Let Me Count the Ways - How to Burn 100 Calories in 10 Minutes
100 calories. In itself, it doesn’t seem like that much. But to someone trying to lose weight, burning 100 calories can give your weight reduction a big boost and the activity will help your health as well.
I decided to find ways that you can burn 100 calories. I had no idea that you could burn that much in 10 minutes by doing certain activies! For someone like me who always seems to wish I had more time in a day, 10 minutes is something I could work into my schedule.
Of course, the exact amount of calories you burn will depend on your current weight, the intensity of the workout and your personal fitness level. So the 100 number is a close approximation.
Here’s a few interesting ways to burn 100 calories in 10 minutes:
Running one mile
Jumping rope
Cycling - 13 mph
High-impact aerobics
Running up stairs- From About.com
Running for me is unfortunately out of the question at this time. To be honest, I have never been able to run a mile in my life. All throughout grade school, when they had those fitness tests I was usually the last one to cross the finish line or I didn’t finish. It’s been quite embarassing to say the least. Instead of speed, I seemed to excel with the activities that involved muscle strength. Perhaps in the future running could be something to try.
Jumping rope sounds fun, and I actually have a good jumping rope somewhere around the house. But the impact on my knees and feet make me cringe. Again, perhaps something to work on once I lose some more weight first.
Cycling is something I could do now. As a kid, I could always ride my bike and it was normal to go for long bike rides to the store (we lived in a very rural area and the store was 4 miles away). The only thing with cycling is that I don’t like having to deal with traffic and I’d definitely have to purchase a helmet.
That’s not all. Here’s some more ways I found:
Elliptical Trainer
Ski Machine
Swimming: Butterfly
Handball
Snow Shoeing
Snow Boarding
Judo
Karate
An elliptical can burn 100 calories in ten minutes? I have an elliptical and I had no idea it could burn that much. Mine has a little calorie counter and it told me that I only burned 47 calories for 15 minutes. Perhaps I’m not working it hard enough. In any case, I’m glad to see an elliptial listed.
I also like seeing snow boarding listed. I’ll let everyone in on a secret. I have absolutely horrible balance. I can ride a bike, but when it comes to something that involves balancing with my legs…the ground and I have a close relationship. As a result, I don’t even attempt such things so I avoid injury. I have a deep desire to change that, though. I live in snow country, and to be able to take a snow board down a hill of fresh snow seems like an awesome rush for me.
Now that I think about it, perhaps taking up some karate (which is also listed) can help with my balance so then I could try snow boarding. Hmm…gives me something to think about.
I think for now, my elliptical is going to be a good form of exercise for me. I am shooting for 15 minutes at a time and working my way up from there. It’s low impact and so far I haven’t received any injuries from doing it. I think it’s still the best daily exercise for me until I can get a little farther with my weight loss.
I’m still working on the daily part though 
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Comments
The University of Mary Washington paper’s numbers are based on a 150 lb. person. But you are right. The actual number of calories burned depends on many factors. Sort of like the actual number of calories in food. There has to be some variation (one slice of pizza may have an extra pepperoni, etc.).
Thanks for the personal input about the snowboarding. When I thought about it, it made sense because you are moving back and forth and using many muscle groups. But since I’ve never tried it, I really don’t know and went with the information from Univeristy of Mary Washington.
Snowshoeing, well…I can believe that one. I’ve done it before and never did it again because it was too much for me. That is a workout and a half, especially if you have the larger size shoes. This winter, though, I would like to try it again.
Gal, you certainly have not been snowboarding or snowshoeing in the right places! I do both and both are excellent workouts, particularly if there’s a lot of powder snow and if you’re going for awhile (i.e. you’re on a pretty big hill/mountain when snowboarding). When snowboarding, you must maneuver your body using your core, hips, arms and legs - it’s a full-body workout, no doubt. Snowshoeing is by far the most intense workout I’ve ever done. It depends slightly on the terrain, but rent some and just try it - you’ll drench your winter clothing with sweat in no time! Plus, it’s a great way to warm yourself up in winter.
I agree with MVP. Snowboarding and snowshoeing are two of my favorite things to do in the winter, and both of them work up a wicked sweat. If you’re snowboarding with proper form and going on long runs, or in deep powder, you will absolutely feel the burn. And the first few days when you’re learning, your triceps will be on fire at the end of the day, since you’ll be pushing yourself up off your butt all day long 
As for snowshoeing, it’s as challenging as a hard run, if you’re breaking trail in reasonably deep snow. If you’re just moseying along on a trail that’s already packed out, it will pretty much be like walking down the street, but breaking trail is an awesome workout.
Trish, go for it with the snowboarding. Get some knee pads and a butt guard and wrist guards (the kind made for snowboarding - they’re different from the ones people use for rollerblading) and take a lesson the first time. Don’t give up when you spend the first few days on your rear end - that’s what the butt guard is for. Once you can stay upright, you’ll have a blast!
And one more thing - sorry this is so long - you mentioned that you’ve never been able to run a mile. Don’t worry about running if it’s not your thing. You’ll burn the same number of calories walking a mile as you do running a mile. It’ll just take longer if you’re walking. Running has the added benefit of elevating your heart rate and providing a cardiovascular workout, but the calorie burn is the same whether you’re running or walking a certain distance. Good luck!!
These numbers don’t sound right. Various activities can burn 100 calories in 10 minutes but it would really depend on your pace as well as your weight. The number of calories burned changes based on your weight. For example, at 210lbs, I burn around 900 calories if I spend an hour on the treadmill. A woman around 120lbs would burn 500 or so. Plus it would also depend on the level of incline the treadmill was set on.
And snowboarding does not burn that much calories. I’m an avid snowboarder and I’ve never felt particularly strained by snowboarding. You’re on a board and you’re going downhill. How many calories can that possibly burn?
There are a few other questionable items on this list. Like who can really keep up butterfly style swimming for 10 minutes? And snowshoeing? Seriously?
Your 47 calories in 15 minutes on the elliptical is just fine. Just focus on the heart rate and keep it going for 20 to 30 minutes if you can. You’ll get a far better workout that way than by focusing on the calorie counter.
Gal