Whether you are a beginner or have been exercising for some time, you can find a wide variety of exercises to help you burn 500 calories. Depending on the intensity at which you do your workouts, you can burn those calories in as few as one or two sessions. Whether you use weights, an exercise machine or perform an activity you enjoy, the key is to maintain a pace that won't tire you too quickly. Consult your doctor before beginning any new exercise regimen.
Fat-Burning Exercises
If you can't maintain high-intensity workouts, start with fat-burning exercises you do at a pace similar to a brisk walk. Walking is a low-impact choice recommended by the American Heart Association for healthy exercise. MayoClinic.com calculates that a 160-lb. person walking at 3.5 miles per hour can burn more than 275 calories per hour. Water aerobics and biking at a leisure pace of 10 mph burn almost 300 calories per hour for the same person. Use treadmills, elliptical machines, rowing machines and exercise bikes at this steady, moderately intense pace to burn your calories during one or two sessions.
Aerobic Exercises
If you can raise the intensity, aerobic exercise can help you meet your 500-calorie goal in one hour. MayoClinic.com lists high-impact aerobics, rowing, ice skating, cross country skiing and swimming laps as activities that burn just over 500 calories per hour for a 160-lb. person. If you can maintain a 5-mph jog, you'll burn close to 600 calories per hour and or more than 700 calories per hour jumping rope.
Anaerobic Exercise
Anaerobic exercise activities are those done at a very high intensity for short periods of time and with frequent breaks. Despite the frequent breaks you take, you'll burn more calories per hour with these activities. This type of workout includes activities like tennis, racquetball, volleyball, football, basketball and circuit training. An hour of singles tennis burns 584 calories per hour, according MayoClinic.com, similar to flag football or basketball.
Circuit Training
The American Council on Exercise recommends circuit training as an effective way to burn calories, build muscular endurance and improve strength. You perform a series of different exercise for approximately two minutes, then take a three- to four-minute break. For example, you can do 30 seconds of jump rope, then 30 seconds of situps, followed by 30 seconds of pushups, then 30 seconds of dumbbell exercises. Perform the exercises at 40 to 70 percent of your maximum effort.
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