15 Exercises That Burn A Lot of Calories in a Short Time

1. Running Intervals

This promises to burn up to 500 calories in 30 minutes. It was specifically designed to be suitable for all fitness levels, so if you’re just diving into a steady fitness routine, it’s a great place to start. And feel free to take the routine outside.

2. Plyometrics

The fancy word for this type of movement is plyometrics, also referred to as jump training, which includes explosive movements like jumping jacks, jumping rope, and/or box jumps to help build stronger muscles, which can burn up to 10 calories in a minute.

3. Supersets

Get ready to burn some serious calories, as this type of lifting incorporates a cardio element.

4. Swimming

A bonus calorie blaster is hitting the pool. It’s fun, refreshing, and burns calories efficiently. To torch fat and get in an awesome workout, try swimming at a vigorous pace for 13 minutes, at a moderate pace for 19 minutes, or doing water aerobics for 33 minutes. Everyday Health explains all three of these methods are ideal for burning 150 calories in no time.

5. Rowing

If you’ve ever tried a rowing machine at the gym, you know how tough it is. You’re using your entire body to pull the weight forward, which means you’re engaging your core, working your legs, and strengthening your back all in one go. Not only is it great for toning, but it’s an excellent way to get in that blood-pumping workout you might usually aim for on the treadmill. SFGate reports a 155-pound person can burn between 520 and 632 calories an hour at a moderate to vigorous pace.

6. Spinning

Whether you’re hopping on a stationary bike at the gym or taking a trendy class that incorporates high-intensity intervals with weight training while you’re peddling, you’re in for a serious workout. At a moderate intensity, Livestrong reports a 180-pound person will burn about 570 calories in an hour. If you’re taking a class, however, expect that number to skyrocket; Verywell says the average person burns between 500 and 700 calories during one 45-minute SoulCycle session.

7. Burpees

There’s a reason you’re probably only fitting in a minute or two of burpees into your exercise routine — they’re extremely effective, but also incredibly difficult. In essence, a burpee contains three jumps, a few squats, a push-up, and a core workout. Greatist explains they’re hard because you’re utilizing every major muscle group to power through. This also means you’ll be building muscle and torching major calories in the process.Health says this exercise burns 10 calories per minute.

8. Mountain Climbers

You can expect to burn about 50 calories for every three sets of 15 to 20 reps. The speed at which you do these matters as well. 

9. Jumping Rope

This move may take you for a trip down memory lane, but you probably don’t remember just how hard it is to sustain these small jumps for 10 minutes at a time. Fitness suggests trying this short workout to feel the burn. You’ll be doing regular jumps, double hops, side-to-side jumps, and running in place while turning the rope. In just 10 minutes, you can expect to burn somewhere around 135 calories.

10. Cross-Country Skiing

You’ll be pushing and pulling your own body weight to glide through the snow, which means your arms and legs are in for a serious workout.About Sports reports you can expect to burn 400 to 500 calories per hour if you’re going at a pace of 2.5 miles per hour and you’re 150 pounds.

11. Stair-Climbing

Even if you’re just walking up a flight at a slow speed, you’ll still burn two to three times as many calories doing this as opposed to walking briskly on flat terrain.

12. Martial Arts

One-on-one sports such as these require a lot of energy expenditure, as competing against another person will keep you on your toes the whole time. Jillian Michaels says a 190-pound person can burn almost 900 calories in one hour with martial arts-related exercises.

13. Tabata Training

The American Council on Exercise even conducted a study to find if Tabata-style workouts are all they’re cracked up to be. Participants in the study completed a five-minute warm-up followed by four rounds of Tabata, and burned between 240 and 360 calories each. Sounds effective to us.

14. Rock Climbing

If you’ve never been rock climbing, don’t worry — as you continue to build grip strength and learn how to climb, you’ll be able to climb higher and more difficult routes. Life by Daily Burn says you can torch between 500 and 900 calories in an hour.

15. Hill Sprints

Try this workout as outlined by Runner’s World, which calls for a hill that’s about 40 to 80 meters long (if you’re on a treadmill, add incline and aim to run for 10- to 20-second intervals). Run up the hill at 50% of your maximum speed, then jog back down, and do this five times. Next, run up the hill at 80% of your max speed and back down for two to three times. Finally, sprint up the hill as fast as you can once, and jog back down. Repeat the sequence 10 to 20 times to burn about 600 calories.