10 Best Exercises That Burn the Most Calories

“It is health that is real wealth and not pieces of gold and sliver.”-Mahatma Gandhi

If you wonder how to feel better, have more energy, and improve your life span, exercising is the best way. It has many health benefits.

Our sedimentary lifestyle has made us lethargic. We find excuses not to indulge in physical activities.

Exercising and eating a balanced diet can help:

  • Keep your weight controlled
  • Combat diseases
  • Improve your mood
  • Boost your energy

A basic level of exercise can add years to your life span.

The more vigorous exercise you do, the more calories you burn. Many effective exercises maximise the results.

This article will outline the ten cardio exercises1 that burn the most calories.

Factors that Determine Calorie Burn while Exercising-

  • Weight – The more you weigh, the more calories you can burn during exercise.
  • Types of exercise: Cardio exercises are a better calorie burner2 than any other type of workout.

Important:

Do not forget to warm up before indulging in good cardio. Warm-up provides aid to increase your body temperature and helps the blood flow. It prepares your body for exercise and minimizes the risk of injuries.

10 Exercises that Burn the Most Calories

Following mentioned are the ten best exercises that burn the most calories, and you hardly have to worry about having equipment-

1) Running/ Jogging

run
Photo by Daniel Reche from Pexels

One 30-minute run can help you burn between 200-500 calories. Running even at a moderate pace can help you burn many calories.

Running tops the list of workouts as you don’t require any equipment, it is very convenient, and you can do it anywhere.

You can add short sprints or jog in between to burn more calories.

You make use of various muscles at maximum power. Running and body movement gives you internal health benefits, and by being consistent, you will have more effects like defined muscles, clear and healthy skin, and help you lose extra fats.

Running should be part of your exercise routine as it helps to improve circulation, lower your blood pressure and create a balance.

2) Jumping Jacks

Jumping Jacks - XFit Daily

One of the essential cardio exercises is jumping jacks. It helps to increase your heart rate and offers a full-body workout.

One can easily burn 8 to 12 calories per minute. You don’t require any equipment for jumping jacks, and it is very convenient, and you can do it anywhere.

The intensity determines how many calories you can burn. Jumping jacks can be part of your warm-up, HIIT, or general workout routine.

How to do this exercise:

  1. To begin with, stand with your legs together and place your arms on both sides.
  2. Jump with your legs shoulder-width apart, then stretch your arms over your head.
  3. Repeat the step.

They make all your upper and lower body muscles work and strengthen your glutes, hips, quads, and calves.

It also helps to develop more strength and power. Jumping jack can also burn your belly fat and fat all over your body because of its high intensity.

3) Kettlebell Circuit for cardio and strength training

The kettlebell circuit is a High-intensity interval training circuit, and this exercise burns around 554 to 822 calories per hour.

They combine both strength and cardio. It is hard to sustain a Kettlebell workout for longer, so it is better to mix up with shoulder presses, a figure of eight, and a goblet squat.

Before getting into Kettlebell Circuit3, preparing your muscle and joints is better. A few minutes of running, punches, kicks, and arm swings can warm your muscles for the entire body kettlebell circuit.

You can put a beginner kettlebell workout in your daily workout regime and do it twice a week.

Kettlebells use a variety of exercises that help improve your strength and cardiovascular fitness level, and calorie burn.

A quick 10-minute beginner-friendly kettlebell body workout-

  • Kettlebells slingshot
  • Single leg deadlift
  • Halo
  • Windmill
  • Swing one arm
  • Clean and press
  • Side lunge
  • Thruster
  • Regular row
  • Reverse lunge and press

All the mentioned ten kettlebell exercises can be done per minute.

4) Jumping Rope to Burn Calories

jumping rope
Photo by Pavel Danilyuk from Pexels

Incorporate jumping rope in your exercise regimen as it helps burn calories around 667- 990 per hour if you jump 120 per minute.

A jumping rope is very effective and increases heart rate, burns calories, and helps you build leg strength.

The jumping ropes are easy to store, and they do not take up much space in your home. Once you get used to it, it becomes a relatively easy exercise.

