Calory burning whilst singing

Does anyone have any idea how many calories are burnt whilst singing? In fact singing is exhausting, core muscles can get very sore; hence I'm guessing there would be; the question is how much?

Replies

  • rileysowner
    rileysowner Posts: 8,336 Member
    Question, did you sing when you put your weight on? If so, the calorie burn from singing is probably not as big as you may hope it is. Even exhausting core muscles doesn't mean a big burn because unlike say leg muscles, core muscles are not that big. Lots of small muscles, but even at that, nothing comparable to other large muscle groups. At best the burn might be similar to something like situps, and they burn very few calories.
  • Alluminati
    Alluminati Posts: 6,208 Member
    Awesome.
  • Ready2Rock206
    Ready2Rock206 Posts: 9,487 Member
    I wouldn't think it would be enough to be concerned with.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 49,021 Member
    You may contract your abs, but even if you did 1000 sit ups (which is MUCH HARDER than singing), you'd be lucky to burn 100-150 calories.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

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  • lorrpb
    lorrpb Posts: 11,463 Member
    It's not over til the fat lady sings.
  • meritage4
    meritage4 Posts: 1,441 Member
    Not worth counting but is worth doing!
  • rileysowner
    rileysowner Posts: 8,336 Member
    meritage4 wrote: »
    Not worth counting but is worth doing!

    I probably should have said this as well. Singing probably won't help you burn more calories, but it is worth doing if for no other reason than it is good for you mentally if you enjoy doing it. Mental satisfaction is important in terms of overall health.
  • rainbowbow
    rainbowbow Posts: 7,490 Member
    ninerbuff wrote: »
    You may contract your abs, but even if you did 1000 sit ups (which is MUCH HARDER than singing), you'd be lucky to burn 100-150 calories.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

    9285851.png

    isn't it funny how that works? Sometimes the perceived rate of exhaustion is so vastly different than actual calories expended.
  • snickerscharlie
    snickerscharlie Posts: 8,578 Member
    rainbowbow wrote: »
    ninerbuff wrote: »
    You may contract your abs, but even if you did 1000 sit ups (which is MUCH HARDER than singing), you'd be lucky to burn 100-150 calories.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

    9285851.png

    isn't it funny how that works? Sometimes the perceived rate of exhaustion is so vastly different than actual calories expended.

    Just like sex. :)
  • Shells918
    Shells918 Posts: 1,070 Member
    If you sing while running, then you will burn a ton of calories.
  • queenliz99
    queenliz99 Posts: 15,317 Member
    Part of Beyonce's training included running and singing.

    3. Sing and run at the same time? Beyoncé can apparently do that for more than a mile.

    TK TK gifs

    Many of us may have a hard time just completing a mile, but Beyoncé has no problem singing while she runs the world. Talking with The Times of India, Beyoncé revealed her training regimen from the early days, stating, “My father, who was also my manager, made me run a mile while singing so I would be able to perform on stage without becoming exhausted.” Extremely impressive, but maybey a bit intense?

    LaTavia Roberson, of the original Destiny’s Child lineup, also spoke of these practices, telling The Mirror that Beyoncé’s father had the whole band go through this training. “He would make us wake up early in the ­morning and take us to Herman Park,” Roberson said. “There was a three-and-a-half mile track and we would sing while we jogged around it.”

    What motivates her to keep running? Apparently the Academy Awards. After being asked by CBS News whether it’s true that she runs on a “treadmill with a big picture of an Academy Award in front of it,” Beyoncé responded, “I do. But, it’s not right in front of the treadmill. It’s over in the corner somewhere. Just so it’s in the back of my mind.”
    3. Sing and run at the same time? Beyoncé can apparently do that for more than a mile.

