If you have a desk job, you’ve heard it time and time again: Sitting all day is killing you. Those eight hours or more that the average American spends in a chair, topped with more time sitting in front of the TV after work, add up, and have the potential to do long-term damage to your body.
Of course, it’s difficult to be more active during working hours when your job requires you to use a computer. That is why many people invest in standing desks or make an effort to exercise in the morning or at lunch.
With this in mind, HealthGrove found the jobs where lack of activity is not an issue. The health visualization site, part of the Graphiq network, used data from the Compendium of Physical Activities to identify the occupations that burn the most calories.
The list is ranked by the hourly caloric burn for both the average American male (191 lbs) and female (159 lbs). Ties are taken into consideration and noted when applicable, along with descriptions of certain jobs.
Note: The HealthGrove data team removed a small number of rare or obscure occupations from the raw dataset for the purposes of this article. You can find the full dataset in the Compendium of Physical Activities, as referenced above.
#9. Lawn Keeper
(yardwork, general)
Female Average Caloric Burn: 302.9
Male Average Caloric Burn: 363.9
(tie)
#9. Garbage Collector
(walking, dumping bins into trucks)
Female Average Caloric Burn: 302.9
Male Average Caloric Burn: 363.9
(tie)
#9. Elder Care
(for disabled adults, active periods)
Female Average Caloric Burn: 302.9
Male Average Caloric Burn: 363.9
(tie)
#9. Massage Therapist
Female Average Caloric Burn: 302.9
Male Average Caloric Burn: 363.9
(tie)
#9. Construction Worker
(outside, remodeling or new structures)
Female Average Caloric Burn: 302.9
Male Average Caloric Burn: 363.9
(tie)
#8. Crab Fishing
Female Average Caloric Burn: 340.8
Male Average Caloric Burn: 409.4
#7. Roofing
Female Average Caloric Burn: 454.4
Male Average Caloric Burn: 545.8
#6. Coal Mining
(shoveling coal)
Female Average Caloric Burn: 477.1
Male Average Caloric Burn: 573.1
#5. Farming
(bailing hay or cleaning barn)
Female Average Caloric Burn: 590.7
Male Average Caloric Burn: 709.5
#4. Forestry
(felling trees)
Female Average Caloric Burn: 605.8
Male Average Caloric Burn: 727.7
#3. Steel Mill Work
(tending furnace)
Female Average Caloric Burn: 628.5
Male Average Caloric Burn: 755
#2. Firefighter
(hauling hoses or carrying equipment, in full gear)
Female Average Caloric Burn: 681.5
Male Average Caloric Burn: 818.7
#1. Skindiving
(frogman or Navy Seal)
Female Average Caloric Burn: 908.7
Male Average Caloric Burn: 1091.6
