How Many Calories Do You Burn Playing Disc Golf

Disc golf is fun and the primary motivation for most disc golfers is the pleasure of playing the game. Along with cool amusement, it also offers a combination of physical activity, outdoor recreation and social interaction. While you may enjoy the challenge of the game and the opportunity to improve your skills and meet more people, disc golf is also a very effective way of doing cardio and burning some extra calories.

In this blog, we will explore how many calories are burned during disc golf and how you can lose weight while playing disc golf.  We will discuss the factors affecting calorie burn during disc golf, the number of calories you can expect to burn, as well as tips on how you can maximize calorie burn and improve overall fitness while enjoying your favorite sport. To provide additional insights we will also include how you can integrate smart gadgets to gain more from the game.

Understanding the Calorie Burn During Disc Golf: Factors Affecting Disc Golf Calorie Burn

The calories burned during disc golf vary significantly from person to person. Certain factors such as your body, food intake, the intensity and duration of the game, the topography of the course, and the overall fitness of the player affect the total number of calories burned during disc golf.

Let’s have a look at factors that affect calories burned while playing disc golf.

Weight of the Player:

Since it takes more energy to move a larger body mass, a person with a heavier body weight will burn more calories during an 18-hole disc golf game. On average, a person loses between 300 to 500 calories playing a two-hour round of disc golf. An individual weighing 150 pounds can burn an estimated 350-400 calories whereas an individual weighing 200 pounds can burn up to 992 calories during a two-hour round.

Duration of the Game:

The duration of the game, combined with a walk across the course can significantly improve the number of calories burned. The longer the game, the more calories a player will burn. A shorter game may not provide as much opportunity for sustained physical activity, which means fewer calories burned overall.

The Intensity of the Game:

Intensity combined with some other physical activities can tremendously increase the number of calories burned during disc golf.  If you play at a faster pace and incorporate more challenging throws or additional physical activities like running, jumping, burpees and HIIT you can get more significant results out of your disc golf game.

a disc golf basket near a pond on a disc golf course

Disc Golf Course Topography:

The terrain of the course can also affect calorie burn. A hilly or challenging course will require more physical effort to navigate, which will result in more calories burned.

Weather Conditions:

Temperature, humidity and wind can also affect calories burned during disc golf. Playing in hot or humid conditions causes the body to work harder to regulate its internal temperature, resulting in increased calorie burn. Similarly, windy conditions can increase the amount of physical effort required to make accurate throws. However, in order to stay hydrated, always keep a bottle of water in your bag.

Player’s Fitness Level:

A player’s fitness level can also affect disc golf calories burned. A more physically fit player may be able to sustain a higher level of activity for a longer period of time.

Calculating Disc Golf Calories Burned

There are a number of ways that can be used to calculate calories burned during disc golf. From a number of apps such as MyFitnessPal to health risk assessment websites, let’s have a look at different ways that can help you calculate disc golf calories burned.

Calories Burned Calculating Apps and Websites

Different websites and apps such as MyFitnessPal, can help you track the calories burned during disc golf.

my fitness pay disc golf

MyFitnessPal:

This app offers you a wholesome approach that caters to all aspects of a healthy lifestyle such as diet, exercise, and losing weight. The tool helps you in tracking every moment of the day, from the food that you eat to evaluating the calories burned during the day. In order to track your activity during a disc golf game, you need to input your game duration (e.g. 60 minutes) and your weight (156 lbs.). By the end of the activity, the MyFitnessPal App calculator will give you the number of calories burned during disc golf.

Health Risk Assessment Websites:

Health risk assessment websites can help you in tracking disc golf calories burned by calculating your BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate) and by providing calorie-calculating tools.  You will need to input information such as your age, gender, weight, height, and activity level (how many hours you played the game and if you did any additional exercise), which is then used to calculate your basal metabolic rate (BMR), the number of calories your body burns at rest.

In addition to BMR, you can put your daily physical activity, such as the type, intensity, and duration of the game. Using this information, the website will estimate the number of calories burned during the sport, and combine this with your BMR to provide an overall estimate of daily calorie expenditure.

Using the Metabolic Equivalent of Task (MET)

MET, the metabolic equivalent of a task, is a unit of measurement used to estimate the amount of energy expended by the body during physical activity. One MET is equivalent to the energy expended at rest, i.e., 3.5 milliliters of oxygen consumed per kilogram of body weight per minute. Physical activities are assigned a MET value based on their energy requirements relative to rest. For example:

  • Light activities such as walking slowly have a MET value of 2 – 2.9,
  • Moderate activities such as brisk walking have a MET value of 3 – 5.9
  • Vigorous activities such as running or cycling have a MET value of 6 or more.
MET scale for disc golf

Limitations of MET Values

MET values are used in physical activity guidelines for health and fitness. You can also use them to estimate calorie expenditure during a disc golf game. However, this measurement comes with certain limitations which can affect the accuracy of the reading.

