Best Sports for Weight Loss: What Actually Burns Fat

Playing sport beats grinding on a treadmill for most people. It's more fun, more social, and you forget you're exercising while chasing a ball or landing a punch.

But which sports actually burn the most calories? And does the calorie number even matter most?

Let's break down the evidence.

Calories Burned Per Hour by Sport

For a 70kg (11 stone) person, approximate calories burned per hour:

• Boxing (training): 700-900 calories
• Running (10km/h pace): 600-700 calories
• Rowing: 500-700 calories
• Cycling (vigorous): 500-650 calories
• Swimming (moderate): 400-600 calories
• Football: 500-700 calories
• Tennis (singles): 400-600 calories
• Basketball: 450-600 calories
• Badminton: 350-500 calories

These figures vary based on intensity, skill level, and individual factors. A casual kickabout burns less than a competitive match. But this gives useful context.

Breaking Down Each Sport

Boxing

Calories burned: 700-900/hour

Boxing consistently ranks among the highest calorie-burning activities in research studies. A Harvard Medical School study found that a 70kg person burns around 800 calories per hour during intense boxing training.

• Combines cardio and resistance in every session
• Full-body workout - legs, core, shoulders, arms
• High-intensity intervals with recovery periods (natural HIIT)
• EPOC effect (continued calorie burn after training)
• Stress relief helps reduce emotional eating
• Skill development keeps you coming back

• Need coaching to learn properly
• Requires gym access
• Can be intimidating for beginners at the wrong gym

Best for: People who find pure cardio boring. Those wanting stress relief alongside fitness. Anyone interested in learning a skill.

We're a boxing gym, so we're obviously biased. But the calorie numbers don't lie. Boxing burns more calories than almost any other activity you can do for an hour. Try a session with us if you're curious.

Swimming

Calories burned: 400-600/hour

Swimming offers something unique: zero joint impact with full-body exercise.

• Engages every major muscle group
• Builds cardiovascular fitness
• Zero impact on joints
• Sustainable for people who can't do high-impact exercise
• Can swim at any fitness level
• The butterfly stroke burns calories comparable to running

• Pool access required (cost, inconvenience)
• Swimming skill needed
• Lower calorie burn than running/boxing at similar effort levels
• Some people find lanes boring

• Hair and skin maintenance

Best for: People with joint problems. Significantly overweight individuals starting their fitness journey. Those who genuinely enjoy being in water.

Running

Calories burned: 600-700/hour at moderate pace

The classic fat-burning activity. Simple, effective, requires minimal equipment.

• High calorie burn per hour
• Free to do
• Increases cardiovascular fitness
• Runner's high is real (endorphin release)
• Huge communities (parkrun, running clubs)
• Easy to track progress

• High impact on joints
• Injury rate is significant (runners' knee, shin splints)
• Many people find it boring
• Weather dependent
• Minimal strength building

Best for: People who enjoy running. Those with healthy joints. Anyone who prefers outdoor solo exercise.

Cycling

Calories burned: 500-650/hour

Indoor or outdoor, cycling provides excellent calorie burn with lower impact than running.

• Lower impact than running
• Can be transport and exercise combined
• Spin classes add motivation and structure
• Outdoor cycling is genuinely enjoyable
• Strong club scene in most areas

• Equipment costs for outdoor cycling
• Gym or bike required
• Less upper body engagement
• Stationary bikes can feel monotonous
• Weather dependent for outdoor

Best for: Commuters who can cycle to work. People who struggle with high-impact exercise. Those who enjoy spin classes.

Rowing

Calories burned: 500-700/hour

Rowing engages 86% of your body's muscles - one of the most complete workouts available.

• Near full-body engagement
• Low impact on joints
• Builds cardiovascular fitness
• Strength development alongside cardio
• Efficient calorie burning

• Rowing machines can be boring
• Proper technique needed (risk of back injury otherwise)
• Water rowing requires club access
• Less social than team sports

Best for: People wanting efficient, low-impact exercise. Those who enjoy the rowing motion.

