The calories burned during a set of sit-ups depends on your intensity level, your size and the duration of the activity. A 130 lb. woman can expect to burn approximately eight calories a minute while vigorously performing sit-ups. If you take a slower, methodical approach, you will probably burn around four calories per minute. Sit-ups, along with other core-strengthening exercises, offer a wealth of benefits beyond just calorie burn.
Function of the Sit-Up
Although calorie burn during sit-ups is limited, the exercise still has important strength-building effects. As part of a total abdominal and back routine, sit-ups help contribute to a strong core that enhances posture, improves balance and maximizes athletic performance. Having a strong midsection also helps ward off back pain and injury while helping you be more efficient in everyday activities like lifting bags, moving boxes and sitting in a body-friendly manner at the computer.
Features of a Good Sit-Up
To perform a sit-up, lie on the floor with your knees bent and your hands cupped behind your head. Curl your shoulder blades and spine off the floor, then return to the starting position. Always press your feet, tailbone and lower back into the mat when performing a sit-up. Because the sit-up is an exercise performed lying down without a lot of full body movement (when done slowly with proper form), it does not burn a ton of calories.
Maximizing Calorie Burn
Performing more than three sets of sit-ups is unnecessary and unlikely to contribute to more strength--you can only burn so many calories with sit-ups alone. Include the sit-up as part of a total body strength training circuit to burn more calories. Choose several different strength exercises (like push-ups, squats, lunges and tricep dips), to do with sit-ups and perform each one for a minute, taking no breaks between the exercises. Do this routine for a half hour, and a 130 lb. woman can burn upwards of 230 calories. You could also perform three sets of 15 sit ups, with a cardio burst like one minute of jumping jacks or a sprint between each of the sets. Both of these techniques will make sit-ups part of a larger calorie-burning program.
Misconceptions
Sit-ups alone will not result in a six-pack set of abs. Everyone has abdominal muscles under the layers of subcutaneous fat on their belly. Burn calories through more intense cardiovascular exercise to reveal your ab muscles, and clean up your diet so that it contains more whole fruits, vegetables and grains rather than processed products, fried foods and saturated fats.
Make a Complete Routine
Sit-ups are good exercise, but they only address the front sheath of abdominal muscles--the rectus abdominus. Round out your workout with some additional abdominal moves that target the other muscles of the abdomen---add in bicycles, plank holds and medicine ball twists to address the obliques and transverse abdominus. Doing these multiple abdominal exercises in quick succession will also contribute to a higher overall calorie burn.
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