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There are many workout options available to burn off excess calories, but the best activity for you is doing something you not only enjoy but look forward to doing three to five days a week for at least 30 to 60 minutes.

Let’s take a look at the top three calorie burning exercises.

1. Running: the high-caliber calorie blaster

Running remains the elite of all the cardio exercises and it’s excellent for weight loss. If you are a 150-lb person and can run a 9-minute mile you can potentially burn calories at a rate up to 780 calories per hour. (A burn rate is measure of the number of calories per minute, per pound of body weight that a physical activity expends.) Since we are all unique the number of calories you actually burn off is hard to gauge and it will depend on several factors—first and foremost of which is your weight and the intensity level you exercise at. Cross-country and road running require a good deal of aerobic fitness, as well as anaerobic conditioning for hill climbs. Dedicated runners and casual jogging mortals like to set weekly distance goals to challenge themselves although they don’t need more motivation other than their love of running.

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A regularly scheduled workout will help keep you motivated and stay on track in your weight maintenance program.

Have you ever wondered how is it that some people never have to be pushed to go out for an early morning run? You can call them fitness freaks, but for them, exercise has become second-nature: they love it, crave it, and wouldn’t miss a daily walk, run, swim or bike ride anymore than they’d forget to brush their teeth or go to work.

By adopting a regular schedule of a calorie burning activity you love, you’ll have all the motivation you need. People who are intrinsically motivated enjoy keeping fit and active because they pursue exercise for its own sake and that helps them get something out of each and every workout.

It’s the same type of passion people apply to their hobbies. Go for a bike ride or a walk—and do it regularly—and you’ll have no problem getting rid of the extra calories you’ve been storing as fat.

You’ve read a lot about the benefits of exercise, but how much thought have you given to the condition of your heart? Perhaps you dabble in “cardio,” or aerobic exercise, because it is a great method for burning excess calories and spiking the metabolism, but are you reaching a true cardio training level?

A cardiovascular workout is any type of exercise that increases the work of the heart and lungs. Only when your pulse quickens and your breathing gets deeper to the point of being “winded” have you reached a cardiovascular zone of physical exertion. You don’t necessarily have to be a runner to get the best results because any activity that keeps your heart rate up will suffice. In fact, there are a number of regular activities you may already be enjoying that will help to improve your cardiovascular system’s efficiency.

The kind of cardio exercises you need requires the combination of using large muscle movements over an extended period of time (duration) so that you heart rate is elevated to at least 50% of its maximum level (intensity). For true cardio benefits, you must engage in aerobic exercise for at least 30 minutes, preferably an hour, and reach a “target heart rate zone” several times a week.

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Walking is the easiest and least expensive method to maintain your weight loss program and to keep fit. A 150-pound person walking for an hour, at a steady pace of 18 to 20 minutes to complete one mile, will burn about 320 calories. You can hike in the woods, around the neighborhood, or do it on a treadmill. And don’t forget you can take the stairs instead of the elevator, and park further away at the store.

It’s easier and more convenient to make walking a daily regular routine than almost any other exercise.

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It’s time to set the record straight about Pee Wee Herman’s bike, the spiffy red Schwinn. It’s not the coolest bike in the whole wide world. Mountain bikes are, with their ruggedness and advanced technology that have fanned the craze for fat tire bikes everywhere. These bikes are every rider’s dream with upright seating on a comfy saddle, longhorn handle bars, plus disc brakes and shock absorbers. And, of course, those forgiving fat tires.

A Rebel and His Bicycle

A city-slicker fat tire bike ($300 to $700) is not what it seems. It’s actually a heavier hybrid of the mountain bike and is less reliable, although fine for the concrete jungle. Its components look similar, but are not designed for rough treatment, and the bike is more likely to break down. For real off-road adventure, look for bikes with frames and components made of strong, durable materials.

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Whether you ride a mountain bike, a road racer or a city hybrid bicycle, chances are you’re health conscious. When you adopt a regime of outdoor biking for both exercise and commuting, you’ve found a life-enhancing solution that will keep you lean, healthy, and happy.

And it can all be done on a bike. Cycling is as good as running and swimming as an aerobic (meaning “with oxygen”) exercise that will elevate your pulse rate and increase your cardio-vascular activity. Sports medicine specialists often prescribe cycling because it causes less wear and tear on the joints and muscles than running, while still building endurance and alleviating stress.

Cycling, both road and mountain, tones many of the same large muscles of the lower body as hiking does. You’re working the quads, hip flexors, and calf muscles when pushing the pedal down; and the hip flexors, hamstrings and calves when pulling the pedal up. But it’s an upper body conditioner as well since the muscles of the torso, as well as the arms and shoulders, are very active while riding. (more…)