Top 10 Exercises That Burn More Calories Than Running

Exercises That Burn More Calories Than Running

Not everybody is born to have a fit body and even fewer strive to maintain one. The muscle-machine needs a lot of work and many believe it means exhaustive jogging only.

Then again, waking up at 5 in the morning daily and putting on those sweats with snickers can be a real drag. Try out the Top 10 Exercises That Burn More Calories Than Running which will prove beneficial for your health.

10. Burpees

It was named after American physiologist, R.H. Burpee who developed the burpee test to assess fitness. The Burpees are little more than a sophisticated, reinvented combination of push-up and squats. A mandatory for basic military calisthenics across the world, it is an aerobic exercise and used in strength training.

The squats and pushups increase the forearm strength while the rapid sequence increases the cardiovascular strength of the body. If you get 10 burpees in a minute, you are in the fit zone. An average of 180 lbs (81 kgs) man can burn 1.5 calories per burpee.

9. Dancing

Everybody knows dancing is fun. But did you know it is also a sophisticated way of working out? That’s right. Dancing can burn up to 443 calories an hour. The music that brings out those shimmies and shakes makes you sweat more than you have ever noticed.

Dancing can make your muscles more flexible and gives a complete workout to the entire body. It is more fun than jogging with earphones and you get to learn some cool moves that earn you a good name in the dating department! (wink!)

8. Boxing

How many times did you go out on the street and felt like pulling a Tyson on the neighborhood dirtbag or a bully? Not that fistfights are healthy but a good boxing session can give you some real good workout. An average bout can burn about 600calories an hour!

The training includes weights, calisthenics and bag drills that build muscle and strength combined with supplementary cardiovascular exercises. It is a great way of working your upper portion, arms, chest & calves and it makes muscle development faster than most other cardio workouts.

7. Battle Ropes

Battle ropes give you that ripped, chiseled look that you have always wanted ever since you laid eyes on Jason Statham. It’s a favorite of fitness maniacs and swinging these 15 m long ropes weighing 25-50 lbs (10-20 kgs) can burn up to 112 calories in just 10 minutes. The exercise is perfect for the upper and lower body; it targets quadriceps, biceps, forearms, and abs.

It increases strength and endurance by engaging muscles in the entire body. In this, you can shift from working the biceps & abs to legs & shoulders instantly thus engaging 4 sets of muscles at once. It is a favorite of MMA trainers for its Spartan character and versatility.

6. Cycling

That’s not run-of-the-mill cruising but brisk sprinting, alternating between a fast and slow pace. The key is to pedal as fast as possible, then slow down for a minute or two and repeat the method. It sheds all fat from thighs, hips & waist and builds muscles around glutes, hamstrings, quads, and calves, increasing your appetite.

A very efficient method of losing weight; an average cyclist can burn up to 500-600 calories an hour. So the next time when you take your bike for a ride, remind your partner how you are doing your bit for the environment and yourself.

5. Indoor Rowing

According to a Harvard study report, an average of 185 lbs (83 kgs) man can burn 377 calories by rowing for 30 minutes. It is a resistance exercise and utilizes the principal muscles of the back, legs, and shoulders. Rowing causes the development of biceps, triceps, back, shoulders, lats, quads, hamstrings, and the core.

Trade the boring set of cardio exercises for a rowing machine and build your upper & lower body with complete cardiovascular training; burn that excess fat and get the sculpted physique you always desired.

4. Kickboxing

What originated as a contact combat sport based on martial arts, has evolved and modified itself to form a superb fitness discipline unlike any other. Cardio kickboxing forms an overall fitting workout for the body and the mind. A 155 lbs (70 kgs) person exhausts 372 calories in an intense 30 min class. The knee-strikes, punches, and kicks raise the heart rate and improve cardiovascular circulation.

The sequential movements bring in limb coordination and flexibility to the muscles. It powers up your arms, shoulders & abs, tones the thighs and tightens the hips. Although it is not the same as self-defense, kickboxing can teach you basic self-defense tactics.

3. Jumping Rope

That’s right- the same old game you played as a kid. The ‘childish’ exercise can burn up to 375 calories in an average of 150 lbs (68 kgs) person within a 30 minutes workout. You should have the proper length of rope (beaded/plastic) and when you stand in the middle of the rope, it should extend up to the armpits.

You can follow any one of the directions: Forward, Side-To-Side, Foot-Cross, Single-leg Jump and Backward (60 sec each) or a combination of these methods. The faster you jump more the calories burn. It is one of the best and simplest cardio tools.

2. Kettlebell Swing

Kettlebells are iron/steel weights shaped like bowling balls with a handle for swinging and ballistic movements. It involves the participation of core muscles and exerts more stress on the body because we are not used to this sort of movement. It exercises the back and abdominal muscles, simultaneously with arms and legs.

This cardio workout puts a strain on the glutes and quads and causes the heart to push its limits. The workout burns 20 calories a minute, giving a chiseled physique.

1. Swimming

Perhaps the most compact exercise of all sorts, swimming is the best option for a variety of fitness programs like weight loss, body toning, cutting belly, reducing joint and muscle pains, etc. It increases the heart rate naturally and boosts up endurance.

One must use arms, legs and the core just to stay afloat and that is only the beginning of burning calories. A 160 lbs (72 kgs) person swimming at moderate speed torches 423 calories an hour. It is cheaper than cycling and more energy-efficient than running for the same time period.

Still, thinking of jogging every day? Wake up and feel the new way to cut the calories. Put your foot down and get that body you always desired.