8 Best Exercise Alternatives To Running for Burning Calories

8 Best Exercise Alternatives To Running for Burning Calories | XpertsReviews.com

Are you putting on your sneakers for another run? While running is undoubtedly one of the best ways to burn calories and get your heart pumping, it can become repetitive and lose effectiveness over time. Let’s not forget that running in the cold is a different story! If you’re not seeing the same calorie results as before or need a winter break from running outdoors, it may be time to change things up. I’m here to help you with the eight best exercise alternatives to running to burn calories.

When you do the same exercise regularly, your body adapts to it, becomes more efficient and burns fewer calories. Challenging your body with different movements and intensities is crucial to keeping your metabolism revving and avoiding plateaus.

Adding variety to your workout routine can help you burn more calories while keeping things fresh and exciting. You can shock your system and prevent adaptation by targeting different muscle groups, using different energy systems, and changing intensity. This approach increases overall caloric expenditure by involving aerobic and anaerobic energy systems.

Additionally, exercises that work multiple muscle groups at once, like the ones featured in this article, offer a higher metabolic cost than running alone, meaning you’ll burn more calories during and after your workout. Plus, by including movements emphasizing strength, power, and endurance, you improve your cardio and build lean muscle, which can help increase your resting metabolic rate.

Let me give you my eight favorite exercises for when running no longer affects your metabolism like it used to. Whether you’re looking for a high-intensity cardio workout, a full-body strength session, or a low-impact alternative to running, these exercises can help you burn calories and take your fitness to the next level.

In this article:

Why Changing Things Up Helps Burn More Calories

fit woman running outdoors in sunny park, concept of easiest exercises to lose weight
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Running is undoubtedly one of the most effective ways to burn calories and improve cardiovascular health. It’s a simple and effective workout that, when done consistently, can yield great results. However, sticking to the same exercise routine day after day not only becomes monotonous, it can also lead to diminishing returns. This happens because of the principle of adaptation, a central concept in exercise science.

The principle of adaptation states that your body adapts to stress you place there over time. When you start running, your body is unfamiliar with the demands of exercise, so it expends more energy, burns more calories, and quickly improves efficiency. However, as your body gets used to running, it learns to conserve energy, reducing the number of calories burned per mile or per minute. Your workout becomes less difficult and you no longer see the same calorie results you did before.

8 exercises to burn calories

As a certified performance coach, I have over 10 years of experience creating clever workouts to replace the monotony of running for weight loss. These eight exercises are my favorites for performing a full swap or supplementing running workouts with a new vibe.

Exercise #1: Assault bike

fit woman working out on air bike, concept of strength training for women to lose weightfit woman working out on air bike, concept of strength training for women to lose weight
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The assault bike is a fantastic calorie-burning tool that works both your upper and lower body, making it one of the most effective cardio options on the market. With its high-intensity intervals, this machine is perfect for burning fat and improving overall cardiovascular fitness in a fraction of the time it takes to run.

Sets and repetitions:

  • 10 rounds: 30 seconds on, 30 seconds off
  • 20 to 30 minutes of steady-state cycling to lose fat

Exercise #2: Ski Erg

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The Ski Erg mimics the movement of cross-country skiing, providing a great full-body workout that engages your core, arms and legs. It’s perfect for those who want to target upper body strength while burning calories quickly. Plus, it’s easier on the joints than running.

Sets and repetitions:

  • 12 rounds: 15 seconds work, 30 seconds rest
  • 15 to 20 minutes of steady-state skiing to improve endurance

5 Best Cardio Workouts for Weight Loss

Exercise #3: Rowing

workout on rowing machine muscular womanworkout on rowing machine muscular woman
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Rowing is a full-body workout that combines strength and cardio. It targets your back, legs and core, allowing you to burn calories intensely while being gentle on your knees and joints. This makes it a great option for those who are tired of pounding the pavement but still want to burn calories.

Sets and repetitions:

  • 8 turns: 1 minute on, 1 minute off
  • 20 to 30 minutes of steady-state rowing to lose fat

The Best Rowing Workout for Weight Loss

Exercise #4: Swimming

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Swimming offers one of the best full-body workouts, combining resistance training and cardio. The buoyancy of the water reduces the impact on your joints, while the resistance of the water increases the intensity of your workout. This is a great alternative if you’re looking to burn calories without adding stress to your body.

Sets and repetitions:

  • Swim 4 x 100 meters at a moderate pace, with 1 minute of rest between sets
  • Perform 30 to 40 minutes of interval swimming with 30-second sprints on 1 minute of rest to lose fat

Here’s How Often You Should Swim to Lose Weight

Exercise #5: Ruck Walks

man moving uphill on a hiking trail on a sunny dayman moving uphill on a hiking trail on a sunny day
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Rucking involves walking with a weighted backpack and is a great low-impact workout for building strength and burning calories. This is a great exercise if you want to burn fat without the intensity of running. It also improves endurance, posture and overall strength.

Sets and repetitions:

  • 30 minute ruck walk with a 20 to 40 lb bag
  • Adjust the weight according to your fitness level for a more challenging workout

RELATED: I Replaced Regular Walks With Rucking for 2 Weeks and Saw My Stamina Skyrocket

Exercise #6: Medicine Ball Slams

muscular man medicine ball slam, ab workout concept for menmuscular man medicine ball slam, ab workout concept for men
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Medicine ball slams are a powerful full-body exercise combining explosive movements and intense cardio. This high-energy move helps build strength and increases your heart rate, making it a great calorie-burning exercise. Mix things up with front slams, side slams, and various positions.

Sets and repetitions:

  • Three to five sets of 15 to 20 repetitions. Rest 90 seconds between sets.

Exercise #7: Sled push

woman doing sled push workout in outdoor gym with trainer encouraging herwoman doing sled push workout in outdoor gym with trainer encouraging her
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Sled pushes are fantastic for building strength, power, and endurance while burning calories. This exercise activates your legs, core, and upper body in a way that running can’t, and it’s a great way to push your fitness to new levels.

Sets and repetitions:

  • Three to five sets of 20 to 30 meters. Use a moderately heavy load. Rest for 60 to 90 seconds between sets.
  • For sled sprint intervals, use an empty or lightly loaded sled. Perform two to three sets of five repetitions. Sprint for five seconds, then rest for 60 seconds. Recover fully between sets.

Exercise #8: Dumbbell Thrusters

fit woman holding dumbbells, concept of dumbbell exercises for women in their 40sfit woman holding dumbbells, concept of dumbbell exercises for women in their 40s
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Dumbbell thrusters combine a squat and overhead press into one powerful movement, giving you a full-body workout that burns fat and builds muscle. This explosive exercise is perfect for getting your heart rate up and burning off calories without running.

Sets and repetitions:

  • Three to five sets of 12 to 15 repetitions. Use a weight that challenges you while maintaining proper form throughout the movement. Rest for 90 seconds between sets.

#Exercise #Alternatives #Running #Burning #Calories

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