  • It is an estimated value and may not represent an actual number of calories spent.
  • It does not account for individual differences in body composition and fitness level.
  • It does not measure the intensity or effort required to perform the activity. For example, two activities may have the same MET value, but one may be more strenuous than the other.
  • MET values are typically assigned to structured physical activities such as running or cycling, and may not accurately reflect the energy expenditure of non-exercise activities such as fidgeting or standing.
  • It does not account for environmental factors, altitude or temperature, which can affect the energy expenditure of an activity.

Monitoring Calories Burned with Heart Rate Monitors

Wearing a heart rate monitor during the game can also measure the number of calories burned during disc golf. With the help of a heart rate monitor you can use different types of data such as your playtime, average and maximum heart rate, and estimated calories burned.

The monitor will tell you how your heart rate reacts during the entire game. It will show the drop and spike in your heart rate in doing certain activities during the game. Besides, you will get to compare how your heart rate fares during disc golf as compared with the other exercises you do.

Smartwatches and Advanced Wristwatches

Smartwatches and wrist watches can also be useful tools for tracking disc golf calorie burn.  These gadgets provide real-time feedback on your physical activity and calorie expenditure. Here are some ways to use these devices to track calories burned during disc golf:

  • Set daily activity goals with the help of activity-tracking features. It will monitor steps taken, distance traveled, and calories burned as compared to the goals set.
  • Some smartwatches and wristwatches have heart rate monitors that can provide an estimated number of calories burned.
  • Smartwatches and wristwatches allow you to log meals and snacks and track food intake, monitor your calorie intake, and make adjustments to your diet as needed.
  • The watches issue reminders when you sit idle for a long time, and connect you with your fitness apps such as MyFitnessPal, Fitbit, or Apple Health. By syncing data between the watch and the app, you can get a more comprehensive view of your overall physical activity during the game and your calorie expenditure.

Disc Golf Calories Burned Per Hour: A Comparison

Disc golf is a fun sport enjoyed by people of different ages, fitness levels, and weights. It can be a great way to burn calories and to achieve upper body strength, flexibility and improve overall stamina. Here is a comparison of disc golf with other popular sports; let us have a look at how many calories are burned during disc golf vs. other sports.

Disc Golf: A 150-pound person can burn approximately 350 calories during a one-hour game of disc golf. This estimate assumes a moderate level of activity and includes both walking and throwing the disk.

Running: According to Harvard Health Publishing, a 150-pound person can burn approximately 590 calories during a one-hour jog at a moderate pace of 5 mph.

Swimming: A 150-pound person can burn approximately 400 calories during a one-hour session of moderate swimming.

Basketball: Basketball is a high-intensity team sport that provides a great cardio workout. A 150-pound person can burn approximately 400 calories during a one-hour game of basketball.

Cycling: A150-pound person can burn approximately 400 calories during a one-hour bike ride at a moderate pace of 12-14 mph.

Optimizing Your Disc Golf Workout

For a fit and healthy lifestyle, it is essential to take a wholesome approach to weight management. A well-rounded fitness approach consists of a balanced healthy diet, cardiovascular endurance, and plenty of sleep. Disc golf can help you burn calories and optimize your weight loss, however, for a holistic approach and for long-lasting weight loss, you should combine disc golf with other forms of exercise such as weightlifting, stretching, and core building.

While disc golf involves walking, hiking, and throwing, it does not address other essential fitness areas such as strength training, flexibility, and balance. A holistic healthy lifestyle means balanced nutrition, stress management, and healthy sleeping habits. Here are some tips to increase your disc golf intensity while improving your disc golf skills at the same time.

  • One way to burn more calories during your disc golf workout is to increase your pace. You can do this by walking or running faster between holes or taking shorter breaks between throws.
  • Interval training, HIIT (high-intensity interval training) involves alternating between periods of high-intensity exercise and rest. You can incorporate this into your disc golf workout by playing a round of disc golf as fast as you can, then taking a short break before repeating the round again.
  • To increase the intensity of your workout and burn more calories, you can add extra exercises such as push-ups, lunges, or squats between holes or after your game.
  • Playing on a hilly course can help increase the intensity of your workout and burn more calories.
HIIT workout during disc golf


Disc Golf Challenge: Push Your Limits and Burn More Calories

A habit is cultivated when a behavior is consistently repeated in the same context until it becomes automatic. You can push your limits and become more consistent in your disc golf game. Playing disc golf daily, in combination with other exercises will not only burn calories but it will also improve your game tremendously. You can be consistent with your game by joining the disc golf community; setting up challenges with friends and joining professional disc golf tournaments.

Disc golf is one of the high-intensity sports during which you can burn 300 to 700 calories (per 18 holes course) for an average of 1.5 to 2 hours per game. Disc golf calories burned depend on different factors such as the players’ weight and height, the terrain of the golf course, and the intensity and duration of the game. The number of calories burned can be increased by combining the sport with other forms of exercise such as HIIT training, cardio, and weight lifting. You can track your progress with the help of different tools such as the MyFitnessPal App and smart wristwatches. However, for lasting results, it’s necessary that you remain consistent with your efforts. Improve your health as well as your disc golf skills by participating in professional disc golf tournaments and playing with friends.

We wish you a happy and healthy disc golfing!

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