What's the best exercise to burn calories?

There are a few things to consider when determining what is the best calorie burning exercise for you.

The more intense the exercise is, the more calories you will burn.  For example, running or jogging burns more calories than walking because it is more intense. As a matter of fact, running is one of the highest calorie-burning exercises.  

One way to increase the intensity of an exercise is to do intervals, which are short bursts of intensity.  For example, you could run for 40 seconds and walk for 20 seconds out of each minute.  This allows you to exercise at a higher intensity and burn more calories.  One great exercise to try so that you can experience interval training is an indoor cycling, or "spin" class.

Determining what is the best exercise for you to do to burn calories is personal - it should be something that is enjoyable to you and that you can make a part of your routine. After all, you will burn the most calories by making whatever exercises you choose a regular part of your life. If you like being outdoors, cycling or running might be your thing.  If you like a social workout, a group training class, such as indoor cycling, might be your thing. 

There are many great exercises to burn calories. Depending on how many calories you want to burn and the intensity you are willing to work (ACSM recommends an intensity of 50-85% HR max), you have a lot of choices. Exercises such as jogging, using an eliptical at the gym, weight training(i.e. barbel squats, dumbell lunges, etc..)bike riding, swimming, kayacking, hiking, rock climbing, or a circuit of calisthenics such as push ups, jumping jacks or squat thrusts are great choices for the best calorie burning results.

The best exercise is the one that you will look forward to doing.  Ultimately, if you dread working out, it will become the last thing on your to-do list.    

The best exercise to maximize calorie burn is one that uses multiple body parts.  An exercise such as squat to bicep curl, to shoulder press is easy to perform for most individuals and it activates multiple muscle groups in the body. 

In general the more intense the exercise the more calories you burn. In ten minutes of continuous activity running burns an average of 90 calories, swimming 74 calories, biking 60 calories and walking 43. Watch this video to learn more.

There is certainly no shortage of calorie burning activities available to you; elliptical machines, treadmills, stair climbers, jumping rope, running, circuit training, weight lifting, aerobics classes, rowing, swimming, team sports, manual labor, etc. Many of these choices will burn a substantial amount of calories, but if I told you that landscaping burned the most calories, would you really mow every lawn on your block 3 times a week?

The key to long-term weight loss is through consistency, and to be consistent, you have to enjoy (or at least tolerate) what you're doing. The best advice I can give is to choose a form of cardio that you enjoy, and that you will continue to do. Weight loss does not happen overnight, and choosing the most difficult exercise may not necessarily be the best for choice for motivation and morale in the long run.

The key to long-term success is to enjoy what you're doing, continuing to do it, and seeing the results of your efforts. Visible results are what keeps you coming back for more. Remember, the amount of calories you burn performing an activity is dependent on the duration of the exercise and your level of intensity. Experiment with different forms of cardio until you find something you like.