What Burns More Calories, Hiking Or Swimming?

Managing your weight requires balancing food intake with calories burned each day. If you eat more than you need, your body will store the excess calories as fat. To lose a pound, you must create a deficit of 3,500 calories by eating less, exercising more or doing both, according to MayoClinic.com. If you need 1,500 calories per day to maintain your weight, for example, you could lose a pound a week by eating 250 calories less per day and burning an extra 250 calories each day through exercise, creating a deficit of 500 calories a day or 3,500 calories per week. All physical activities burn calories but the rates vary according to the type of activity.

Calculating Calories Burned

The number of calories you burn during exercise depends on factors such as your weight, intensity of the exercise and the environment, according to Barbara E. Ainsworth, Ph.D., lead investigator of a study published in the September 2000 issue of "Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise." Researchers measure exercise intensity in METs -- metabolic equivalents -- that range from 0.9 for sleeping to 18 for running at 10.9 mph. To estimate the calorie expenditure per minute for a particular activity, researchers use a formula that takes into account the individual's weight. They multiply the MET for the activity by 3.5 and multiply that figure by the individual's body weight in kg, then divide that number by 200, according to FitnessForWeightLoss.com.

Hiking

Hiking cross-country burns fewer calories than hiking up hills. Hiking cross-country for 30 minutes burns about 215 calories if you weigh 150 lbs., 285 calories if you weigh 200 lbs. and 360 calories if you weigh 250 lbs., according to FitnessForWeightLoss.com. Hiking up hills for 30 minutes burns 250 calories if you weigh 150 lbs., 330 calories if you weigh 200 lbs., and 420 calories if you weight 250 lbs. See an exercise professional to determine your exact energy expenditure for this activity.

Swimming

Swimming laps at a moderate pace burns more calories than swimming at a leisurely pace. Swimming at a leisurely pace for 30 minutes burns about 215 calories if you weigh 150 lbs., 285 calories if you weigh 200 lbs. and 360 calories if you weigh 250 lbs., according to FitnessForWeightLoss.com. Swimming laps at a moderate pace for 30 minutes burns 285 calories if you weigh 150 lbs., 380 calories if you weigh 200 lbs., and 475 calories if you weight 250 lbs. See an exercise professional to determine your exact energy expenditure for this activity.

Comparison

If you're swimming at a leisurely pace or hiking cross-country, you'll burn the same number of calories performing either exercise, according to FitnessForWeightLoss.com. If you increase the intensity of your workout, you'll burn slightly more calories by swimming laps at a moderate pace than by hiking up hills. Remember, though, that the calculated figures are estimates and that your calorie expenditure may be higher or lower depending on your weight and other factors. For example, if you weigh 150 lbs. and swim laps at a moderate pace for 30 minutes, you might burn fewer than 285 calories if you rest frequently or you might burn more calories if the water is choppy.