Shedding those pesky pounds is a daunting challenge for most of us. A daily 30-minute walk or the tai chi class may not make a noticeable difference on the scale. Weight loss often depends on the metabolism, people’s body weight, dietary habits and physical activity. A heavier person tends to lose more weight for a given physical activity. Diet is an important factor for weight loss. No matter what type of diet a person follows, they must burn more calories than consumed each day to lose weight. Start by cutting about 500 calories a day from the diet to lose about a pound a week.
A few activities/exercises can help you burn almost 500 calories per hour.
- Dance: Most dance forms concentrate on the core muscles, especially the back. Faster forms of dance, such as jive and salsa, work the legs and arms. So, dance your way to fitness!
- Belly dancing: Doing this for an hour with vigorous moves can burn around 450 to 500 calories per hour. Also, it tones the stomach, is lots of fun and will probably help you make new friends.
- Zumba: The energetic dance can help tone muscles, stretch joints and shed almost 500 calories in an hour-long session.
- Rumba: This is another option for stretching. This works on flexibility and building muscle strength and helps you lose about 450 to 550 calories per hour.
- Aerobic dances: Whether it is high-impact or low-impact, an hour of aerobic dance helps shed around 510 to 530 calories in an hour. High-impact aerobics is intense with a lot of jumping and moving and may not be for people who have low bone mass, joint pain or osteoporosis.
- Outdoor work: There is something deeply satisfying about physical labor. It is also an excellent way to lose weight. When tackling heavy landscaping work, people burn off at least 500 calories in an hour! Raking and bagging fallen leaves for just over an hour will give similar results. So, try digging, shoveling the snow or mowing the lawn. The pains are worth it in more ways than one.
- Swimming: This is the best workout for the entire body without stressing out the muscles. An hour of leisurely swimming burns around 370 calories. If people swim vigorously, they can burn around 450 to 500 calories in an hour.
- Punching bag: Discharge anger by punching a punching bag for 70 minutes to burn 500 calories. It will also help improve your mood.
- Gym: There are machines at the gym that can aid in weight loss
Table: Machines at the gym and the calories they burn in one hour
| Machines | Calorie burned |
| Elliptical trainer: general | 600 calories per hour |
| Lifting weights | 445 calories an hour |
| Bicycling stationery: high impact | 504 calories an hour |
| Rowing stationery | 504 calories an hour |
| Step: high impact | 600-650 calories per hour |
| Bicycling, stationary: vigorous | 560 calories per hour |
| Rope jumping (slow) | 600 to 700 calories an hour |
- Sports: Hate sweating it out in the gym? Well, try sports. An hour of an intense match on the volleyball court, chasing that basketball or playing soccer can easily burn 480 to 500 calories in an hour.
- Riding a bike: Daily rides for an hour work out the thigh and calf muscles and help with heart health. Depending on weight and intensity, an hour of biking can burn well over 500 calories.
- Running: If nothing else, good old running can help you lose weight. A 140-pound person burns about 13 calories per minute, which comes to an astounding 792 per hour if they run fast and consistently.
- HIIT or high-intensity interval training: This is a form of exercise that alternates between periods of rest and intense movements. The HIIT helps increase calorie burning by 25 to 30 percent.
Make sure to consult the doctor before beginning any intense workout. Many of the activities mentioned above may not be suitable for those with arthritis, osteoporosis, back pain or spine issues. Start low and be consistent! That is more important. Resting the body after a workout is equally important.
References
Harvard Health Publishing. https://www.health.harvard.edu/diet-and-weight-loss/calories-burned-in-30-minutes-of-leisure-and-routine-activities
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