I love to run. Not just because it feels great to be outside in the cool wind, my feet rhythmically hitting the road, my mind clear, my stress draining away…
I love to run because it’s a great calorie burn. It’s actually the best exercise I’ve found to simply burn calories. I cycle, kick box, weight train, use cardio machines, etc., but when I run my body uses up more calories than it does for any other exercise.
Why is that?
The higher the exercise intensity, the more your body has to work, and the more calories you burn. You can usually tell how hard you’re working and how high the intensity is by your heart rate and breathing.
The more time your heart rate stays in its working zone, the more calories you will burn. (Find your target heart rate zone.)
So, how can you keep your heart rate up, work hard, and get the best calorie burn for your exercise time? Here are some ideas* to boost your calorie burn:
1. Shorten recovery times. Instead of allowing your heart rate to drop too low between exercise sets, move on quickly. Try performing a circuit of four exercises back-to-back before taking a break, such as alternating lunges, squats, chest press, and bent over rows.
2. Add cardio intervals. This is especially helpful during weight training when your heart rate drops between sets. Add short sprints, jumping jacks, jump rope, or running in place. For example, you could perform a set of chest presses and pushups followed by one minute of jumping rope.
3. Work a little above comfortable. If you always set the treadmill to walk at 4.0, either take the speed up a little or add an incline. Do something that pushes you out of your comfort zone. Don’t make it so hard that you burn out right away, but it should take more focus and energy to complete the exercise than normal.
4. Set a steady, challenging pace. When you do cardio (walk, jog, cycle, etc.) make sure you’re working at a challenging pace. It’s easy to fall into “auto pilot” mode and coast along. Keep yourself at a somewhat difficult, yet sustainable pace.
5. Mix it up. Your body will adapt to exercise over time. If you always go to kickboxing class, or always walk, you need to try something different. This provides a new challenge for your body and makes it work harder.
*Always safely warm up and cool down, work at an intensity level that is comfortable for your body, and talk to your health care professional before beginning any exercise program.
