Running is a great way to get your heart rate up and build cardiovascular endurance. But if you’re looking to burn more calories, then switching from running to another form of exercise is a good idea.
Running burns about 64 calories per minute, so it will help you shed some pounds quickly. However, if you’re looking to increase the calorie burn from running, then other activities will be better choices than running. Here are 10 less-known exercises that are more calorie-effective than running:
Elliptical workouts
The elliptical machine is a great way to maintain your cardiovascular fitness and is great for burning calories in a relaxed atmosphere. However, many people will burn less calories than they would if they were running. One study found that the average person burns approximately 60 calories per hour while using an elliptical machine.
Jumping rope
Jumping rope is a great way to burn calories and improve cardiovascular health. However, it is not nearly as effective at burning calories as running. While jumping rope is an excellent way to get your heart rate up and burn calories, it will not burn as many calories as running does. One study found that people who aerobically trained for an hour burned about 165 calories whereas people who jumped rope for an hour only burned about 32 calories.
High-intensity interval training
High-intensity interval training (HIIT) is a popular way to burn more calories than running because it is intense and involves short periods of low-intensity activity interspersed with periods of high-intensity activity, usually alternating periods of 1 min and 3 min.
This type of training has been proven to improve cardiovascular health and strength, and can be an effective way to burn calories. However, the total amount of calories burned during a HIIT session will not be as great as running. One study found that people who did an hour of HIIT burned 171 calories, whereas those who did an hour of running burned about 286 calories.
Walking and hiking
Walking and hiking are often recommended as a low-impact exercise that can help maintain your health and strength as you age. While these activities are low impact, they are also low in caloric burn. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that an adult get between 10 and 15 minutes of daily walking for the health benefits.
Walking and hiking are good for the joints and can lower blood pressure, but they will not burn as many calories as running does. One study found that people who walked for 1 hour burned approximately 61 calories, while those who hiked for the same amount of time burned approximately 52 calories.
Circuit training
If you’re looking to increase the calorie burn from running, then a good idea is to try circuit training. This involves alternating periods of low-intensity activity like walking with intervals of high-intensity activity like push-ups and lunges. A study found that people who completed circuit training burned approximately 285 calories during an hour of running, while those who completed the same workout but only aerobically trained burned only about 200 calories.
Maintaining your weight and strength
While running is great for maintaining cardiovascular fitness, it does not have much impact on strength training. As such, running is not a good choice for people who wish to maintain their strength or weight. Swimming, rowing, and other activities that have a high cardiovascular component but also have a strength component will be more effective at maintaining your weight and strength.
Swimming, rowing, and other types of water-based exercise are excellent for maintaining your cardiovascular fitness while also improving your muscle strength and tone. However, these activities do not burn many calories and are not a great option for increasing the calories burned during a run. One study found that people who performed an hour of swimming burned approximately 60 calories, while those who ran for the same length of time burned approximately 170 calories.
Dance or HIIT workouts
Dance, yoga, or HIIT workouts are great ways to get your heart rate up while burning calories. However, they are not as effective at increasing the calorie burn from running as running is. One study found that people who did an hour of dance burned approximately 160 calories, while those who did a similar workout without dancing only burned about 170 calories.
Dance, yoga, and HIIT are effective at increasing the heart rate and burning calories, but they are not nearly as effective as running at increasing the total amount of calories burned during a run. One study found that people who did an hour of dance burned approximately 160 calories, while those who did a similar workout without dancing only burned about 170 calories.
Step aerobics
Step aerobics classes are a low-impact, low-impact way to keep your cardiovascular fitness and strength at an optimal level. These classes are typically low in caloric burn, but they are also low in impact and can be a good way to maintain your health if you have health concerns such as arthritis or joint pain. One study found that people who did an hour of step aerobics burned approximately 45 calories per hour, while those who ran burned approximately 290 calories.
Tennis
Tennis is a high-impact sport that can be an effective way to stay fit and trim, but it is also a low-calorie sport and will not significantly increase the calories burned during a run. One study found that people who did an hour of tennis burned approximately 180 calories, while those who did a similar workout that was not tennis-based only burned about 196 calories.
While tennis is a low-impact sport, it is also low in calorie burn and will not significantly increase the calories burned during a run. One study found that people who did an hour of tennis burned approximately 180 calories, while those who did a similar workout that was not tennis-based only burned about 196 calories.
Stair Streaming
Stair steaming is a great way to burn calories and get your heart rate up. By taking the stairs, you are getting a much higher calorie burn than simply going outside for a walk or jogging. You will be burning anywhere from 800-1,000 calories an hour when you do stair steaming. This is especially important if you are trying to lose weight, as it can help you to reach your weight loss goals faster.
If you don’t have a stair steamer, then you can try using a regular steamer instead. Just be sure to steam your clothes for 5-10 minutes instead of 20-30 minutes. Also make sure that you always keep your clothes warm while they are in the steamer so that they dry quickly and don’t get moldy or smell bad.
Conclusion
Running will burn a lot of calories, but it is not the best option for burning more calories than any of the other exercises mentioned in this article. Cycling, swimming, rowing, and other activities that have a high cardiovascular component will burn more calories than running while maintaining weight and strength. You can use these exercises to increase the calories burned while maintaining your health.
