Richard Simmons, a pioneer of American group fitness, recorded many videos to help people burn calories from the comfort of their homes. These videos are now available on DVD. Nearly all of them are variations on the same basic aerobics exercise.
Contributing Factors
Although each Richard Simmons DVD provides a standardized workout, different people will burn a different number of calories doing the same workout. The main factors that control how many calories you burn are body weight and level of exertion: the more you weigh and the harder you work, the more calories you will burn.
Average Exertion
An average Richard Simmons DVD includes 30 minutes of sustained exertion, along with some low-impact warm up and cool down. In the 30 minutes of aerobics, a 160-lb. person burns 220 calories, a 180-lb. person burns 248 and a 225-lb. person burns 303.
Metabolism
Exercise creates an upward spiral of success, says fitness coach Ben Cohn. As you become more active, your body's metabolism increases and you burn more calories in every activity. This means that the more time you work through a Richard Simmons DVD, the more calories you burn in subsequent workouts.
References
- Health Status: Calories Burned By Exercise
- Ben Cohn; Fitness Coach; Hillsboro, OR
- "Body for Life"; Bill Philips; 1999
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