Have you ever wondered in envy how people are keeping fit despite going through the same pandemic you’re experiencing?
You’re probably not the only one given how the coronavirus inevitably closed gym and sports centers. But when there’s a will, there’s a way, and we all know that exercising involves a lot of willpower.
Luckily, iPrice Group conducted a study that observed popular TikTok exercises. They identified which are pandemic-friendly and how many calories they burn per hour (as per Under Armour’s MyFitnessPal app). Based on their platform, the price aggregator also estimated the amount needed to invest in each exercise (excluding trainers and fitness sessions).
Sports Are Still Trendy on TikTok
Unfortunately, 5 out of 12 of the popular TikTok exercises recorded are not so pandemic-friendly (shame on you, TikTokers), yet they burn many calories per hour. Filipino favorites, boxing and basketball, burn 436 and 388 kcals respectively. Niche sports, football (soccer) and volleyball, burn 485 and 388 kcals respectively.
Popular leisure sport, badminton, burns an estimated 339 kcal per hour. In terms of safety, badminton is in a grey area. Badminton courts are 1.5x smaller than a tennis court and some are located in enclosed quarters with air conditioning.
It will take some time until we can safely participate in the sports mentioned above. Fortunately, there are 7 pandemic-friendly exercises on the list and some of them burn as much or even more calories.
Pandemic-Friendly Exercises
- Running (533 kcal, Php 3,331)
Running for an hour burns the most calories (533 kcal). It’s even one of the cheapest exercises you could do. All you need is about $69 (Php 3,331) if you’re particular about wearing sports attire from top to bottom. Given that it’s outdoors and is usually done in isolation, it is definitely considered pandemic-friendly.
- Cycling (485 kcals, Php 5,793)
If you’re not a fan of running or are worried about busting your knees, then cycling is certainly a good alternative. Although you may have to spend more on gear & a bicycle (US$ 120 / Php 5,793), cycling for an hour can burn up to 485 kcals, even more than playing basketball or badminton.
- Tennis (388 kcal, Php 5,358)
Tennis, a socially distant sport (if played in singles), burns as many calories as basketball (388 kcal). Investing in tennis gear may cost you up to $111 (Php 5,358), but it can be worth it given its leisure and health benefits.
- HIIT (266 kcal, Php 8,351)
Surprisingly, high-intensity interval training (HIIT) only burns 266 kcal per hour according to MyFitnessPal. All that panting and cardiac difficulty for fewer calories. But sources report that HIIT is an anaerobic exercise, which means that people are more likely to lean up than shred when exercising in bursts. The Under Armour app may indicate fewer calories burned for HIIT than running due to its rest-exercise interval. Investing in HIIT at home can be pricey, costing you an average of $173 (Php 8,351) for the equipment and apparel.
- Walking (184 kcal, Php 2,124)
The simplest form of exercise, walking, can burn more calories than yoga and surfing. An hour of moderate brisk walking can burn up to 184 kcals, believe it or not. Barely any money is needed as well, unless you’re specific about exercise gear, then that will cost you about $44 (Php 2,124).
- Surfing (145 kcal, Php 13,227)
Surfing is the most expensive form of exercise recorded by iPrice given the price of surfboards and swimming apparel. It only burns about 145 kcal, and yet the activity’s leisurely fun is deemed worth it for many. Some surfers typically spend more than one hour at the beach, which explains their beach bodies and tanned skin.
- Yoga (121 kcal, Php 3,234)
Another popular home workout, yoga, was recorded. As suspected, it only burns about 121 kcal if done for an hour. It costs only about $67, considering the yoga mat and clothing. If you do yoga to burn calories instead of achieving its mental benefits, you may have to log in more hours compared to other exercises.
Pandemic-induced limitations should be enough to forgive yourself for not being as fit as you used to be. However, there are still options to be as healthy as you can be with home or socially distant exercises. If you’re aiming to burn the most calories with the least amount of time and cost, running is your best bet.
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Methodology
The list of exercises was taken from Apple Watch, in which was ranked based on Tiktok hashtag views recorded on May 10, 2021. Exercises with inaccurate price information and irrelevant to the Southeast Asian market (e.g. snowboarding) were excluded. The amount of calories burned per hour were taken from the app, MyFitnessPal. Data on price were taken from iPrice’s database of 6 billion products.
About iPrice Group
iPrice Group is a meta-search website operating in seven countries across Southeast Asia namely; Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia,Thailand, Philippines, Vietnam, and Hong Kong. Currently, iPrice compares and catalogues more than 6 billion and receives about 20-30 million monthly visits across the region. iPrice currently operates under its own brand iPrice and through various partnerships with leading apps, such as SmartPay (Vietnam), Boost (Malaysia), GoRewards (Philippines), Home Credit (Indonesia) Visense (Singapore), Robinsons rewards (Philippines) & Boost (Malaysia).