How to do rope jumping-

  1. Keep your elbows close with your hands at waist length.
  2. Loosely hold the rope.
  3. Keep your knees, ankles, and hips relaxed and be ready to bend.
  4. Using the wrist and forearms, turn the rope and make sure not to use your shoulders.
  5. Jump when the rope comes around. You need to swing the rope first, then jump.
  6. Land on your feet and don’t put your heels down.
  7. Continue doing this.

Jumping rope helps to lose weight, and it also makes for fun exercise. It is an excellent way to improve your cardio fitness, strengthen multiple muscle groups and build stronger bones.

It helps you in toning muscles and maintain coordination and balance. It is an effective workout as it can burn many calories in a shorter workout duration.

5) Aerobic Exercise helps in Burning Calories

Not all calorie-burning exercises need to be limited to running or high-intensity training.

If you want to burn calories, you can do a high-energy dance workout at home. Aerobic dance is a fun way to raise your heart rate and burn an intense amount of calories.

9 Min Aerobics For Beginners / Morning Energy Booster / Aerobic Exercises

As much as you will enjoy aerobic exercise, it also comes with many health benefits. A 30-minute session of contemporary dance can burn around 534 calories.

It increases stamina, mobility, and flexibility, improves blood flow and gives you a stronger immune system.

Aerobic dance also reduces your stress and anxiety and uplifts your mood with physical benefits. Aerobic dances are not age-restricted.

Anyone can efficiently perform them and shed some weight.

6) Plank

How to Plank Properly for Beginners - Step By Step Tutorial

Plank is an incredible way to burn all the fat and build muscles. The plank is a very intense form of abdominal strengthening exercise4. It burns between two and five calories per minute.

A plank can be done pre or post-workout. It is a very simple exercise that would help you burn calories. A plank can be done anywhere, on your bedroom floor or under the sun on your balcony.

If it is incorporated into your daily workout routine, it helps you enhance your flexibility and balance. No equipment is needed, and people of all ages can make plank a part of their exercise routine.

The benefits of the plank are unlimited. You get a healthy posture; it improves your alignment and avoids illness.

It makes your core strong, provides you with more flexibility, and improves your metabolism.

A plank can be done in simply two steps to burn the most calories-

Step one – Lie on your stomach and lift your torso on your elbows and toes. Make sure to keep your back straight. Your body should be in a straight line. Hold the pose by tightening your core muscles.

Step two– Hold the plank. You need to squeeze your belly button and keep your back straight. Squeeze your thigh muscles and buttocks as much as you can, then pull back your shoulder, keep your back straight, and don’t forget to breathe.

Hold this position for 60 seconds, and then you can continue it.

7) Walking

Walking is the most simple and accessible way that helps in burning calories at home in the form of exercise. It is an ideal exercise for caloric burn as anyone can easily do it anywhere.

It is an extremely convenient and fantastic total body exercise. It burns around 97 calories per 30 minutes if you do it at a moderate pace. It is not high-intensity interval training but an effortless movement.

Walking is low impact and barely requires any equipment that can be performed at your own pace, and at any time of the day, you can stroll around your local streets and burn a lot of calories.

Some of the benefits of walking are-

  • It helps to increase cardiovascular, heart and lung fitness.
  • Reduces the risk of heart disease.
  • Improves conditions such as high cholesterol, joint and muscular pain, or diabetes.
  • It helps you control them, gives you improved balance and strong bones and reduces extra body fat.

Physical activity builds a daily healthy lifestyle, and if you can’t squeeze 30 minutes in a day to walk, then you can include doing this to make walking a part of your daily routine-

  • One time a day, ditch the lift and use the stairs instead.
  • Get off public transport before your stop and walk to work or home.
  • Walk to the nearby shops and avoid driving for local work.

Simple, isn’t it? You can quickly lose weight without any intense workout.

8) Mountain Climbers

How to Do Mountain Climbers | The Right Way | Well+Good

Mountain climbers are a simple yet effective exercise as they involve multiple muscles from your whole body and help you improve your balance, coordination blood circulation all at once.

