Exercise is an important part of staying healthy. Regular exercise has been linked to less risk of developing heart disease, having a longer lifespan, and decreased chance of obesity.
While there are many who enjoy exercise, others find working out to be tedious.
Who wants to workout when there’s Netflix to watch, right? However, even those who dread going to the gym understand the importance of exercise, especially when it comes to weight loss.
So, how do you lose weight by doing the least amount of exercise possible? By doing the most effective exercise for burning the most number of calories in a short time.
What exercise burns the most calories in 30 minutes? Keep reading for 5 calorie blasting workouts that will get your metabolism revving.
Beware that while these exercises are short and sweet, they’re also intense. You didn’t expect quick weight loss to be easy, did you?
1. Jump Rope
The last time you used a jump rope may have been on the playground as a child. You likely didn’t realize it then, but jumping rope is an intense calorie burner.
What activities burn the most calories? Activities that burn the most calories are any activity that uses your whole body. Jumping rope is both an aerobic and leg strength building exercise.
As you use your energy to push yourself off the ground with every jump, you are using your calf, quad, and even glute muscles.
As a bonus, the rotation in your arms to swing the rope helps to strengthen the shoulder muscles as well. On average, jumping rope burns a whopping 10 calories per minute.
In just 30 minutes, you can burn up to 300 calories. Additionally, jump ropes are inexpensive pieces of home gym equipment and can be used just about anywhere.
2. Running
Although few of us like the idea of pounding the pavement, running is one of the best exercises for calorie burning.
Running requires the use of nearly every body part and muscle, including the legs, arms, and core. An average size person running 10km per hour will burn about 350 or more in 30 minutes.
Keep in mind that your weight, speed, and the terrain you’re running on will affect your calorie burning potential. Running uphill, for example, will burn more calories because you will be working harder.
Sprinting is also one of the best exercises for calorie burning. Sprinting requires you to run at 50-85% of your max heart rate for repeated intervals or short distances.
A 1-minute sprint equals about 20 calories, meaning just 8-minutes of sprints would burn 150 calories. Sprinting is by no means easy, but it is one of the best exercises for burning calories in a short time.
3. Boxing
Boxing is an intense contact sport that requires skill, strength, and speed to master your opponent. Luckily, you don’t have to be a boxer to train like one.
Boxing training on a punching bag is one of the best exercises for burning calories because you are using every muscle group.
Punching a heavy bag adds resistance for your arms and rotating as you throw those punches stimulates your core muscles.
Plus, ducking, skipping, and hopping around the bag makes for even more calorie burning cardio. In just 30 minutes of boxing you can burn up to 400 calories.
Although boxing is intense, it’s a favorite among fitness enthusiasts. When your mind is focused on hitting the right punching combinations, you don’t notice how hard you’re working.
For this reason, we’ve put boxing on our list of what exercise burns the most calories in 30 minutes.
4. Circuit Training
Circuit training involves doing one set of at least 3 different exercises back-to-back. Each circuit is followed by a short rest and then repeated several more times.
Most circuits involve strength training (as with dumbbells), cardio, or plyometrics. The exercises are done quickly to keep the heart rate up. Circuit training can burn up to 10 calories per minute, depending on the types of exercise and intensity.
Many at home workout app trainers incorporate circuit training as part of their training program. It’s an effective way to workout and one of the best exercises for calorie burning.
5. HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training)
High intensity interval training, or HIIT, involves doing any exercise at max effort for a short interval of time. Which exercise you choose and for how long you do it is up to you.
Work intervals are followed by short rest periods and then repeated for the desired amount of time. HIIT can burn upwards of 450 calories in 30 minutes making it one of the best exercises for calorie burning.
For best results with HIIT, choose exercises that involve both strength and cardio (jump squats, boxing, push-ups, etc.). Most work intervals last anywhere from 30 seconds to 1-minute and a half.
Rest intervals are anywhere from 30 seconds to 1 minute (or more depending on your fitness level). Make sure you push to your max during each work interval to get the most calorie burn effect.
In Summary
Exercising doesn’t have to take up your whole day, it’s possible to achieve significant results in just 30 minutes. However, be prepared to work hard during those 30 minutes.
The best exercises for calorie burning require a lot of intensity but luckily, you don’t have to perform them for very long. Short and sweet is best but if you want results, you must be prepared to sweat