There are hundreds of sports in the world, so it’s hard to know which one you can benefit the most from. Whether it’s playing basketball or water polo, each sport benefits you differently and burns various amounts of calories.

Swimming

The phrase “just keep swimming” from Finding Nemo could help you lose weight faster than most sports. It’s a full body workout, which can burn up to 360 calories every half hour (depending on the stroke.) However, not many people can maintain form for that long so it’s recommended to base your swim workouts on intervals. Unlike a lot of other sports, swimming doesn’t impact your joints. Once submerged in water, you instantly become lighter and end up carrying 10 percent of your weight, while the other 90 percent is handled by the water. This makes the pool an ideal place to work out stiff muscles and sore joints.

Running

For most people, running one mile can burn up to 100 calories. One of the many health benefits of running is that it can increase your overall health level. It’s been proven that running can raise your good cholesterol level, strengthen your heart, lungs, muscles and immune system, while lowering risk of a stroke. For women, it can also lower risks of breast cancer. Regular running can also build strong bones and improve cardiovascular fitness. To avoid common injuries, avoid running in old and poorly fitted shoes.

Rock Climbing

Both an indoor and outdoor activity, rock climbing is often looked at as recreational use and not an actual sport. However, it burns an average of 371 calories every half hour. When done properly, it provides many health benefits like improvement of cardiovascular system, flexibility, and an increase of muscle mass. Rock climbing focuses mostly on muscles in arms, chest, back and legs, which is why it’s considered a total body workout. Besides health benefits, it can also improve concentration and thought process. Climbing routes are like puzzles that require strategies and patience, which is why rock climbing also helps you mentally.

Downhill Skiing 

Downhill skiing can burn an average of 346 calories per hour. Skiing increases flexibility, which helps you avoid muscle sprains. A combination of stability and balance is key when skiing and it’s an excellent workout for your legs, since most of the workout relies on leg strength. Skiing regularly improves cardiovascular fitness and blood circulation, as well as getting oxygen and nutrients to tissues throughout your body. Keeping your body steady on the slopes can also tone your stomach muscles. Next time you’re aiming for a flatter stomach, why not hit the slopes?

Soccer

Competitive soccer requires constant running and sprinting, which is why one soccer game can burn an average of 800 calories per hour for men, and 700 calories per hour for women. Soccer builds flexibility, strength, endurance and improves your overall health because of constant walking, running and sprinting. Like many other sports, it improves your cardiovascular system and aerobic capacity. Competitive soccer also targets teamwork, concentration and coordination.