Calories Burned in Resting Vs. Exercise

You burn almost the same number of calories resting as you do sleeping.

If you're trying to lose weight, you may be tempted to eat a healthier diet rather than rev up your workout. And while diet is important, diet alone won't burn those extra calories quickly. Your body burns calories even while you're sleeping, and the more lean muscle you have, the more calories you'll burn at rest. The most efficient way to burn the extra calories that will eventually lead to weight loss is through aerobic exercise, such as walking, biking and swimming, according to MayoClinic.com.

Calories Burned Resting

If you remain at rest for one hour -- sitting and performing little to no activity -- you'll burn approximately 50 calories if you weigh 125 pounds, around 60 calories if you weigh 155 pounds and 70 calories if you weigh 185 pounds. This is only slightly higher than the calories burned while sleeping for one hour -- 40 calories if you weigh 125 pounds, 50 calories if you weigh 155 pounds and 60 calories if you weigh 185 pounds.

Calories Burned Performing Moderate Exercise

Calories burned during exercise vary with the level of intensity and the type of exercise performed. For one hour of brisk walking or jogging, you'll burn around 360 calories if you weigh 125 pounds, about 450 calories if you weigh 155 pounds and 530 calories if you weigh 185 pounds. If you bike at a moderate pace for an hour, you'll burn around 420 calories if you weigh 125 pounds, 520 calories if you weigh 155 pounds and 620 calories if you weigh 185 pounds.

Calories Burned Performing Vigorous Exercise

If you're able to run at a pace of 6 mph for one hour -- a 10-minute mile-- you'll burn around 600 calories if you weigh 125 pounds, 740 calories if you weigh 155 pounds and 890 calories if you weigh 185 pounds. If you bike at a vigorous pace of between 16 and 19 mph, you'll burn 720 calories if you weigh 125 pounds, 890 calories if you weigh 155 pounds and 1,070 calories if you weigh 185 pounds.

Exercise Intensity

More vigorous exercise means more calories burned. To determine how hard you're working out, try the "talk test," as recommended by the President's Council on Fitness, Sports & Nutrition. If you can speak several sentences without much difficulty, you're exercising at an easy to moderate pace. If it's hard to get more than a few words out, you've reached a vigorous level of activity.

Considerations

Depending on your metabolism, you may continue to burn calories after exercising -- sometimes even 14 hours later, according to a 2011 American College of Sports Medicine article. The calories that you burn performing various activities also depend on your height, weight, gender, body composition and level of fitness. To develop a calorie-burning exercise plan that meets your body's needs, speak to your physician or trainer.

References

• MayoClinic.com: Exercise for Weight Loss: Calories Burned in One Hour
• Harvard Health Publications: Calories Burned in 30 Minutes for People of Three Different Weights
• President's Council on Fitness, Sports and Nutrition: Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans
• American College of Sports Medicine: Vigorous Exercise Burns Calories for 14 Hours After Exercise
• MayoClinic.com: Metabolism and Weight Loss: How You Burn Calories