Calorie Burning Exercises

All movement and exercise burns calories. If you are interested in burning even more calories during your workout routine, you can do that in a number of ways. You can make your workout more intense by adding interval training, which is short spurts of higher physical activity interspersed with your regular activity. Adding weights and inclines will also burn extra calories.

Burn More Calories in Your Current Routine

• Intense exercise is the best way to burn calories, but you may find it hard to spend 45 minutes or an hour to take a high intensity aerobic or spinning class, or you may have to work up to that level of intensity. The good news is that you can burn more calories during any activity.

  Chances are you already have an exercise routine. No matter what your routine is, you can burn more calories by adding interval training. If you like to cycle every morning for 30 minutes or an hour, vary your speed of cycling by alternating what you regularly do with two minutes at a much higher speed. Return to your normal speed for a minute and then push yourself again for two minutes.

  Not a cycling enthusiast? Add interval training to anything you do. If you walk at a fast pace, jog for two minutes, then walk one minute. The 2-to-1 ratio is what will get your heart beating faster and burn more calories. If you find that you are not able to push yourself for two minutes, try one minute at an intense pace and 30 seconds at a slower pace. Even 20 seconds at an intense level and 10 seconds at normal level is beneficial. A good memory aid is "two on, one off" meaning twice as much intense training as normal pace.

  Keep two important points in mind. First, don't let yourself become complacent; rather, continually raise the level of intensity as you become stronger, or stay at that intense level for longer. Second, during the "one off," don't stop moving, since it is not really off, just a lower intensity. You never want to go from an intense level of movement to a dead stop since your body needs time for the blood vessels and heart level to return to resting. Taper off for a couple of minutes at the end of your workout.

More Calorie Burning

• You can burn more calories by holding weights in your hands and pumping your arms as you walk or run. Wearing a weighted vest also makes your body burn more calories. Start with a fairly low weight, like 5 pounds, and add more as you become stronger.

  If you use a treadmill, set the incline steeper. This is also good equipment to do interval training on. Not a gym member or don't have special equipment? Start burning more calories at the beginning of your workout by doing jumping jacks for 30 to 60 seconds. Running up and down a flight of stairs will also get your heart pumping and burn calories. Set a calorie-burning goal for each session, and keep track of how you are doing.

Staying Safe

• If you use these suggestions you will find yourself sweating more. Replenish that lost liquid with plenty of water. If you prefer an energy drink, watch the calorie count. You don't want to drink an hour's worth of exercise in five minutes. Choose a low- or no-calorie drink.

  If are just starting to exercise or have any medical condition, check with your doctor first. Check with your doctor if you feel unwell after or during a workout. Don't exercise without supervision if you are receiving physical therapy or recovering from an injury.