Cardio workouts are the ultimate calorie burners when selecting the best weight loss exercises.
Cardio exercises are a vigorous physical activity that significantly increases heart and respiration rate, so it is natural to burn many calories.
But people always wonder what cardio exercises burn most of the calories.
This list describes the 10 best cardio exercises for weight loss.
Power walking
Power walking is simply walking at high speed. For example, walking 100 steps in one minute is considered power walking. It is one of the easiest ways for weight loss. Power walking also balances the blood cholesterol levels and reduces the risk of heart diseases and diabetes.
Regular walking improves blood circulation and removes waste materials harmful to the body. According to the experts, 30 minutes of daily brisk walking can help you burn 150 or more calories on average. Also, the faster you walk, the more fat will be burnt.
Jogging
Jogging or running is an effective cardio activity that helps burn substantial calories compared to other exercises. It is a full-body workout that is often performed as a warm-up exercise.
Not only do bodybuilding workouts running too causes the growth of skeletal muscles.
Jogging benefits muscle growth by decreasing muscle protein breakdown and inhibiting the proteins that interfere with muscle growth.
According to the World Health Organization, adults aged 18 to 64 years should do at least 150-300 minutes of moderate-intensity workouts like running.
Jumping Jacks
Jumping jacks are beginner calorie-burning cardio workouts. This high-impact exercise engages almost all the body muscles with each move.
Jumping jacks also help improve body muscles’ strength, endurance, and coordination.
Another benefit of jumping jacks is they can be performed anywhere, anytime. All you need is healthy knee joints.
According to myfitnesspal, jumping jacks can burn eight calories per minute for a 120-pound (54.4 Kg) person and approximately 16 calories per minute for a person weighing 250 pounds (113.4 Kg).
Squats jump
Squat jumps are high-intensity workouts that can raise your heart rate quickly. It is a variation of conventional squats and helps improve your balance and strength.
Squat jumps are a lower-body workout that targets the muscles of the calves, thighs, and glutes. Research shows that squats strengthen lower limb muscles and improve the ability to counteract the displacement of the knee joint.
However, people with back injuries should avoid squatting as it puts a lot of tension on the lower back.
Burpees
Burpees is an advanced full-body workout with two parts: a push-up followed by a jump. It is a challenging exercise that targets almost all muscles of the body.
A study found that participants consumed more oxygen while doing burpees than in other exercises, which leads to more calories burned. In addition, burpees help you burn 10 calories per minute, unlike jumping jacks that burn 8 calories each minute.
Regular burpees workout helps strengthen heart muscles, lowers blood pressure, and reduces the risk of chronic diseases.
Mountain Climbers
Mountain climbers (also known as a running plank) are a relatively easy cardio exercise that works both upper and lower body muscles.
This exercise is performed in plank position, and you alternate bringing one knee to the chest and then back out again. You need to speed up each time until you run against the floor.
Mountain climbers build muscle strength, endurance, and mobility. It also helps you get rid of stubborn belly fat by targeting the core muscles.
People make a common mistake while performing mountain climbers by shifting their weight back, resulting in a downward-facing dog movement.
Rowing
Rowing machines are a mainstay at most gyms as they can help you lose a significant amount of weight.
This workout is suitable for obese or overweight people because the seated nature of rowing removes pressure from the joints providing superior training.
Rowing is an easy exercise if you are appropriately educated and use the proper techniques. One study published in the Annals of Rehabilitation Medicine says that rowing is an efficient workout due to its positive effect on body composition and physical fitness.
Cycling
Cycling either at a gym or on a track is a cardio workout that can help burn the most calories. It is a low-impact exercise that increases the heart rate with minor wear and tears on the lower joints.
Research says that cycling is the best option for overweight people who want to lose weight or get physically active.
Biking for at least 15 to 20 minutes daily can help improve your overall health and reduce weight.
Inchworm
This exercise is the most straightforward cardio workout that can burn the most calories. Inchworm strengthens the muscles of the front half of the body and relaxes the back half of muscles.
As an inchworm workout helps stretch the muscles, many people do it as a warm-up before high-intensity interval training.
A 20-minute inchworm workout can burn roughly 150 calories in a person weighing 120 pounds.
High knees
High knees are a partial jumping cardio exercise that targets both the upper and lower body. It is a calisthenic exercise that doesn’t rely on anything but a person’s body weight.
High knees activate the lower limb muscles like quadriceps, hamstrings, hip flexors, and glutes, helping improve muscle endurance, flexibility, strength, and coordination.
If you fail to maintain a good posture while exercising, it can cause joint pain and injury to muscle tissues.
The Bottom Line
Cardio is the best form of exercise for weight loss. In addition, these exercises offer many other health benefits.
You can select at least 5 cardio exercises according to your preferences and comfort.
5 to 10 min of warm-up and cool-down sessions are required to gain the best from the cardio exercises. Warm-up also reduces the chances of muscle injury.