Your body burns more energy when you're active than when you're sedentary. To lose a steady 1 lb. per week you would need to burn off about 3,500 calories, which averages to 500 calories burned in one day. Not all calorie-burn methods are equally effective, however. Learn how to maximize your exercise regimen to successfully burn more calories without needing to add extra time to your workout.
Pick Up the Pace
Most adults should aim to exercise at least 2.5 hours spread throughout each week if they do moderate-paced aerobic activities, such as walking, or at least 1.25 hours each week if they do vigorous activities such as running, according to the American College of Sports Medicine. However, you may need to extend your workouts to at least 60 minutes at a time if you want to lose some weight. You'll get more bang for your buck if you engage in more vigorous activities. For example, 60 minutes of running at a speed of 8 miles per hour may cause someone between 160 lb. and 240 lb. to burn off 986 to 1,472 calories, according to MayoClinic.com. Additionally, doing tae kwon do or rollerblading for at least 60 minutes may burn off 730 to 1,363 calories for the same person.
Alternate Between Moderate and Fast
According to a 2007 study published in the Journal of Applied Physiology, participants who trained in intervals burned off 36 percent more fat calories than participants who didn't. Training in intervals involves alternating between fast-paced exercise and moderate-paced exercise during the same workout. For example, someone who runs might alternate between jogging for 3 minutes and sprinting for 5 minutes and someone who bikes may alternate between biking at moderately leisurely pace for 3 minutes and pedaling rapidly for 5 minutes.
Build Some Muscle
Strength training activities such as lifting weights and pulling resistance tubing help build muscle, which burns off more calories than fat tissue does, according to MayoClinic.com. Although the American College of Sports Medicine recommends that most adults do eight to 10 strength-training exercise twice weekly, any extra muscle building helps. Combine resistance muscle building with your cardio exercise for optimum benefits from a single workout. Some ways to do this is during a walk or jog: pump your arms to propel yourself, wear a weighted vest, walk on uneven surfaces such as grass and gravel, use walking poles or walk in ankle-deep water such as a pond.
Warning
You will compromise your ability to burn calories if you burn out or become physically injured by overextending yourself. To avoid tiring too soon and to reduce your orthopedic risk, pace yourself by exercising within your target heart rate zone. To calculate your target heart rate you'll first need to calculate your estimated maximum heart rate, which is 220 minus your age. If you're 30, your estimated maximum heart rate would be 190 beats per minute; your target heart rate zone is 50 to 85 percent of this range, which is about 95 to 162 beats per minute, according to the American Heart Association.
References
- American Heart Association: Target Heart Rates
- Reader's Digest: Burn More Calories in Less Time
- MayoClinic.com: Metabolism and Weight Loss: How You Burn Calories
- University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics: Teaching Your Body to Burn More Calories
- MayoClinic.com: Exercise for Weight Loss: Calories Burned in 1 Hour
- University of Guelph: Interval Training Burns More Fat, Increases Fitness, Study Finds
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