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MyFitnessPal Community

How to burn more calories

backstreet1008

Since most of the people in this group are on the lower side in terms of weight, how do you burn more calories?

I prefer to do aerobic/dance type exercises. The only one I really have right now is Turbo Jam. I have to do the low-impact version due to weak ankles. According to MFP, 40 minutes of low-impact aerobics only burns around 170 for my body. (I know MFP isn't always accurate but it seems that it usually overestimates if anything.)

Any ideas? I don't have access to a gym and it's too cold to do anything outside. Although I would be willing to take suggestions for other indoor cardio workout DVDs that might burn more. (Cheap ones, I can't afford those expensive ones like Turbo Fire or Zumba).

Thanks!

Replies

Kopsbaby

Do you have a Wii? There is a Zumba I & II for it that is great fun and goes from beginner, to Expert and lasts from 20 to 60 minutes. If you don't have a Wii, then I'm sure there are some Zumba moves on YouTube that you can look at. Just a thought.

asyouseefit

Banish fat Boost metabolism burns a good deal of cals but it's high impact.
I was surprised how many cals I burnt doing Leslie Sansone's 2 miles (185 I think and it's 30 minutes)

GingerBroad

Any sort of interval training is going to help you burn more calories. Plus, if you're running, its sort of makes the workout go by faster b/c you feel like you are really pushing in little increments. Its like, "well I can really push myself for three minutes. I can do anything for three minutes" sort of makes it easier to stick it out knowing there is a "rest" coming up.

There are all sorts of great apps for interval running so you can sync it to your ipod or iphone with songs so you don't have to track the time.

Also, if you are lifting in conjunction with cardio, make sure you lift first. Every trainer will tell you that you will burn more fat by lifting weights before your cardio.

backstreet1008

Thanks for the responses! Are there types of interval training that are low impact?

chuisle

Also remember its actually not just about calories.

If you're trying to go body recomposition and fat loss there are a lot more elements to it. Strength training generally doesn't rank high on calorie burning but most of the links our resources page will tell you its crucial. All of these things are great but its always good to think about what most effective for your goals and sometimes your goals aren't best achieved through sheer calories deficits.

Kopsbaby

The Leslie Sansone dvds are low impact until you get to the 'boosted walking' AKA jogging. she then tells you that if you are not to do high impact to only do the low and she has 1 or 2 people doing to low with you. I have several of her dvds.

kvreeken

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amysj303

Thanks for the responses! Are there types of interval training that are low impact?

Elliptical, but if you don't have access to a gym, that is probably not an option.

kelseyhere

kickboxing is a good indoor alternative to dance. through my cable i have access to tons of free on demand workout videos. you might see if your cable offers something similar. below is a link to some free videos you could try.

http://www.exercisetv.tv/workout-videos/

tml224

I like to do interval sprints on the treadmill and body weight exercises. Tabata is killer if you want to blast fat in a very short workout session.

Beeps2011

backstreet, I think you have to move into HIIT - and while I don't have the answer to "low-impact" HIIT, I surely believe it exists!!

There are some personal trainers roaming this board and they should be able to give you some examples of low-impact HIIT, I would think. Stationary bikes and elliptical trainers are good examples of "machines" that are low-impact (and can use HIIT on).

1a1a

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Joisgettingfit

My dad has an old Nordic Ski Machine
and i use it from time to time, it burns a **** load of calories.

I'm 5'4 and weigh around 137lbs (trying to lose about 20 more and tone up a bit)
and doing 30 minutes on it according to my hrm i burnt 307 calories.

christinajohnson

Also remember its actually not just about calories.

If you're trying to go body recomposition and fat loss there are a lot more elements to it. Strength training generally doesn't rank high on calorie burning but most of the links our resources page will tell you its crucial. All of these things are great but its always good to think about what most effective for your goals and sometimes your goals aren't best achieved through sheer calories deficits.

christinajohnson

Also remember its actually not just about calories.

If you're trying to go body recomposition and fat loss there are a lot more elements to it. Strength training generally doesn't rank high on calorie burning but most of the links our resources page will tell you its crucial. All of these things are great but its always good to think about what most effective for your goals and sometimes your goals aren't best achieved through sheer calories deficits.

It's true strength training doesn't have an initial high-calorie burn, but as your body composition changes and you gain more muscle your basal metabolic rate changes. You burn more calories at rest. Muscles take more caloric energy to maintain, which is one long-term benefit of the weight training.

Low-impact, don't use weights, use your own body--standing calf raises, squats (forward and backwards), plies, crunches, pushups (with or without knees down), use soup cans (or milk jugs filled with water) to do bicep curls or hammer curls.

kelseyhere

I definitely agree that strength training is a must, but I would encourage using some weight, it doesn't have to be heavy but you won't get that much stronger with body weight alone. If you don't have weights, you can usually find some really cheap at Good Will or Play It Again Sports. I got three sets of hands weights at my Good Will for $7.

Beeps2011

i"d like backstreet to report back here on her progress...