Losing weight relies on many factors such as eating healthy, getting quality rest and sleep, and very importantly doing some form of exercise or sports.
Since we’re no health experts, we’re going to focus only on sports and exercises here.
If you’re trying to shed off some pounds, you may be wondering, what is the best sport to lose weight? or which exercises can I do to stay in shape?
Well, this post covers exactly that. Below you will find 17 great exercises to lose weight and stay in great shape.
The good thing part is that most of these sporting activities cost very little or nothing to do. So let’s go.
| Sport | Calories Burned/ Hour |
| Swimming | 880+ |
| Cycling | 500+ |
| Basketball | 500+ |
| Racquets | 400+ |
| Volleyball | 350+ |
| Cross-country Skiing | 850+ |
| Ice Skating | 650+ |
| Running | 700+ |
| Martial arts | 800+ |
| Soccer | 500+ |
| Rock Climbing | 600+ |
| Handball | 500+ |
| Parkour | 600 – 900 |
| Gymnastics | 250+ |
| Zumba | 300+ |
The Best Sport to Lose Weight
Swimming | Calories burned /Hour = 880+
If you’ve ever been considering shedding off some pounds, then swimming is a great sport to do.
Swimming is a great aerobic exercise as it engages every single part of your body from your shoulders all the way down to your ankles.
It helps to improve agility, endurance, and posture. And you don’t need much in terms of gear – just a swimsuit, goggles, and a pool will do.
If you have a pool at home or a local pool around your neighborhood, jump in and take a few strokes daily.
Cycling | Calories burned /Hour = 500+
Cycling is one of the best forms of cardio. Not only is it an enjoyable activity but also an incredible physical activity that strengthens your body and helps you to lose weight.
Cycling for an hour a day will help to improve your concentration, and creativity and reduce stress levels. It will also build leg and glute muscles.
All you need is an affordable bike, a helmet, and biking gear to get moving. An hour of biking can help you lose over 300 calories.
If you’ve been considering shedding off some pounds, then cycling is one of the best sport to lose weight.
Basketball | Calories burned /Hour = 500+
Basketball is definitely a great team sport that will help you stay in great shape.
Running from one end of the court to the other will help you to burn fat, relax and strengthen your cardiovascular system. Playing basketball will also help to strengthen hand and finger muscles.
All you need is a ball and a hoop to start playing. Being a team sport, basketball will also help you to build community and team spirit.
Cross-Country Skiing | Calories burned /Hour = 850+
Cross-country skiing is some of the most demanding sports on the body as it requires a lot of energy and movement to maintain balance.
An hour of skiing can burn as many calories as gym-based exercises because it involves using most of the muscles in your body.
If you live in snowy areas this can be one of the best sport to lose weight while having fun at the same time.
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Martial Arts | Calories burned /Hour = 800+
Martial arts such as boxing, MMA, taekwondo, kickboxing, etc will always remain one of the best sports to lose weight. Boxing will help you to improve your strength, speed, agility, hand-eye coordination as well as endurance.
Taekwondo on the other hand involves kicks, punches, and strikes, and works on all the core muscles of the body to help shed off pounds.
These are all great for improving cardiovascular health, and body strength, and combat stress-related issues.
Another great benefit of martial arts is that it helps to improve your self-defense skills. An hour of boxing can help you burn over 800 calories.
Running | Calories burned /Hour = 700+
Running is definitely one of the best sports to lose weight and stay in great shape.
An hour of running daily will strengthen your leg muscles, help blood circulate better throughout your body, and help to shed off excess pounds.
The great thing about running is that it is one of the least expensive sports to do. All you need is a good running shoe and comfortable running gear and you’re good to go.
However, care should be taken not to overdo it as it can cause serious damage to the knees in the long term.
Racquets | Calories burned /Hour = 400+
Racquet sports such as tennis, badminton, and racquetball are great sports to lose weight as they demand rapid hand and leg movement all over the court.
