How Many Calories Does One Hour Of Aerobic Cardio Burn?

Aerobic exercise routines increase your heart and respiration rates. These workouts burn more calories than other forms of exercise. All cardio routines fall into the category of aerobic exercise. During a cardio workout, your heart rate increases. The number of calories you burn during a cardio routine depends on your weight and exercise intensity.

Aerobics

During aerobic exercise, you need both energy and oxygen. The constant need for oxygen makes your lungs and heart work faster. The U.S. Department of Health & Human Services recommends engaging in 150 minutes of moderate intensity aerobic exercise per week. Cardio workouts are aerobic exercises. During cardio, your heart works hard and you burn a lot of calories. Over time, aerobic exercise also builds endurance.

Calories

Calories provide your body with the energy it needs to function properly. Whether it is basic body functions or physical activity, calories provide the energy. As you increase your oxygen consumption, the number of calories you burn also increases. The greater the intensity of your aerobic workout, the more calories you will burn. As your cardio workout endurance increases, the number of calories you burn decreases. If you become accustomed to your aerobic routine, you will need to increase your intensity to burn more calories.

Calorie Expenditure

A person doing one hour of high-impact step aerobics burns 600 calories at 125 pounds, 744 calories at 155 pounds and 888 calories at 185 pounds. A 125-pound person burns 480 calories per hour running — another cardio exercise — at 5 mph. Respectively, while running at 5 mph, a 155-pound and 185-pound person will burn 596 and 710 calories. Once considered child’s play, jumping rope for an hour provides a high aerobic cardio calorie expenditure. Its calorie-burn potential mimics the calorie expenditure of high-impact aerobics.

Weight vs. Intensity

Although both weight and intensity play a factor in calorie expenditure, weight trumps intensity. At the same intensity, a person who weighs less will burn fewer calories. Calorie expenditure decreases as your weight goes down. To increase the amount of calories you burn at lower weights, increase your exercise intensity.