How Many Calories Does Tennis Burn Per Hour?

Find out how many calories you can burn playing tennis, and how this popular sport can help you lose weight and get in shape.

Introduction

Calories burned during any physical activity can depend on a person’s weight, the intensity of their activity and how long they are active for. For example, a 120-pound person who plays tennis for one hour can expect to burn around 270 calories. However, if that same person plays for two hours, they might burn closer to 540 calories.

To get an accurate estimate of how many calories you might burn playing tennis, it’s important to consider all of these factors. In general, the longer you play and the more intensely you play, the more calories you’ll burn.

The Number of Calories You Can Burn Playing Tennis

The number of calories you can burn playing tennis depends on a few factors, including your weight, the intensity of your play, and the amount of time you spend playing. A 155-pound person burns about 590 calories per hour playing singles tennis, and a 185-pound person burns about 700 calories per hour playing singles tennis. If you double the intensity of your play, you can burn up to 1,200 calories per hour.

Factors That Affect the Number of Calories You Burn Playing Tennis

The number of calories you burn playing tennis depends on a variety of factors, such as your weight, the intensity of your play, and how long you play. A 155-pound person burns approximately 563 calories per hour playing singles tennis at a moderate pace, according to Harvard Health Publications. Playing at a vigorous pace can burn up to 740 calories per hour. If you weigh 185 pounds, you’ll burn 657 and 862 calories per hour, respectively, under the same conditions.

To get an estimate of how many calories you burn playing tennis, use this formula from the American Council on Exercise: Calories burned per hour = BPM x (MET x 3.5 x weight in kg)/200. Here’s what that looks like for a 155-pound person playing singles tennis at a moderate pace (187 heartbeats per minute):

Calories burned per hour = 187 x (8.0 x 155)/200
= 563

At a vigorous pace (222 heartbeats per minute), that same person would burn:
Calories burned per hour = 222 x (10.0 x 155)/200
= 740

Tips to Help You Burn More Calories Playing Tennis

Here are a few tips to help you burn even more calories when playing tennis:

-Serve hard. A good, fast serve can really make your opponent run, which means you’ll burn more calories.
-Keep the rallies going. The longer the rally, the more calories you’ll burn.
-Move around the court. Tennis is a great opportunity to get in some cardio by running back and forth across the court.
-Take shorter breaks. If you take frequent breaks, you’ll end up burning fewer calories overall.

By following these tips, you can help make sure that you’re getting the most out of your tennis game – and burning plenty of calories in the process!

Conclusion

Based on the average number of calories burned per hour, tennis can be considered a moderate to high-intensity activity. Burning anywhere from 477 to 716 calories per hour, tennis is a great way to help you lose weight or maintain a healthy weight. However, keep in mind that the number of calories you burn will vary based on your weight, intensity level, and other factors.