What is best to burn calories quickly?

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  • Biggipooh
    Biggipooh Posts: 350
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    Wherever you get your heartrate the highest.
  • Weathers58
    Weathers58 Posts: 246 Member
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    Running 100%

    i agree 100% and if you dont burn enough for you find the steepest hill you can and run up it as fast as you can. beats swimming hands down....no contest
  • Sweet_Potato
    Sweet_Potato Posts: 1,119 Member
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    Swimming. It takes more energy to move through water than through air. I use the pool everyday and in 1 hour I burn over 1300 calories.

    How did you determine that? I put my swimming into the MFP calculator as "Swimming laps, freestyle, light/moderate effort " and it says I burn 369 calories/hour (which is still a lot, but nowhere near the amount you quoted).
  • MrsNoir
    MrsNoir Posts: 236 Member
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    The best way to find out is wearing a HRM. What works for some people doesn't necessarily work for everybody else. I do dancing, I burn about 58 calories per song if I'm too inspired. Nothing else burns that much for me as dancing to the beat :D. You can wear HRM under water too, so you could try all exercises once and decide upon the HRM results :D
  • Tracey_Smith
    Tracey_Smith Posts: 199
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    Squash for me, it's a killer :smile:
  • DEE4560
    DEE4560 Posts: 139
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    I like the elliptical or arc trainer -- and the stair climber.... :) (Let me rephrase that -- I don't like the stairclimber - but it's a great calorie burner!)

    I hear you there. I HATE it too! But the amount of calories you know you are burning is well worth the time.
  • sarahbear1981
    sarahbear1981 Posts: 610 Member
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    The best way is swimming. Breaststroke is the best stroke to use because it targets several core muscle groups. There is resistance from the water as well. Not to mention your body is burning calories to maintain homeostasis in the cold water. Try an hour straight you will be pleased with the burn.
  • ZombieChaser
    ZombieChaser Posts: 1,555 Member
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    Based on the four options you listed, I'd say swimming. If you qualify the bike by saying 'spin class', then I might pick that one instead (or rotate between them - better yet)

    Agreed! I think a mix of a few types of exercise (or equipment) would get you the best results, as you're working different parts of your body. For me, spin class and my mounted mountain bike (varying between gears) and elliptical is proving to be very successful :)
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,695 Member
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    The exercise that uses the most muscles will usually burn the most if all were done equally. That would be swimming.


    A.C.E. Certified Personal Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
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    I would think swimming.
  • KatesJourneytoLookGr8
    KatesJourneytoLookGr8 Posts: 74
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    plyometrics!! :-)
  • mikeyrp
    mikeyrp Posts: 1,616 Member
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    This is going to sound like a cop out but - which ever one you are best at!

    If you find running hard then you are not going to be able to do as much work running as, say swimming - likewise if your swimming technique sucks and you you need to rest for a minute after every length, you're better off, say cycling...

    That said, according to MFP:

    Swimming, breaststroke, general = 740 cals per hr
    Running (jogging), 6 mph (10 min mile) = 740 cals per hr
    Elliptical Trainer= 655 cals per hr
    Bicycling, 12-14 mph, moderate (cycling, biking, bike riding) = 650 Cals per hour

    To me, these are 'cruise speed' efforts - BUT


    - I can do a half marathon outside at better than an 8 minute mile (1000 Cals per hour ~ 1666 Cals)
    - I can do a 500 calorie x-country (mixed resistance) circuit on the elliptical for 30 minutes - but find it hard to keep going more than 45 so I tend to swap machines in longer circuits
    - ditto running machines
    - ditto rowing
    - I can quite happily ride a bike at 14mph for 4 hours (2300 Cals)



    In other words - play to your time available and your personal strengths.
  • christinajohnson
    christinajohnson Posts: 102 Member
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    All of these activities are great, but I would go with treadmill (walking fast, but add hills for a real burn) or the swimming. It depends largely on your oxygen consumption.

    Great article--dis-spells some myths about calorie burn while running, but can be applied to exercise in general.
    http://www.runnersworld.com/article/1,7120,s6-242-304-311-8402-0,00.html

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