I am all about efficiency in my daily routine so I wondered what the best cardio exercises were to lose weight fast. Seriously, who has hours of their day to spend at the gym or at home exercising? I know I don’t, so I want to get maximum results for the least amount of effort time wise. I started looking at different calories burned per exercise charts and these are what I think are the ten best cardio exercises for weight loss.
1. Aerobics – This cardio exercise can burn a whopping 533 calories per hour for people weighing 160 pounds (73 kilograms) and 700 per hour for people weighing 240 pounds (109 kilograms). If you have a good instructor this can also be a lot of fun. (Note: You can also do low impact and water aerobics with good calorie burn.)
2. Bicycling – Riding through a good scenic area or on some leisurely back trails is not only great cardio exercise, but also good for the soul as well. Bicycling can burn 292 calories per hour for 160 pounds (73 kilograms) person and 436 calories per hour for someone weighing 240 pounds (109 kilograms).
3. Hiking – As I stated in the last post, I get bored with the same old routine so I like to try putting different techniques and exercises into my workout repertoire. Hiking can be good for the soul as well because you get to connect with nature again and if you are stuck in a big city this is really good for you to get out of there for a day. Hiking burns 438 calories per hour for 160 pound (73 kilograms) person and 654 calories for a 240 pound (109 kilograms) person.
4. Rope Jumping – There may be some people who have not done this activity since childhood, but you will be surprised to find that it burns major calories and can be a lot of fun. Rope jumping can burn as much as 861 calories per hour for a person weighing 160 pounds (73 kilograms) and an amazing 1268 calories per hour for someone weighing 240 pounds (109 kilograms).
5. Cross Country Skiing – Here is your excuse to go own a ski vacation! Cross Country Skiing is definitely a workout. I did it while in Alaska and let me tell you it will make all your muscles work. Cross Country Skiing will burn about 496 calories per hour for a 160 pound (73 kilograms) person and 741 calories per hour for a person weighing in at 240 pounds (109 kilograms).
6. Running – I have to admit I am not a fan of running just because it causes wear and tear on the knees and ankles, but some people really enjoy going for a good run. I cannot deny that it has great cardio weight loss benefits. The calories burned by running depends on the speed, but at 5 miles per hour a 160 pound (73 kilograms) person can expect to burn about 606 calories per hour and a 240 pound (109 kilograms) person can expect to burn about 905 calories per hour.
7. Stair Climbing or Stair Treadmill – I once read in a book that Arnold Schwarzenegger would use the stairs of the hotels he stayed in when traveling to get his cardio for body building contests. It might look strange to the hotel staff though if you keep going up and down the stairs, so you can also use a stair treadmill for the same effect. Stair climbing can burn as much as 657 calories per hour for a person weighing 160 pounds (73 kilograms) and 981 calories per hour for someone weighing 240 pounds (109 kilograms).
8. Swimming – Swimming is so much fun and a great cardio workout for the muscles. Swimming is so much fun and a great cardio weight loss workout for the muscles. Plus swimming burns a lot of calories. They say Michael Phelps eats somewhere around 10,000 calories per day when in training for swim competitions. I know every time I go swimming I am always so hungry afterwards. Swimming can burn 423 calories per hour for 160 pounds (73 kilograms) person and 632 calories per hour for someone weighing 240 pounds (109 kilograms).
9. Rowing – Some might think you need a boat to do this cardio weight loss exercise, but they have machines that simulate the rowing. Rowing can burn 438 calories per hour for 160 pounds (73 kilograms) person and 654 calories per hour for someone weighing 240 pounds (109 kilograms).
10. Walking – There is not a day that goes by that I don’t at least try to get in a short and quick 15 minute to 25 minute walk. I try to always have a pedometer around as well so that I can get in 10,000 steps per day. If you do nothing else in for cardio weight loss exercise at the very least try to go for a walk every day and you will lose weight. Walking a leisure pace of 2 miles per hour can burn 204 calories per hour for 160 pounds (73 kilograms) person and 305 calories per hour for someone weighing 240 pounds (109 kilograms).
Now you might be thinking that cardio has to be this long boring slog through the hour type of exercise routine, but that is not always the case. There is a way to step it up a notch and dramatically improve your cardio weight loss goals. You may have heard me talk about this before, but you can do this with HIIT or High Intensity Interval Training.
For instance, jump roping is a HIIT exercise if you do it fast and in interval amounts like 20 jumps and stop. Running can be made into HIIT training by adding wind sprints into your running program. This could also be done with walking. Another way to add in HIIT training would be with spinning similar to bicycling, but on a stationary bike, it can be a real intense calorie burning cardio weight loss exercise.
So in closing, these are what I believe to be the ten best cardio exercises for losing weight. Some may disagree with me, but these all seem to be great calorie burners. Also don’t forget that you can also really step up your cardio weight loss goals by adding in HIIT training into your cardio exercise routine.
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