constantly working to beat my “high score” of calorie burn per minute.

Now, you don’t need to be as much of a dork as I am. But trying something out and learning more about the activity may help you find that next awesome hobby.

Just remember that the more effort you put into the activity, the more effective it will be for your goals.

Your Food Intake Matters!

It doesn’t matter how many calories you can burn per minute if you’re not paying attention to what you eat. The key to weight loss and maintaining a certain physique is balancing burn and intake.

You can’t expect to drop the pounds if you burn 400 calories playing golf and then immediately eat 1,500 calories at Taco Bell for lunch.

Then, you also need to pay attention to the type of calories you’re consuming. For instance, eating 2,000 calories in cupcakes isn’t going to offer the same nutrition as 2,000 calories in fruits and vegetables.

In reality, 2,000 calories worth of fruits and veggies is an awful lot.

If you want proper health, you need to find a good balance for yourself. This is where finding the best diet plan comes into play. You need to find something you’re able to sustain with the type of exercises you want to do.

What Activities Do You Enjoy the Most?

It’s difficult for me to pick an ultimate favorite activity for weight loss. I love playing the Xbox and look forward to seeing what I can burn with the Oculus. But perhaps the activity I do most is walking.

I’ve lost the vast majority of my weight simply by walking for long distances. It gives me a chance to think about things while helping me relax.

On the other hand, I really do love playing a round of 18 on a beautiful golf course.