Do you want to lose weight? Exercises That Burn the Most Calories Revealed

Health

By Liam On Jul 27, 2023

How to lose weight fast is a common question among people who want to lose the pounds.

When time is at a premium, knowing which workout will burn the most calories per minute can be critical.

So MailOnline asked personal trainers which workouts are most efficient for shedding fat.

And it’s not good news if you don’t like running.

Running, rowing and swimming can burn about 400 calories in 30 minutes

Run

Calories burned per 30 minutes (man): 420

Calories burned per 30 minutes (woman): 360

It may not be everyone’s favorite, but running for 30 minutes does burn calories.

“It’s not surprising that anything that uses your entire body weight to leave the ground tends to burn the most calories,” says Matt Roberts, a personal trainer for Adele and Naomi Campbell, among others.

The cardiovascular exercise increases blood flow to the muscles, which boosts metabolism and helps burn more calories, as well as improving overall fitness.

“While running requires a lot of mental and physical stamina, it’s a great way to burn calories,” says Jodie McKnight, trainer at F45 gym in Mill Hill, north London.

For starters, Ms. McKnight suggests creating a motivational playlist and aiming for a 30-minute run — even if you have to walk part of it.

Data from Harvard University suggests that the average British man (weighing 85 kg) would burn 420 calories running at 10 km/h, while the average British woman (weighing 72 kg) would burn 360 calories .

Running pushes your body to its limits by making your heart beat faster, which helps to improve your overall fitness

Swimming

Calories burned per 30 minutes (male): 252 (overall); 420 (powerful)

Calories burned per 30 minutes (woman): 216 (overall); 360 (powerful)

Another option that uses the whole body is swimming.

Swimming helps develop a strong core while stimulating the arms, legs and heart rate — all of which can aid weight loss.

The low-impact workout burns energy while improving muscle strength, blood flow, and lung and heart capacity, says personal trainer Louisa Drake, founder of The Louisa Drake Method in London.

HOW MUCH EXERCISE SHOULD I DO?

Adults aged 19 to 64 are advised to exercise daily.

The NHS says Britons should do at least 150 minutes a week of moderate intensity, or 75 minutes of vigorous intensity a week.

The advice is the same for disabled adults, pregnant women, and new mothers.

Exercising just once or twice a week can reduce your risk of heart disease or stroke.

Moderate activity includes brisk walking, water aerobics, biking, dancing, doubles tennis, pushing a lawnmower, walking, and roller skating.

Vigorous exercise includes running, swimming, cycling fast or riding up hills, climbing stairs, as well as sports such as football, rugby, netball and hockey.

It’s also a great option if you have joint issues and when done right can burn over 400 calories per hour.

Figures from Harvard University show that a man would burn 252 calories after half an hour of swimming, rising to 420 calories if their pace was fast – such as swimming laps. For a woman, it’s 216 calories, rising to 360 calories.

HIIT

Calories burned per 30 minutes (male): 294

Calories burned per 30 minutes (woman): 252

High-intensity interval training (HIIT) is guaranteed to leave you feeling sweaty, even after just 15 minutes.

Each session lasts about 30 minutes and is filled with short burst exercises – such as squats, lunges and mountain climbers – followed by short rests.

Harvard data suggests men burn nearly 300 calories in a session, while women burn 252.

“Studies have shown that training in short bursts and doing high-intensity exercises (think bike sprints, ball slams or jumping lunges) can be more effective at burning calories than 30 minutes of straight cardio,” says Ms. McKnight.

However, the total calories burned during HIIT can be as high as 600 per 30 minutes, according to Ms. Drake.

She said, “HIIT-based workouts combine dynamic bursts of cardiovascular activity with resistance-based strength-building moves, and you can be done in just 20 minutes.”

“This fast-paced workout with short bursts of high-intensity exercise followed by a rest period.”

HIIT can burn up to 600 calories in just 30 minutes. A session filled with short bursts of squats, lunges and mountain climbers followed by short rests will burn hundreds of calories

Rowing machine

Calories burned per 30 minutes (male): 294 (overall); 440 (powerful)

Calories burned per 30 minutes (woman): 252 (overall); 369 (powerful)

If all you want to do is burn calories at the gym, the rowing machine and the VersaClimber are the best pieces of equipment to use.

Mr. Roberts says these machines have a high burn rate and help burn 10 to 13 calories per pound of body weight per hour.

Calorie burn data from Harvard suggests that a man burns 294 to 440 calories per 30 minutes on a rowing machine — depending on the effort. For the female, the figure is 252 to 369.

But you don’t need machines to burn calories at the gym.

“Without machines, exercises like burpees, jumping jacks, shuttle runs, box jumps, and skipping all burn at a high level,” says Roberts.

To walk

Calories burned per 30 minutes (male): 159 (overall); 189 (powerful)

Calories burned per 30 minutes (woman): 133 (overall); 175 (powerful)

You don’t have to set foot in a gym to burn calories.

Simply walking can do the trick, personal trainers say.

“I’d recommend walking if you’re looking for a lower-intensity way to get your body moving and still burn calories,” says Ms. McKnight.

Walking isn’t just great for burning calories and weight loss – it’s also great for cardiovascular and mental health.

Ms McKnight says: ‘It is currently recommended that people aim to walk about 8,000 to 10,000 steps a day, which equates to about 250-600 calories, depending on the individual.’

She says staying active outside of workouts is vital to burning extra calories each day.

A steady walking pace burns about 133 calories per 30 minutes for women and 159 for men, increasing to 175 and 189, respectively, when the pace is brisk.

It’s not just squats and weightlifting that build muscle, yoga can do that too. The more muscle you have, the more calories you burn at rest

Weight training

Calories burned per 30 minutes (male): 126 (overall); 252 (powerful)

Calories burned per 30 minutes (woman): 108 (overall); 216 (powerful)

If you’re tired of cardio, you can pick up the weights instead.

Because building muscle can also help you burn extra calories – and will continue to do so even after you’ve left the gym.

Ms McKnight said: ‘Studies have shown that weightlifting can lead to higher EPOC (excess post-exercise oxygen consumption) levels than cardio.

“This means the body continues to burn calories even after you’ve completed your workout.”

She recommends squat lifts, deadlifts, and clean and press.

Harvard researchers estimate that a man burns 126 to 252 per half hour, depending on how intensely they exercise, while women burn 108 to 216.

However, yoga, Pilates, and barre are other ways to build strength.

Mrs Drake said: ‘They increase your muscle mass, which burns more calories than fat.

“The more muscle you have, the more calories you burn at rest.”

Mr. Roberts recommends strengthening the lower body, upper body, and core to achieve maximum calorie burn.

He said, ‘It’s the muscles that burn the best fat and energy.

“A routine that includes squats, lunges, and glute bridge, plus push-ups, chest press, pull-downs, and seated rows, with a series of core exercises, will provide the platform from which to do all the other work more effectively.”