Burning 400 calories doesn't require hours of exercise or complicated equipment. In fact, you can do it walking. It's easy to do in one session if you're fit enough to exercise without stopping, using at least a moderate intensity. Pick a favorite activity and see how quickly the time passes as you burn those calories.
Exercise Types
Depending on how hard you work, you will call on different energy systems. Walking at a brisk pace puts you in your fat-burning zone. You'll burn most of your calories from fat. Working at a pace comparable to jogging puts you into your aerobic zone, burning more calories. Anaerobic exercise occurs when you sprint, and you'll burn more calories as you experience highs and lows of activity. Many sports, such as tennis or basketball, are anaerobic. Choose a pace for exercise based on your starting physical condition and the ability of your back and joints to handle the impact of various activities.
Your Workout
However you exercise, you'll get more benefit if you follow a pattern of warming up, exercising, cooling down and stretching. Warm up with moderately intense movements such as arm swings, skipping or jumping jacks. If your exercise is speed walking, start with a normal walk for several minutes to raise your heart rate. After you finish your workout, slow down for 5 minutes to lower your heart rate and let blood, lactic acid and other anabolic waste leave your muscles. Cooling down, along with stretching, will help you avoid muscle stiffness and soreness later.
Fat-Burning Exercise
Walking at a pace of 2 mph for 1 hour will burn 183 calories in a 160-lb. person and 228 calories in a 200-lb. person. If this is the pace at which you can exercise, raise the intensity a bit or walk a few minutes longer to meet your 400-calorie goal in two sessions. If you can raise your pace to 3.5 miles per hour, you'll burn 277 or 346 calories, depending on your weight. If you weigh 240 lbs., you'll burn slightly more than 400 calories at that rate. Ballroom dancing and bowling each burn 219 calories per hour for a 160-lb. person and 273 calories for a 200-lb. person. If you like swimming, try water aerobics for a non-impact, 292- or 364-calorie burn, depending on your weight.
Aerobic Exercise
Aerobic exercise is the best bet for burning 400 calories during one workout for most non-athletes. Low-impact aerobics burns 365 and 455 calories per hour, based on whether you're 160 or 200 lbs. High-impact aerobics, where both feet leave the floor as you jump or dance, burns 511 and 637 calories per hour. Get this same burn from a non-impact workout by rowing. You can burn 400 calories in roughly 30 to 40 minutes by jogging at 5 mph. Activities that let you burn your 400 calories in 30 minutes or less include jumping rope, rollerblading and running.
Anaerobic Exercise
If you enjoy tennis singles, basketball or flag football, you can burn 400 calories in roughly 35 to 40 minutes, depending on your weight. Add an extra 5 to 10 minutes to that time if you're playing racquetball.
Member Comments