15 Surprising Ways to Burn Calories (and How Many They Really Burn)

When people think about burning calories, they usually picture running, cycling or lifting weights. But your body uses energy for almost everything you do, from chewing gum to tapping your foot. Some unusual activities burn more than you might expect, and some much less. Here are 15 surprising ways to burn calories, with the numbers that research has actually found.

Calories burned depend on your weight and how hard you work, so the figures below are rough guides. Where activities are measured in METs (a standard measure of effort), we have worked them out for an adult weighing about 70 kg (11 stone).

1Laughing

A 2007 study at Vanderbilt University found that 10 to 15 minutes of genuine laughter burned between 10 and 40 calories, depending on the person and how hard they laughed. It will not replace exercise, but it is good for your mood.

2Chewing gum

A small study published in the New England Journal of Medicine in 1999 found that chewing gum raised energy use by about 11 calories an hour.

3Fidgeting

Everyday movement that is not exercise, such as fidgeting, pacing and standing, is called NEAT (non-exercise activity thermogenesis). A 2005 study by Dr James Levine found that leaner people moved around for about two hours more each day than people with obesity, which could add up to around 350 extra calories a day.

4Standing up

A 2018 review found that standing burns only about 0.15 more calories a minute than sitting. Swapping six hours of sitting for standing would burn around 54 extra calories, so standing desks help a little, but walking helps much more.

5Washing the car by hand

Washing and waxing a car by hand is moderate exercise, and can burn roughly 200 to 250 calories an hour.

6Doing the housework

Vacuuming, mopping and scrubbing are all light to moderate exercise. An hour of energetic cleaning can burn around 200 to 250 calories.

7Watching a horror film

In a 2012 study at the University of Westminster, volunteers burned an average of 113 extra calories while watching a 90-minute horror film, as their heart rate rose and adrenaline kicked in. The Shining came top, at 184 calories. The study was small and funded by a film rental company, so take the numbers with a pinch of popcorn.

8Hula hooping

A study for the American Council on Exercise found that hula hooping burned about 7 calories a minute, or around 210 calories in half an hour, similar to a brisk walk uphill.

9Bouncing on a trampoline

Casual bouncing on a garden trampoline burns roughly 250 calories an hour. Fitness classes on mini trampolines can burn considerably more.

10Playing active video games

Dance and fitness games, and motion-controlled games such as tennis or boxing, can count as light to moderate exercise. Depending on the game and how energetically you play, they can burn around 100 to 200 calories in half an hour.

11Singing and playing music

Singing while standing burns a little more than sitting quietly, at around 100 to 140 calories an hour. Playing the piano or guitar burns a similar amount.

12Drumming

A study of Blondie’s drummer, Clem Burke, carried out by researchers at the universities of Chichester and Gloucestershire, found that he burned around 400 to 600 calories an hour while playing a concert, more than some professional footballers.

13Skating

Ice skating and roller skating at a steady pace are vigorous exercise, burning around 450 to 500 calories an hour, while also working the leg muscles and improving balance.

14Drinking cold water

Your body uses energy to warm cold water up to body temperature, but not much. A large glass of iced water costs your body only around 15 calories to warm up, and some claims that water “boosts metabolism by 30%” have not held up in later studies.

15Thinking hard

Your brain uses about a fifth of your body’s resting energy, roughly 300 calories a day for an adult. Sadly, concentrating hard on a puzzle or exam barely changes that figure.

FAQs about burning calories

What burns the most calories?

Vigorous activities that use large muscles, such as running, cycling uphill, swimming and skipping, burn the most calories per minute.

How can I burn more calories during the day?

Small changes add up: walk or cycle short journeys, take the stairs, get up and move around every half an hour, and find activities you enjoy so that you keep doing them.

Does drinking water help burn calories?

Only very slightly. Water can help with weight control if it replaces sugary drinks, but it does not burn a meaningful number of calories itself.

Sources and further reading

• The Compendium of Physical Activities
• NHS: exercise
• New England Journal of Medicine: the energy expended in chewing gum (1999)

Explore more: facts about exercise and facts about weight loss.

Do you know any surprising ways to burn calories? Share them in the comments below!