How many calories do I burn while studying?

Studying might feel mentally exhausting, but in terms of calorie burning, it’s a pretty low-key activity. Here’s what you should know:

1. Your Brain: The Energy-Hungry Organ

Fun Fact: Your brain is a powerhouse!

• Even though it makes up just about 2% of your body weight, it actually consumes around 20% of your daily energy.
• This energy is used to keep your brain cells firing, process information, and help you focus—even if you’re just sitting still with a book.

2. Calories Burned: The Numbers

Sedentary Activity: When you’re studying, you’re mostly sitting. For a person weighing about 155 pounds (70 kg), reading or studying burns roughly 40-50 calories per 30 minutes. That’s about the same as watching TV or scrolling on your phone.

Mentally Tough Tasks: If you’re tackling something really challenging (like solving tricky math problems or learning a new language), your brain does work a bit harder. But the calorie increase is pretty small—maybe an extra 10-20 calories per hour.

3. Does Studying Help With Weight Loss?

Not Really: While your brain is always burning energy, the extra calories you burn by studying are not enough to make a big difference in weight loss.

Physical Activity Wins: If you want to burn more calories, moving your body (walking, running, dancing) is much more effective.

4. Surprising Study Facts

Brain Burn: Even at rest, your brain needs about 300-400 calories a day just to keep you thinking and breathing.

No Major Spikes: Research shows that even during intense mental work, your calorie burn doesn’t spike dramatically.

Summary

While studying does burn a small number of calories (about 40-50 per half hour), it’s not a major calorie-burning activity. Your brain is always hungry for energy, but the extra calories you burn while hitting the books are pretty modest. So, if you’re looking to burn more calories, add some movement to your study breaks!

Try standing up, stretching, or taking a brisk walk between study sessions to boost your overall calorie burn and keep your mind sharp!