The combination of running, throwing, and hitting the ball improves agility and endurance which are all great for losing weight.
This activity helps is blood circulation, building up a strong cardiovascular system and strong leg muscles.
Another good thing about tennis is that it is a great recreational activity to engage in with friends or family.
Volleyball | Calories burned /Hour = 350+
Volleyball is a fun and competitive sport that competitive sport with plenty of jumps, twists, and turns.
What makes volleyball a great sport to lose weight is that it doesn’t require much gear (bikini or swim trunks will do) and is one of the most activities on this list.
An hour of beach volleyball can help you burn over 350 calories while having fun with friends or family.
Ice Skating | Calories burned /Hour = 650+
Ice skating is a fun sporting activity to do in cold areas. It’s a form of exercise that is going to raise your heart rate and gets the blood pumping around the body.
Ice skating is great for burning calories as it involves using your body muscles to maintain balance on the skate. It can also help to build and tone your leg muscles.
Rock Climbing | Calories burned /Hour = 600+
Rock climbing is a great activity for people looking to improve their general body flexibility and fitness levels.
Though it may be intimidating at first, some gyms do have indoor rock climbing spaces.
You can check at your local gym for an indoor rock climbing rack and get started today.
CHECK OUT: >>>The Best Sports to Gain Muscle>>>
Zumba | Calories burned /Hour = 300+
While not technically a sport, Zumba is a great group exercise activity as it can help you burn over 500 calories in an hour.
All you have to do is mimic the instructor’s movements and sweat it out. Zumba lets you move your whole body in different directions, letting blood freely flow all over the body.
Most gyms offer Zumba classes, so it’s easy to join a Zumba class and start cutting off the excess weight.
Soccer | Calories burned /Hour = 500+
Soccer is one of the best sports for burning calories. The constant running up and down, side to side the pitch will help in burning excess fat.
And it doesn’t matter what position you play – offense or defense, you will improve your metabolism and a strong cardiovascular system.
All you need is a good pair of soccer cleats/boots and soccer jerseys to get on the pitch and play. It is also a team sport that you can enjoy with friends and family.
Handball | Calories burned /Hour = 500+
Handball is a fun, fast-paced game that usually involves two teams. It is a great sport to lose weight as it involves a lot of running, jumping, catching the ball, and generally moving on the court.
Just one hour of a game of handball can help you burn over 500 calories and help you stay in great shape.
Parkour | Calories burned /Hour = 600 – 900+
Parkour is a high-calorie-burning sport that involves a lot of simple and complex movements such as running, climbing, swinging, mantling, vaulting, jumping, and rolling.
The good thing about this sport is that it doesn’t require a lot of gear, just some comfortable running shoes and clothing will do.
If you’re looking to lose weight very fast, Parkour is one of the highest calorie-burning sports that will get you trimmed very fast.
Care should be taken though, as beginners can often get injured.
Gymnastics | Calories burned /Hour = 250+
Finally, gymnastics is another good sporting activity to take part in if you want to lose weight.
Gymnastics require a huge amount of energy and fitness coordination, flexibility, and agility to do effectively.
An hour of doing gymnastics a day can burn up to 300 calories and help you lose weight fast.
Conclusion
You may be wondering, What sport make you lose weight the fastest?
Well, there is no single sport that helps you lose weight fast. Losing weight depends on several factors not just exercise alone; diet, genetics, stress levels, alcohol consumption, etc all play a role in gaining or losing weight.
The best sport to engage in will definitely be the one enjoy the most. It could be playing pick-up basketball with your friends or playing tennis with your spouse or going for an early morning run or an evening swim to relax from the day’s activity.
Whichever sport you decide to take part in, make sure not to overdo it as it can lead to injuries.
Experts recommend 30 minutes of moderate exercise every day, but if you want to lose weight fast, you could go for one hour of exercise, five days a week.
