Taking part in a physical activity or sport can help to lower your daily calorie intake, according to the Mayo Clinic. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that the rate at which a person burns calories depends on a number of factors. Weight, general fitness levels and the intensity of a particular activity dictate how many calories an individual burns during a workout or activity session. Statistics are based on a person weighing 154 lbs. Those who weigh more will burn more calories during the same activity, and those weighing less will burn fewer calories.
Running
Running is one of the most effective ways to lower calories and an hour’s jog at 5 miles per hour can burn about 590 calories. If you increase the intensity to an 8-miles-per-hour run for the same duration, it is possible to burn approximately 986 calories according to the Mayo Clinic’s statistics.
Swimming
A few gentle laps of the pool provide a good all-around workout. Even those with little interest in fitness and sport can benefit from this moderate-intensity exercise and an increase in heart rate and breathing provided by a half hour’s swim and use up to 255 calories.
Walking
Walking speed determines the number of calories that you can burn during the activity. An hour’s walk at a moderate pace of 3.5 miles per hour uses around 280 calories. Increase your speed to 4.5 miles per hour and you can burn 460 calories or more, depending on your weight and fitness levels.
Cycling
Cycling provides a good cardio workout for the whole family, even at moderate levels. Cycling is a non-weight bearing activity, and those who are unable to take part in high impact sports such as running can lower their calories effectively with this activity and burn between 290 and 590 calories per hour, depending on speed and intensity.
Dancing
You don’t have to join a class to enjoy the health benefits and calorie-reducing properties of dancing. Fitness DVDs incorporating dance routines are a great way to get fit at home if you’re not comfortable with the gym or you can sign up for a salsa class if you want to learn classic dance moves in a formal environment.
Aerobics
Aerobics classes offer a range of workouts enabling you to work on a rotation of cardio-based activities to keep your workout fresh. According to the Mayo Clinic, low-impact aerobics burns around 365 calories per hour, water aerobics burns 292 and high-impact sport aerobics can burn up to 511 calories an hour.
Golf
Walking around an 18-hole golf course, carrying your own clubs, can shed some unwanted calories, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. An hour on the golf course is a moderate-intensity activity and uses at least 330 calories.
Gardening
Light gardening such as weeding and pruning can burn approximately 330 calories per hour in the garden. Chopping wood and other strenuous outdoor activities in the yard burn an additional 100 calories per hour.
Basketball
Play basketball as an organized team sport or simply shoot some hoops with friends at the park. You don’t need a full team to play, and an hour of vigorous activity on the basketball court can lower your calories and help to build endurance, according to the Better Health Channel.
Stretching
You don't necessarily need to indulge in vigorous exercise to burn a few calories. A person weighing 154 lbs. uses around 90 calories during a 30-minute stretching workout.
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