Have you been cursing your busy schedule a lot lately? If you are one of those who is never able to fit a complete workout session into your day, this should be your lucky day. Coz’ we have good news for you!
If you were under the impression that good shapes are created in the gym (since it has come up, if you are looking for the best gym in Jaipur – try Fit O’Clock in Raja Park), well you are not entirely wrong. But it is not the only way.
A study has found that you don’t need to spend hours on the treadmill to shed those extra kilos. The trick is to choose the right workout that compliments your time. There are various intense exercises that help you burn calories anywhere and at any time.
Here are our top 10 picks on the best calorie burning exercises for you. Choose the ones you know you’ll enjoy enough to get up and practice them on a regular basis. Sweat! Smile and Repeat!
- Relive your childhood with ‘Jumping Jacks’
This fun whole body exercise can get you in cardio anywhere and anytime. Its rigorous moves help improve stamina and is great for cardiovascular health. In case you might have forgotten the moves, here’s how you can perform a jumping jack.
Step 1: Stand up straight with your feet placed closed to each other. Shoulders should be pinched back, extend your hands in front of your chest, palms facing each other in Namaste and core engaged.
Step 2: Now jump and split your legs apart. Bring your hands in line with the shoulders while landing softly on your feet. Keep your knees a little bent.
Step 3: Jump again and this time brings your legs and hands together.
Step 4: Do three sets of 20 reps each.
- The classic cardio move ‘Mountain Climbers’
Mountain climbers is the classic cardio move that you should add to your routine. It helps strengthen legs and core muscles. Plus boosts metabolism that burns fat. Here’s how you pull a mountain climber.
Step 1: Get in a traditional plank position. Place your head in alignment, abs engaged, hands should be about shoulder-width apart and weight on just your toes.
Step 2: Keep your core engaged and bring your right knee forward into your chest as far as you can with the toes just off the ground.
Step 3: Go back to your plank position and switch legs. This time bring your left knee forward into your chest.
Step 4: Switch again and begin to develop a pace that feels like running. Now, continue running for a minute.
- Bring back high school ‘Burpees’
High school burpees is back on trend. This one will work on your arms, legs, and core and will get your heart pounding. If you have never tried this classic move before, practice the instructions below and pull off 10 or 20 of them.
Step 1: Jump – Jump up as high as you can.
Step 2: Crouching Squat – Land on your feet and continue into a crouching squat
Step 3: Plank – Jump again. This time place your feet into a plank position while landing.
Step 4: Push-Up – Get down and do a push-up. Place your elbow close to your sides.
Step 5: Squat – Get into squat position and prepare to jump.
Step 6: Start with 10 and gradually extend your limit up to 20 continuous burpees.
- Pull a ‘Frogger’
Ever done a frogger? It is a simple plank-to-squat move that requires your wrist, shoulder, and core control. Just a 30-second burst is enough to get you going. Here’s how to do a frogger in two steps:
Step 1: Get in plank position by placing your hands underneath your shoulders. Make sure your body is in alignment. Keeping your hands on the floor, jump on your feet in a way that you land on the outside of your hands while coming into a deep squat.
Step 2: Jump your feet back to the initial plank position. Repeat for 30 seconds.
- Run up and down the ‘stairs’
Running up and down the stairs against gravity is a great cardiovascular exercise. It is the most accessible way to strengthen and tone your legs.
Stairs climbing is free, all you need is to arrange a set of stairs for yourself. Then throw in some basic sneakers and comfortable clothes, and you are good to go.
Try to bring about a variation in your upward speed to increase the intensity level. For example, take two steps at a time. This will make your muscles work harder and burn more calories.
- Keep things interesting with ‘Walking Lunges’
Most of us spend a lot of time sitting at our day’s job. And here’s what’s fatal about it. Sitting tightens up muscles, especially hip flexors.
Walking lunges help you develop balance, improve your overall strength while strengthening your core and give those flexors a nice, deep stretch. Here’s how you can do perfect walking lunges.
Step 1: Stand up straight by placing the feet together. Now take a step forward with your right leg by lowering your hips toward the floor. Both knees should form 90 degree angles while doing so. Make sure that the back knee only point towards the ground but not touch it. Place your front knee directly over the ankle.
Step 2: Now exert pressure on your right heel and bring your left leg forward by stepping into a lunge. Repeat for three sets of 20 reps each.
- ‘Skip’ to skip the gym
Still can’t find the motivation to hit the gym? Well, in that case, get a jumping rope instead. Skipping is a great cardio workout. It strengthens the legs, butt, shoulders, and arms and can burn more than 10 calories a minute. (Which means) You can burn more than 200 calories each day with two 10-minute sessions. That sums up to a whopping 1,000 calories a week!
So next time when you are on-the-go, simply toss your jumping rope in your carry-on. And you need not bust your head searching for a gym.
- ‘Swim’ off the calories
Hate breaking a sweat? What if we tell you there is a way to shed a couple of hundred calories without sweating at all? Well yeah, you can do so. Just drop yourself into a pool for as little as half an hour.
Swimming is another great workout to burn calories. Per minute of swimming can burn between 0.1 and 0.14 Cal for every kg of your body weight. Certain strokes like the butterfly or breaststroke can burn more calories than the defined number.
Swimming engages all the muscles in your body leaving you energized. Apart from calorie burning, it can help you build your endurance, stamina and improve lung capacity. Lowers risk of chronic diseases like type 2 diabetes and heart disease.
- Take up ‘Rowing’
Rowing is undoubtedly one of the biggest calorie burning exercises as your legs, shoulders and your back remain in continuous action. If you cannot go rowing in the river, you can always opt for a rowing machine in the gym instead. The following steps will help you get maximum results.
Step 1: Wrap fingers around the handle and keep your wrists straight.
Step 2: While keeping your shoulder relaxed, extend your arms in front of you.
Step 3: Bring the hips forward and bend your knees until they are aligned over the ankle.
Step 4: Now push through your feet to extend the legs. Lean back a little.
Step 5: Draw your elbows to the sides until hands reach your ribs.
Step 6: Start the next stroke by extending the arms. And slide your seat forward by bending the knees.
- The workout in disguise ‘Zumba’
Dancing is the most fun way to burn your calories. And the best way is to join a Zumba class. It will help in toning your muscles and get rid of stubborn body fat. An hour of Zumba can burn up to 700 calories. The trick is the faster your moves are, the more calories you burn.
Wear the right shoes that offer good arch support and flexibility. Drink lots of water as its high-velocity moves will make you thirsty. Most importantly, do not be too hard on yourself. Push yourself only as much as you can be comfortable.
Note: The most obvious benefit of burning calories is that it helps you lose weight. If you are one of those gym lovers, try Fit O’Clock, one of the best gym and fitness centers in Jaipur (provided of course! if you are from the Pink City). But if you do not have the time to hit the gym every day, another way to burn calories is by increasing your metabolic rate. These 10 exercises above will do a lot to influence it.
