Burning more calories in a day than you eat is the only way to lose weight. You can do this by controlling your diet, exercising regularly, or a combination. If you are short on time because of work or other obligations, exercising can be a hassle for your schedule. Increasing the amount of calories you burn in a 20-minute workout is one way to help you achieve your weight loss goals without wrecking your entire day.
Feasibility
Burning 500 calories or more in 20 minutes is something that a majority of people will find impossible to do. Harvard Medical School research on calorie burning rates for common exercises and daily activities shows that only running at 10 mph or biking at more than 20 mph consistently for 20 minutes are the only potential exercises that will help you burn calories fast enough to reach your goal of 500 calories per workout. This is equivalent to running a mile every six minutes or biking one every three minutes.
Size Matters
The more you weigh, the easier it is for you to burn calories. The 2004 Harvard study indicates that a 185 lb. person exercising with a running or biking workout at this pace will burn 733 calories in 30 minutes -- a rate that allows you to burn 488 calories in 20 minutes. However, a person who weighs 125 lbs. will burn only 495 calories in 30 minutes of exercise. Simply put, your body must have enough energy stored to burn calories at such a fast rate. If your weight is significantly more than 185 lbs., you may be able to exercise at a slower rate and obtain a 500-calorie loss in 20 minutes.
Reaching Your Goal
If burning 500 calories in 20 minutes is a feasible workout goal for you, do not give up if you cannot reach the appropriate running or biking pace initially. Former Navy SEAL Stew Smith recommends an interval training program in which you jog shorter distances at your goal pace followed by a brief walking or jogging period for half that short distance. For example, if you want to run a six-minute mile, try to run a three-minute half-mile followed by a quarter-mile of walking or light jogging. Repeat this process three or four times at half-mile, quarter-mile and eighth-mile distances for a complete workout that will increase your overall running pace.
Safety Guidelines
Exercising at a fast enough pace to burn 500 calories in 20 minutes can put your body at risk for injury if you are not careful. According to the health services department at the University of California, Berkley, you need to hydrate with at least 48 oz. of water a day and eat a low-fat diet of complex carbohydrates and protein to be in peak exercising condition. Your training program also should include a warm-up and cool-down time of five to 10 minutes to avoid injury. If you are training hard to reach your running or biking pace goal, allow ample rest time for your body to recover after the workout so you avoid overtraining.
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