    http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/09/04/beyonce-facts_n_5756444.html
  • lanatas
    lanatas Posts: 5 Member
    I'm not singing to lose weight; however, I do sing a minimum of 2 hours/day, plus rehearsals and lessons. Of course, I'm well aware of the mental benefits and it simply occurred to me calories would be burnt; the question would be how many. Considering singing is indeed an "athletic" activity, in that it involves toning and strengthening muscles, and developing stamina in using them (as well as learning how not to fatigue or damage those muscles). Singing well requires many different muscles. The diaphragm muscle in the abdomen is the largest and strongest muscle in the body. It is what enables breathing in and out with the lungs. There are also other "costal" muscles that are involved in taking a deep breath and controlling how air is expelled while singing or speaking. Then there are the many small muscles in the larynx and throughout the mouth and sinuses that are controlled in minute amounts to produce all the effects of speaking and singing. Thank you all for responding; however, there don't seem to be any studies on the actual burning of calories in the process. It would have been interesting.
  • malibu927
    malibu927 Posts: 17,562 Member
    Anything you would burn while singing would be part of your daily activity anyway, so there's no need to log it.
  • lanatas
    lanatas Posts: 5 Member
    edited August 2016
  • heatherheyns
    heatherheyns Posts: 144 Member
    Everything burns calories, just often not enough to worry. When I paint, my hands can get very sore, but even painting for a few hours is unlikely to burn enough to make a difference. Likewise, when I am writing, I can write 6k words in a day and my hands are tired from typing. Still not a big calorie burn. It isn't that there isn't any burn, but likely not much over your base burn.
  • sunnybeaches105
    sunnybeaches105 Posts: 2,831 Member
    If you're serious about losing weight then don't try to log singing as exercise. If this is meant as a joke then you got me.
  • Orphanogenesis
    Orphanogenesis Posts: 523 Member
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  • Alatariel75
    Alatariel75 Posts: 18,329 Member
    As people are saying here, just because it conditions muscles doesn't mean it burns a significant amount of calories.
  • MeanderingMammal
    MeanderingMammal Posts: 7,866 Member
    lanatas wrote: »
    Thank you all for responding; however, there don't seem to be any studies on the actual burning of calories in the process. It would have been interesting.

    The Compendium of Physical Activities provide a number of scaling factors for calorie expenditure. Based against a scaling factor of 1.0 representing lying still.

    The only entry I see for singing is in the religious activities section, rather strangely being in church seems to add a 0.1 scaling factor to most things, but that lists standing and singing in church as scaling MET of 2.0.

    To provide some upper comparator, walking slowly is MET of 3.5 and running scales at MET of 6.0 for an easy pace.

    So not significant.
  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 25,681 Member
    lanatas wrote: »
    I'm not singing to lose weight; however, I do sing a minimum of 2 hours/day, plus rehearsals and lessons. Of course, I'm well aware of the mental benefits and it simply occurred to me calories would be burnt; the question would be how many. Considering singing is indeed an "athletic" activity, in that it involves toning and strengthening muscles, and developing stamina in using them (as well as learning how not to fatigue or damage those muscles). Singing well requires many different muscles. The diaphragm muscle in the abdomen is the largest and strongest muscle in the body. It is what enables breathing in and out with the lungs. There are also other "costal" muscles that are involved in taking a deep breath and controlling how air is expelled while singing or speaking. Then there are the many small muscles in the larynx and throughout the mouth and sinuses that are controlled in minute amounts to produce all the effects of speaking and singing. Thank you all for responding; however, there don't seem to be any studies on the actual burning of calories in the process. It would have been interesting.

    At best, you might be able to log 2 hours of standing.

    But I wouldn't bother ... if you did happen to burn a few calories, I'd just consider them as bonus calories for those moments when you miscalculate that dinner out at a local restaurant. :)


    Now if you also danced ...
  • lanatas
    lanatas Posts: 5 Member
    Thanks again for all your comments
  • Mr_Knight
    Mr_Knight Posts: 9,532 Member
    edited August 2016
    lanatas wrote: »
    Thank you all for responding; however, there don't seem to be any studies on the actual burning of calories in the process. It would have been interesting.

    Sure there have been. Singing is in the MET compendium.

    Singing while standing has a MET of around 2.0, for comparison, or about 1/3 the net burn of walking at a moderate pace. For two hours, at a weight of 200 pounds, that comes out to around...130 extra calories, or about half a Snickers bar.
  • Vune
    Vune Posts: 674 Member
    If you are interested in improving your singing, yoga and running would be your best bets. If you're in training to audition for The Tales of Hoffmann, the character Olympia, the mechanical doll, wears a 140lb costume, so lifting heavy could also improve your performance.

    But if your concern is calories, I'd be more concerned about what it going in you as a singer. You sound like you probably already know what foods can irritate the vocal folds. My go-to on performance days is usually just eggs and veggies. If the performance is catered, I keep to the salads and bring an apple or three. To reduce your weight, reduce the amount you eat.

    You may feel like you ran a marathon after singing the Hallelujah chorus, but it's really just a few minutes of heavy breathing and screeching!
  • libbynole89
    libbynole89 Posts: 3 Member
    Shells918 wrote: »
    If you sing while running, then you will burn a ton of calories.
    Shells918 wrote: »
    If you sing while running, then you will burn a ton of calories.

  • libbynole89
    libbynole89 Posts: 3 Member
    I’ve sung while riding long distances on a bike and it helps distract you from the pain in your patootie!
  • Melwillbehealthy
    Melwillbehealthy Posts: 894 Member
    I sing every week in a choir. I always get very hot while singing, and can feel my body heating up. I guess I’m 🔥 burning energy. I have to dress in cool clothes. I just do it for fun. I don’t think it burns any more calories than you normally would in your daily activities. The calories singing burns are from the food you’re not eating while you’re too busy singing😏 lol 🎶.Interesting thought though.