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When it comes to losing weight, running has long been considered the best form of exercise. Besides burning calories itself, it is also good for strengthening the heart, because it has to work harder during running.
However running has one big disadvantage – it is a high-demand activity that strains the knees, thighs, hip joints and ankle joints.
Besides, 1 minute of running burns only 10 calories. That means it is easy to replace it with other exercises that can burn more in the same time.
In this article we would like to recommend 10 exercises that are as effective or more effective than running and at the same time place less strain on your joints.
And as a bonus they will not only help you lose weight, but also nicely sculpt your body.
1. Crossfit workouts
Typical crossfit workouts involve several different short-duration exercises, but of very high intensity.
You don’t have to strictly follow its routine to gain the benefits. The best approach for you is to find 3 crossfit exercises that target different muscle groups.
2. Kettlebell swing
This type of exercise can be easily incorporated into other workout schedules.
The best thing about this exercise is that it takes no more than a few minutes, during which you can burn up to 20 calories per minute.
Another advantage is that it is suitable for everyone – regardless of your fitness level or endurance.
3. Burpees
If you do at least 10 burpees per minute, you burn up to 14 calories.
This exercise is more effective than a sprint on a bike. It can raise your metabolism rate and of course burn extra fat.
4. Bike sprints
Although bike sprints are less effective than burpees, they are ideal for those who don’t like workout routines.
The key to an effective bike sprint (stationary or real) is to pedal as fast as you can for 1 minute and then slow down for 1 to 2 minutes.
Ideally you should regularly alternate between normal pace and sprinting.
5. Riding a fat-tire bike
This type of exercise involves using a bike with thick tires, which is heavier and more difficult to steer than regular bikes.
For this reason you can burn up to 1500 calories per hour, or 25 calories per minute. That’s double the calories burned compared to running and without the strain on your knees.
6. Jumping rope
Besides being a moderate-intensity exercise that engages more muscles than running, jumping rope is also fun.
If you can jump 100 times in 1 minute, you burn up to 13 calories in that time. As a bonus you get a more comprehensive full-body workout than when running.
7. Jump squats
This is a fairly simple exercise, during which you burn up to 14 calories in 20 seconds. If you can sustain it for a whole minute, that’s an impressive 42 calories!
8. Battling ropes
This is another great exercise that offers more calorie burn than running.
According to a recent study that compared battling ropes with other exercises, battling ropes had the best result when adjusted for the amount of oxygen consumed.
9. Cross-country skiing
Besides being a fairly popular sport, cross-country skiing is another exercise during which you burn more calories than running.
When cross-country skiing at a normal speed, you move at roughly the same speed as the average runner, but you burn more calories doing it.
10. Rowing machine
For burning calories this is an excellent exercise. Intense rowing can burn up to 375 calories in 30 minutes, which is over 12 calories per minute.
Rowing is especially suitable for strengthening and shaping the muscles of the arms and shoulders.
Conclusion
When choosing which exercises interest you, don’t forget to pick those that target different muscle groups.
Also remember to give your muscles sufficient time to recover and regenerate after exercise.