Football

Calories burned: 500-700/hour

Playing actual matches burns serious calories. The combination of sprinting, jogging, and rest matches natural interval training.

• High-intensity intervals naturally built in
• Social aspect increases adherence
• Skill development keeps it interesting
• Full-body workout
• Available at all levels (5-a-side, leagues, casual kickabouts)

• Injury risk (especially knees and ankles)
• Weather dependent
• Need teammates
• Inconsistent exercise (subs, stoppages)
• Quality of workout depends on playing time

Best for: People who love football. Those who prefer team sports. Anyone motivated by competition.

Tennis

Calories burned: 400-600/hour (singles)

Tennis provides excellent cardio with constant movement, direction changes, and racket work.

• Continuous movement required
• Short sprints and recovery (natural intervals)
• Full-body engagement (legs, core, arms)
• Social aspect
• Skill development maintains interest
• Can play competitively or recreationally

• Court access needed
• Equipment costs
• Need a partner at similar level
• Learning curve for beginners
• Doubles burns fewer calories than singles

Best for: People who enjoy racket sports. Those wanting social, competitive exercise. Anyone with court access.

Basketball

Calories burned: 450-600/hour

Basketball involves constant running, jumping, and quick movements - excellent for calorie burning.

• High-intensity with natural intervals
• Jumping improves explosive power
• Full-body workout
• Team environment adds motivation
• Fun competitive element

• Court access needed
• Height can be limiting factor
• High impact on joints (jumping)
• Injury risk
• Need teammates

Best for: People who enjoy team sports. Those wanting competitive exercise. Anyone with court access.

What Actually Matters for Weight Loss

Calorie numbers are useful but not the full story. Three things matter more:

1. Consistency

Someone who swims twice a week for a year loses more weight than someone who boxes intensely for two weeks then stops.

The best sport for weight loss is one you'll actually do regularly, for months and years. That usually means:

• Something you genuinely enjoy
• Convenient to access
• Social element (for accountability)
• Skill development (to maintain interest)

2. Intensity

A casual hit-around in tennis burns fewer calories than a competitive match. A gentle swim burns less than proper training.

Whatever sport you choose, you need genuine effort. The calorie figures above assume moderate to high intensity. Half-hearted efforts produce half-hearted results.

3. Calorie Intake

You can't outsport a bad diet. An hour of football burns maybe 600 calories. A large pizza contains 2,000+.

Weight loss requires calorie deficit - burning more than you consume. Sport helps create that deficit, but it's not magic. Eat sensibly alongside your training.

Choosing the Right Sport

Ask yourself honestly:

What will I actually do regularly?

Don't pick boxing because it burns most calories if you won't actually go. Pick swimming if you love the pool. Pick football if you've got mates who play.

What's convenient?

A gym near your house beats a club across town. Convenience matters more than optimisation.

What's sustainable?

Consider your joints, your schedule, your budget. Swimming is perfect if you have joint issues. Football doesn't work if you can't commit to match days.

What keeps me interested?

Skill development maintains motivation. Boxing, tennis, swimming - all have progression that keeps things interesting. Mindless treadmill running gets boring.

Our Recommendation

We run a boxing gym, so we're going to recommend boxing. But here's our honest reasoning:

1. Calorie burn is exceptional - among the highest of any activity
2. Full-body workout - not just cardio, but strength and coordination too
3. Skill development - there's always something new to learn
4. Stress relief - hitting pads releases tension like nothing else
5. Community - good boxing gyms build genuine communities
6. Accessible - complete beginners can start immediately

Boxing combines everything that makes sport effective for weight loss: high calorie burn, enjoyment, skill development, and community.

If you're in South East London and curious, try a free session with us. You'll burn more calories than expected and probably have more fun too.

The Bottom Line

All sports beat sitting on the sofa. The calorie differences between activities are less important than actually doing something consistently.

Pick a sport you might enjoy. Try it for a month. If you hate it, try something else. Keep going until you find what sticks.

Weight loss happens when you move regularly and eat sensibly. The specific sport matters far less than showing up week after week, month after month.