Running is one of the most beloved exercises. It helps burn calories, and it is a great stress reliever. Moreover, it requires almost nothing, except a good pair of running shoes and an open road. Nevertheless, even if it burns calories, it does it at 10 calories per minute, during a normal marathon pace.
For people who seek to lose weight faster or just want something more thrilling, running is not the best option. They should try some of the better alternatives that are more effective. For instance, jumping rope, cycling or kettle bell swings, burn more fat than running. And they are not the only ones.
Here are other suggestions you could try out, and see which one suits you best. All of them have certain benefits for your health and physical appearance. Furthermore, they are easy to do, and quick, which is great if you are busy and don’t have a lot of time for working out.
1. Battle ropes
This exercise will help you improve your strength, hand grip and balance. They are designed in such a way that makes you work harder and try more. This, in turn, provokes you to put in more strength and power when doing the exercise.
The ropes help you build muscles like biceps, shoulders and legs, depending on what variation of battling ropes you do. There are several exercises that you can do with the battle ropes. Plus, you can do different motions, like linear or circular. Each movement works a specific group of muscles. For instance, you can try doing squats while moving the ropes in a wave motion (double or alternating). Then, you can do the slam.
Take the ropes by the ends, stand with your feet wide apart, lift your hands above the head, and slam the ropes on the floor with all your strength. Stand up, and repeat the move several times. However, if you want to work on your obliques you can do the side slam. The movement is similar with the previous exercise, just bend your knees a little bit and slam on the side of your body.
2. Cycling
Cycling is beneficial to your health for numerous reasons. First of all, it improves your flexibility and muscle strength. Further, it helps you tone your behind, waist and legs. Also, it pumps your heart, making it stronger, as well as rejuvenating your brain. All in all, it is an exercise that puts your whole body to the test and boosts your health to higher levels.
You can take up cycling even if you do not have time for it. For example, you can cycle to work, instead of taking the bus or driving a car. It is healthier and saves you money. You can buy one of those folding bikes, that would fit easily in your office, bag, or car, and wait there until the next time you need it. Additionally, they are great to carry with you if you go on a trip and want to ride a bike there. Not only are they functional, but they are affordable, too.
Static bike
In case you do not like the previous option, you can always buy a static bike and use it at home. Doing bike sprints would be a nice alternative to running. You would burn a lot of calories in only 60 seconds of hard cycling. What you should do is pedal as fast as you can for 60 seconds, then gradually go back into a slow pace. Repeat this a few times, and you will burn hundreds of calories in a matter of minutes.
Fat tire biking
Or, maybe, if you want something more powerful and demanding, you can try fat tire biking. The reason it’s hard are the tires themselves. Unlike the regular tire, these are bigger and fatter. Thus, they require more power to be put into pedaling in order to move. So, you will burn more calories, around 1500 per hour of cycling, or 25 per minute. It is a massive difference from any other exercise on this list, or anything else.
3. Burpees
This is a combination of exercises, more accurately push ups, and squat jumps. It is intense and demands a lot of strength and endurance. That is why it is great for building stamina and balance. Moreover, you work your whole body by jumping, squatting and doing push ups, so nearly every muscle in the body is being used. It is a great option to lose weight as well as improve your physical endurance.
Burpees do not require any special equipment or a lot of room to perform the exercise. You can do them in your garden, on the balcony, at the gym – anywhere where you have enough space to jump. If you do them for a few repetitions, and combined them with other exercises, the end results would be amazing. And this goes both for your physique and mental health.
So, how do you do burpees? Well, first you should get into a squat position, all the way down, with your hands next to you. Secondly, push your legs backwards and get into a push up position. Do a quick push up, then go back to the first position. From here, you will jump up high, and land in a squat. Repeat a few times. If you want maximum potential, do as many burpees as you can in a minute. If done correctly, you could burn around 10 calories per minute.
These three exercises can be done in combination with others. They do burn more fat than running, but if combined you will get the best results. Even better, they do not require a lot of time, plus they can be done both inside and outside, which is great for busy people, or if weather conditions do not work in your favor. All in all, there is no excuse not to try them out, at least. Take a shot and see what happens. After all, your health is the most important asset you have, and you should not be lazy about it.
