How To Burn Calories Efficiently To Lose Weight

Burning calories efficiently to lose weight forces you to make the most of the time you allocate to your fitness program. Forget specialty cardiovascular equipment that purportedly makes you burn more calories than your average treadmill or stationary cycle -- there's no such magic at your gym. High-intensity aerobic physical activity gives you the most impressive calorie burn. Start smart by starting off safely. Choose vigorous exercises and build up your endurance gradually.

Step 1

Put more than 250 minutes per week into your aerobic exercise. According to the Harvard School of Public Health, no one set of rules works for everyone; however, people who joined the National Weight Loss Registry typically burn 400 calories a day through physical activity. That's about 60 to 75 minutes of daily moderately intense exercise, such as brisk walking. But you can burn calories more efficiently through vigorous-intensity exercise, such as jogging or running, for 35 to 40 minutes every day.

Step 2

Choose from aerobic exercises that really get your heart pumping. Low-intensity exercise performed for a longer duration burns 60 percent of calories from fat, while high-intensity exercises burn 35 percent of calories from fat. However, more challenging physical activities burn more calories overall and give you the best weight-loss results. For example, a 155-lb. person burns almost 400 calories vigorously cycling on a stationary bike for only 30 minutes; the same person would have to take an hour-long, low-impact aerobics class to burn the same amount.

Step 3

Exercise for shorter durations and lower intensities until your body adapts to the demands of running, jogging or challenging group indoor cycling classes, cardio kickboxing classes and circuit training classes. For example, if you decide to jog or run, spend 20 to 22 minutes on the treadmill the first couple of weeks before doing interval training -- walking five minutes and jogging for 30 seconds to a minute. Gradually add to your jog time and decrease your walk time until you can jog for 30 minutes in one stretch.

Step 4

Weight train at least twice a week. Weight training, also known as strength training, can be done using weight machines or, if you're more advanced, you can use free weights. The American College of Sports Medicine recommends doing eight to 12 repetitions of each exercise, working all the major muscle groups -- about eight to 10 different exercises. Strength training builds lean muscle, which burns more calories at rest than fatty tissue.

Tips and Warnings

The number of calories you consume still matters, even if you're extremely active. If you're getting a lot of aerobic exercise and still aren't losing weight, take a closer look at your eating habits.
Vigorous aerobic activity is a more efficient way to burn calories; however, it's not the right type of activity for everyone. Overweight individuals may find moderate-intensity exercise more comfortable until they start to lose weight. If you're an man age 40 or older or a woman age 50 or older or if you have a chronic medical condition, get your doctor's permission before engaging in high-intensity exercises and group classes.