Mountain climbers increase your heart rate and help you burn more calories. One burns around 600 to 700 calories per hour for a 130-pound person. This exercise is perfect if you want to define your abdominal region.

Mountain climbers don’t need any equipment and can be done anywhere at any time. They help to improve your joint movement and stability.

How to do mountain climbers effectively-

  1. Begin in a press-up position and put your hand’s shoulder width apart and beneath your shoulder.
  2. As quickly as possible, pull your knee towards your chest and do it alternately without touching the floor.
  3. Return to the start position.
  4. Repeat and continue until you have done enough for the number of reps.

Tip – Keep your core engaged and back straight.

Mountain climbers can be adapted easily and added to your cardio routine to achieve your fitness level.

9) High Knees

High Knee - XFit Daily

High knees are great warm-up and cardio, just like jumping jacks. If performed vigorously, one can burn seven calories per minute, and if done at a moderate pace, one can burn around 3.5 to 7 calories per minute.

If you need a simple exercise that activates your lower body muscles, makes your heart pump, and leads to intense sweating that helps you lose fat, then the High knee is the perfect exercise to add to your routine.

How to do high knees to burn calories-

  1. Stand tall with your legs and hips-shoulder width apart and arms on both sides.
  2. Open your chest and make sure to engage your core muscles.
  3. A pumping motion brings your right knee towards your chest a bit above waist level, then moves your left hand up.
  4. Lower down your right leg and left hand, and repeat with your left leg and right hand.
  5. Repeat alternately.

10) Jump Lunge

Jump Lunge - XFit Daily

Jump lunge is an advanced variation of the basic walking lunge. A jumping lunge consists of jumping in the air and switching your forward foot before landing.

It is a high-intensity workout that helps boost your heart rate and can be done at any place, and it does not require any equipment. It comes with a lot of benefits- Lower body strength, stability, and coordination.

When done, you target a lot of muscles in your body.

How to do Jump lunge-

  1. Get in an essential lunge position.
  2. Take one step forward with your right leg and bend both your knees at a 90-degree angle.
  3. Then jump vertically and bring your other foot forward before landing mid-air and returning to your lunge position.
  4. And repeat it.

It is important to make sure that you work out safely and do not injure yourself. Indulge in a bit of warm-up before making jumping lunges.

Maintain good posture, and avoid slouching and curving your back. Make sure your knee is bent and under control while performing a lunge.

In the End

Exercising has an abundance of benefits, but while working out, it is also essential to add these things to your fitness routine to maximize results-

  • Prioritize your sleep and get good quality sleep because a night of good sleep is super important. It helps your body to recover.
  • Hydrate your body when you work out as you lose water in the form of sweat. Thus, it is essential to keep yourself hydrated to maintain your energy level.
  • Eat healthy and nutritious food. It is important to fuel your body with carbohydrates and proteins to replenish and rebuild your muscles.

Lastly, fitness is a lifestyle, and you should ensure that your body gets warm-up, works out, and cool down simultaneously. This guarantees maximum results.

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Icy Health
  1. Sady, Stanley P. “Cardiorespiratory exercise training in children.” Clinics in sports medicine 5.3 (1986): 493-514. ↩︎
  2. Clark, Nancy. “Are You a Slow Burner? Set Your Metabolism in Motion.” The Physician and Sportsmedicine 22.1 (1994): 33-36. ↩︎
  3. Parasuraman, T. “Effect of circuit training with Kettlebell on performance related variables among volleyball players.” International Journal of Physiology, Nutrition and Physical Education 5.1 (2020): 24-26. ↩︎
  4. Beim, Gloria M., et al. “Abdominal strengthening exercises: a comparative EMG study.” Journal of Sport Rehabilitation 6.1 (1997): 11-20. ↩︎

Last Updated on by ayeshayusuf

Authors

Saloni Jain
Apeksha soni
  1. The article just not save my day but the entire resolution of the year, gaining calories is easy but burning them requires lots of hard work, the exercises mentioned here are effective and can be followed easily, I found this one a worth-reading content.

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