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50 Easy Ways to Burn 100 Calories

Torch Your Way to the Top with These Activities

-- By Erin Whitehead, Health and Fitness Writer
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Everything you do burns calories—breathing, sleeping, standing, and all of the active pursuits you enjoy. But what does it take to burn just 100 calories? You may be surprised by how little—or how much—activity you have to do to achieve that goal! To put it all in perspective for you, we’ve gathered 50 different ways to burn 100 calories. From standard exercises you do at the gym, to everyday chores around the house, you can burn 100 calories in just a few short minutes of your day.

Keep in mind that not all movement is created equal. In order to classify an activity as a cardio ''exercise,'' you must be working at 60-80% of your maximum heart rate. (You can calculate your target heart rate here.) However, even though periods of less intense activity may not count as part of your workout, they still provide health benefits and burn extra calories. After all, the less sitting you do, the better!

50 Ways to Burn 100 Calories

(Values are approximate and are based on a 150-pound person.)

Workouts:
  1. Biking: 23 minutes of casual cycling
  2. Cardio dance class: 15 minutes
  3. Elliptical: 8 minutes
  4. Jumping rope: 9 minutes at a moderate intensity
  5. Lifting weights, vigorously: 15 minutes
  6. Pilates: 24 minutes
  7. Rowing machine: 13 minutes
  8. Running stairs: 6 minutes
  9. Running: 9 minutes of running at a 6 mph pace
  10. Swimming: 15 minutes moderate intensity
  11. Walking stairs: 11 minutes
  12. Walking: 20 minutes of walking at a 3 mph pace
  13. Water aerobics: 23 minutes
  14. Yoga: 20 minutes
  15. Zumba: 11 minutes
     
Sports and Leisure Activities:
  1. Basketball, shooting hoops: 20 minutes
  2. Bowling: 30 minutes
  3. Dancing around living room: 20 minutes
  4. Darts: 35 minutes
  5. Golfing, carrying clubs: 15 minutes
  6. Ice skating, moderate: 18 minutes
  7. Kickball: 13 minutes
  8. Mini golf or driving range: 30 minutes
  9. Playing catch with a football: 35 minutes
  10. Playing Frisbee: 30 minutes
  11. Playing soccer, casual: 13 minutes
  12. Skiing,downhill: 10 minutes
  13. Softball or baseball: 18 minutes
  14. Tennis (doubles): 21 minutes
  15. Tennis (singles): 15 minutes
  16. Treading water, moderate effort: 23 minutes
  17. Volleyball, recreational: 26 minutes
  18. Water skiing: 15 minutes
Yard Work:
  1. Mowing the lawn: 20 minutes
  2. Painting house: 18 minutes
  3. Raking leaves: 23 minutes
  4. Shoveling snow: 15 minutes
  5. Washing the car: 20 minutes
  6. Weeding the garden: 18 minutes
Everyday Activities:
  1. Carrying an infant: 24 minutes
  2. Cleaning, moderate effort: 26 minutes
  3. Cooking: 34 minutes
  4. Doing dishes: 40 minutes
  5. Mopping the floor: 20 minutes
  6. Playing with children: 23 minutes
  7. Pushing a stroller: 35 minutes
  8. Rearranging furniture: 14 minutes
  9. Shopping: 38 minutes
  10. Sweeping: 23 minutes
  11. Walking the dog, 26 minutes

Were you surprised by the amount of time it takes to burn 100 calories? Which of these activities can you incorporate into your life to burn an extra 100 calories per day? Pick one that fits into your schedule and go for it!
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About The Author

Erin Whitehead Erin Whitehead
is a health and fitness enthusiast who co-founded the popular website FitBottomedGirls.com. Since having her daughter in August 2010, she writes about healthy pregnancy and parenting at FitBottomedMamas.com. Erin lives in New Jersey with her husband, daughter and pug.

Member Comments

  • JEANBAILEY
    wonder if there is a way to hook up with local sparks people! I need a fitness friend! - 2/13/2013 8:46:17 PM
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  • PAUL2274
    Nice to know that about 2.5 hours of POWER SHOPPING will burn 400 calories!!!
    I'll grab my car keys now! :) - 2/8/2013 2:06:02 PM
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  • PAUL2274
    Nice to know that about 2.5 hours of POWER SHOPPING will burn 400 calories!!!
    I'll grab my car keys now! :) - 2/8/2013 2:06:01 PM
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  • MOMMACASSEY
    Nice... now all I need to know is how many calories are burned while doing walk/jog intervals AND pushing a baby stroller with 2 little ones in it... - 2/6/2013 4:01:27 PM
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  • JOELDEE
    Work out at the senior citizens center gym 40 minutes a day, 5 days a week. Use a book to count calories and yu will lose weight if you stay below 2000 calories a day. - 2/6/2013 11:31:43 AM
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  • LYNETTA40
    This article certainly made my day. I haven't been able to go to the gym because I pulled the muscles in my hip. I got frustrated when I did go because I haven't been able to do what I used to do when I was smaller. (I gained 30 pounds in 1 years after hysterectomy) I was pushing myself and hurting myself to try and do it. Then I would give up and eat feeling disgusted with myself. - 2/6/2013 9:41:08 AM
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  • DEBKING37
    I do not think the fitness trackers are 100% accurate but remember the calorie count is signified by your current weight, this was calculated on someone weighing about 140 pounds in their late twenties or early thirties. - 2/6/2013 9:04:02 AM
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  • JULIESPLACE
    im depressed i gained i cant seem to get back on track. - 1/21/2013 10:28:22 AM
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  • WAYCAT
    Hey this is great, just what I needed to read right now.
    I'm just about to head outside and clear some leaves (autumn / fall is just setting in here in the UK) so I shall bear in mind how many calories I'm burning and it will make the job seem that much easier!
    And I didn't realise jumping rope at moderate intensity was such a good calorie burner. I've just ordered myself a rope, so this article has come just at the right time for me! - 10/25/2012 3:52:57 AM
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  • 60NLOVINIT2
    great list.. good guidelines for things we are already doing.... adding an extra 5 minutes here and there will really add up... thanks for sharing. - 10/25/2012 3:34:50 AM
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  • POTOMACSTATEWVU
    This article was very informative! I have found one of the hardest things to do at the gym is the eliptical, but even just ten minutes can help me burn 100 calories, and increase my fat burn. Thank you sparkpeople! - 10/24/2012 4:10:53 PM
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  • SASYPANTS
    This article is good information and I will use in my daily life. Thank you Sparkspeople! - 10/24/2012 9:50:23 AM
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  • ONLY1EMPRESS
    40 minutes of doing dishes??? Whose house is that...the Duggars??? - 9/21/2012 3:52:36 AM
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  • MAHANA5
    LHISLE:
    G0 back and read the article again. Swimming only takes 15 minutes to burn 100 calories. Treading water takes 23 minutes. It is not the same thing. - 8/9/2012 1:53:29 PM
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  • HAPPYINMYSKIN
    Yes this article is good advice and appropriate. It states that it is based on an individual person whose weight is 150 lbs. SparksPeople estimates our calories burned it using our current weight and the time we complete our particular exercise. If I weigh a great deal more then 150 lbs I will burn more calories exercising for awhile, than someone smaller. When I lose weight I will have to increase my intensity of exercise to burn as much or more then when I was heavy! The lovely thing is our bodies are tolerating exercise better and our metabolic furnace is requireing more from us to keep that furnace burning. The pay off is the intense amount of energy we get from moving more ! Got to Love that! - 8/7/2012 3:05:18 PM
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