Which Workouts Offer Maximum Caloric Expenditure?
Exercising to Shed Calories: Which Workouts Offer Maximum Burn
Engaging in physical activities is an effective approach to losing weight, as every form of exercise contributes to calorie consumption. However, if you aim to maximize your calorie burn during workouts, it is essential to understand the factors that influence calorie consumption.
Cleveland Clinic's exercise physiologist, Ben Kuharik, offers insights into workouts that yield the most significant calorie burn, along with an explanation of the factors that determine calorie expenditure.
Calorie Burn Determinants
At any given moment, the body consumes calories for energy purposes, according to Kuharik. The act of breathing alone necessitates a slight calorie burn. However, exercise significantly increases calorie consumption, primarily due to the activity's level of exertion or metabolic equivalence (MET). A higher MET correlates with increased calorie burn.
"The body burns the amount of energy required to meet its energy demands," explained Kuharik. "It is a simple formula: The more active you are and the longer you sustain the activity, the more calories you will burn."
While certain activities demand more calories, engaging in any exercise contributes to calorie consumption. The following workouts offer significant calorie burn for a person weighing 150 pounds doing the activity for an hour.
Cardio Exercises
Cardio, or aerobic, exercises can elevate the heart rate and lead to increased breathing, making them ideal for burning a high number of calories. These exercises usually involve activities that demand substantial energy, resulting in increased calorie burn.
Running: A common cardio exercise, running consumes various muscles, including the quadriceps, hamstrings, and other leg muscles, to propel the runner forward, and the upper body muscles for stability and arm movement. The faster a person runs, and the steeper the incline, the more calories they burn. A jog burning 476 calories per hour can increase to 1,088 calories per hour when running at 10 mph.
Walking: While walking burns fewer calories compared to running given its moderate intensity, walking regularly can still contribute to overall calorie expenditure. A person walking at 3 mph can burn 224 calories per hour, while a 4 mph walk burns 340 calories per hour.
Swimming: Swimming offers a full-body cardio workout with less joint wear and tear due to the buoyancy of water, which reduces strain. Additionally, the water's resistance provides additional muscle-building benefits. Swimming casually burns 476 calories per hour, while vigorous swimming can increase calorie burn to 680 calories per hour.
Cycling: A low-impact cardio exercise, cycling involves pedaling a bike, which primarily stimulates the leg muscles and consumes calories quickly. Riding at 5.5 mph can burn 272 calories per hour, while riding at 12-13 mph increases calorie burn to 544 calories per hour, and 16-19 mph burns 816 calories per hour.
Rowing: Rowing, whether performed on a rowing machine or a boat, offers a cardio and strength workout. The four-motion rowing process works the whole body, with moderate-paced rowing burning 476 calories per hour, and an extreme rowing session consuming 714 calories per hour.
Jumping Rope: An excellent option for a quick calorie burn, jumping rope can be a form of high-intensity interval training, consuming 544 calories per hour at a slow pace and 816 calories per hour at a fast pace.
Strength Training
Strength training, or anaerobic exercise, generates less calorie burn per hour compared to cardio exercises, but it offers other benefits, such as excess post-exercise oxygen consumption and increased muscle mass. A basic weight training session burns 204 calories per hour, while intense weight training consumes 408 calories per hour. Additionally, increasing muscle mass elevates calorie burn at rest, as muscle tissues consume more calories than other body tissues.
Exercise Recommendations
Ultimately, the best exercise for calorie burn depends on personal preference. Kuharik emphasizes that consistency is essential; choose an exercise you enjoy, and you are more likely to maintain a regular workout regimen.
The American College of Sports Medicine recommends aiming for 150 minutes of moderate-intensity cardio exercise or 60 minutes of vigorous cardio exercise per week, combined with two days of strength-training activities.
"The key to burning calories through exercise is doing the exercise," advises Kuharik. "Find and focus on what you enjoy. You'll work out more often if you look forward to doing it."
Activities classified as cardio or aerobic exercises, such as running, walking, swimming, cycling, rowing, and jumping rope, are ideal for burning a high number of calories due to their level of exertion and increased feelings of breathlessness. On the other hand, strength training, or anaerobic exercise, while offering fewer calories burned per hour, builds muscle mass and increases calorie burn at rest. To maximize calorie burn, it's recommended to engage in cardio exercises like running, cycling, or swimming, for at least 150 minutes per week at a moderate intensity or 60 minutes per week at a vigorous intensity, as suggested by the American College of Sports Medicine. Additionally, strength training activities should be incorporated into a weekly routine for overall health and wellness, and fitness-and-exercise benefits.
