How to Burn 100 Calories: 10 Ways to Move More Now

While gyms and fitness studios are excellent venues to get your sweat on, there are a variety of activities you can do that don't require joining a fitness facility and still help you accomplish exercise goals. In fact, some of the best ways to burn calories are done outside the gym, so you can do them at home, while at work, or traveling.

How to Burn 100 Calories

Below you will find out more about how to burn 100 calories including:

  1. Climb stairs for 10 minutes
  2. Do yoga for 30 minutes
  3. Walk for 30 minutes
  4. Do your work standing rather than sitting
  5. Jump rope for 7 minutes
  6. Dance for 30 minutes
  7. Do rigorous chores for 30 minutes
  8. Hike for 15 minutes
  9. Run a 10-minute mile
  10. Garden for 25 minutes
Woman talking on phone while exercising

Verywell / Ryan Kelly

The activities you choose may vary based on how much time you have available, what you feel your body needs that particular day, the weather, and so on. There are no right or wrong choices here. Just several options for achieving the same goal: to get moving.

The exact amount of calories your body will use doing these activities depends on your weight, sex, age, body composition, and more. Therefore, this rate is different or everyone. For simplicity's sake, the calorie counts used in this article are for a 150-pound woman. You can calculate your individual calorie burn rate for a more precise number.

1

Climb Stairs

calories burned on stairs

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There's almost always a staircase nearby at work, at home, or even in a hotel when you're traveling. Walk the stairs for just ten minutes to burn 100 calories. It is also correlated with a reduction in disease. You'll build strong legs as well. Climbing stairs help to shape the muscles in your lower body. Walking downstairs provides benefits, too!​

2

Stretch and Relax

stretch to burn calories

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If you stretch and relax or do an easy yoga workout for 30 minutes, you'll burn about 100 calories. In addition, you help to increase the range of motion in your joints, decrease stress, and it may improve the quality of your sleep.

3

Walk and Talk

Man walking next to water while talking on phone

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When you can, take your phone calls on the go. You can even walk during business calls simply by pacing around your office. Do this during two 15-minute phone calls a day for a 100-calorie burn. Wear a fitness tracker to see how far you can go.

4

Stand Up

calories burned standing

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You burn about 10 extra calories for every 10 minutes you stand rather than sit at the office. And the good news is that you don't need a standing desk to take advantage of the benefit. Ask co-workers if you can hold meetings at a standing location instead of in the conference room. Better yet, take the meeting on the road and solve workplace problems while you walk. You can also stand more at home, like when watching TV or reading. It all adds up!

5

Jump Rope

calories burned jumping rope

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If you have a reason to burn calories fast, jump rope. You only need to jump for seven minutes to blast away 100 calories. You'll also improve coordination and build strength in your lower legs at the same time.

Can't jump for a solid seven minutes? Work your way up to it. Keep a jump rope handy at your house so you can do it in your living room, on your driveway, or in your yard—anywhere you have enough space. Keep one in your car so you can jump rope at the park.

6

Get Active

calories burned dancing

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If you're at home with your family or hanging out with friends, have an impromptu dance party. Thirty minutes of casual dancing burns about 165 calories. Playing more active games with kids or grandkids can also burn calories. Try hula hooping, hide-and-seek, or passing a balloon or beach ball without letting it touch the ground.

7

Tidy Up

calories burned housecleaning

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Got a house to clean? Believe it or not, housework can be an effective exercise session. Standard housecleaning burns about 100 calories in 30 minutes. Need to burn a few more? Change up your chores to burn more calories when you clean. Simple tasks like vacuuming and dusting can be modified into exercises that build strength.

8

Take a Hike

calories burned hiking

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Who needs an excuse to get outdoors? Lace up your hiking boots and head for the hills to burn 100 calories in just 15 minutes. Hiking burns more calories than walking because of the difference in terrain. When you hike up a hill or on unstable trails, your leg muscles have to work harder to move you forward and your core muscles have to work harder to keep you stabilized. The result? More calories burned. If you don't have a trail nearby, walking briskly for 20 minutes will burn 100 calories too.

9

Run

calories burned running

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The simplest way to burn 100 calories fast is to run. And you don't have to be a marathoner or sprinter to blast away fat. Run one 10-minute mile to burn 100 calories. If you're not ready to run for a full mile, try run/walk intervals to build stamina while burning fat.

10

Garden

calories burned gardening

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Got a green thumb? Put it to work for you! Gardening burns about 100 calories for every 25 minutes that you spend digging, weeding, and planting. The added bonus is that you enjoy the outdoors while you create a beautiful garden and maybe even grow a few healthy vegetables.

A Word From Verywell

Keep a 100-calorie workout jar on your kitchen counter or your desk at work. Keep these and other easy workout ideas on slips of paper in the jar. Encourage co-workers, friends, or family members to pull out a slip and complete a workout two or three times throughout the day to promote healthy movement and increased fitness.

5 Sources
Verywell Fit uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
  1. Michael E, White MJ, Eves FF. Home-based stair climbing as an intervention for disease risk in adult females; a controlled study. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021;18(2):603. doi:10.3390/ijerph18020603

  2. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Physical activity for a healthy weight.

  3. Afonso J, Ramirez-Campillo R, Moscão J, et al. Strength training versus stretching for improving range of motion: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Healthcare (Basel). 2021;9(4):427. doi:10.3390/healthcare9040427

  4. Trecroci A, Cavaggioni L, Caccia R, Alberti G. Jump rope training: balance and coordination in preadolescent soccer players. J Sports Sci Med. 2015;14(4):792-8.

  5. Fischetti F, Vilardi A, Cataldi S, Greco G. Effects of plyometric training program on speed and explosive strength of lower limbs in young athletes. J Phys Educ Sport. 2018;18(4):2476-82. doi:10.7752.jpes.2018.04372

By Malia Frey, M.A., ACE-CHC, CPT
 Malia Frey is a weight loss expert, certified health coach, weight management specialist, personal trainer​, and fitness nutrition specialist.