You do not need to cycle up mountains or run cross-country to burn fat. An indoor workout burns as many calories as an outdoor workout. Burn more fat by increasing your challenge level and diversifying your exercise regimen. If you exercise at home, the main drawback is that you may be exercising alone, without someone to check your form. If you have any medical concerns, consult your doctor before beginning an indoor workout program.
Running
Running is one of the top ways to burn fat quickly. If you run indoors, you will most likely use a treadmill, although some gyms have indoor tracks. Running a 12-minute mile burns 470 to 745 calories per hour, depending upon your weight and fitness level. Shave 30 seconds off your time and you burn 530 to 835 calories in one hour. Maintain a challenging eight-minute mile for one hour and you burn 735 to 1160 calories per hour. A very fast 5.5-minute mile burns 1062 to 1675 calories in one hour. Running upstairs burns 885 to 1395 calories per hour.
Other Cardiovascular Workouts
Other intense cardiovascular workouts also burn fat fast. One of your top choices for an indoor workout is jumping rope. You burn 730 to 1090 calories per hour jumping rope. The faster you jump and the less you rest between jumping sessions, the more calories you burn. Other aerobic workouts that burn over 700 calories per hour include tae kwon do, climbing a stair treadmill, kickboxing with high kicks and fast jabs, and vigorous, high-impact dance.
Resistance Exercises
Another way to burn fat entails adding dense muscle mass that replaces body fat. Your body will work harder to support the new muscle mass, burning more calories around the clock. Raise your basal metabolic rate by doing exercises that use your own body weight as resistance, such as pushups, pullups, deep squats, lunges and triceps dips. Try a combination aerobic and strengthening workout by doing power yoga or yoga sun salutations.
Interval Train
During indoor workouts, you will get better results with fat-burning and building endurance if you spike your heart rate. Do 45-second speed or strength intervals to elevate your heart rate for your entire workout -- even after you slow down. Begin with any aerobic workout that you can do at a challenging but sustainable rate. Every five minutes, do an intense bout of skipping rope, running in place, dashing up stairs, jumping jacks or squat jumps. Sustain the interval for 45 seconds and then slow down to recover, but keep moving. After 30 seconds, return to your standard aerobic workout. Repeat this cycle of speed or strength intervals throughout your workout.
References
- MayoClinic.com; Exercise for Weight Loss: Calories Burned in 1 Hour; December 2009
- NutriStrategy; Calories Burned Running, Jogging or in Track and Field Events; 2010
- Harvard School of Public Health: Strength and Flexibility Training
- NPR; Interval Training: Good Exercise for All Ages; Allison Aubrey; August 2009
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