Kendra’s Fitness Corner: How to burn the most calories in 30 minutes!

Part two of my June column: how to burn the most calories in 30 minutes.

Are you short on time? Wanting to workout, but yet just don't feel you have enough time or what you can do in 30 minutes won't be enough? Today I am focusing on how you can get the most out of your lunch-time or nap-time workout with just a few changes!

Change your routine: You body will burn more calories with any NEW exercise or a different intensity/speed of the same exercise you have been doing. So that same old 30 min power walk should be replaced with a 30 minute hike (or a hilly course on your treadmill) or repeat a cycle of jogging for 1 min and walking for 3 min.

Include moderate to high intensity intervals: Bursts of 20-30 second moderate or high intensity activity dramatically increase calorie burning during and after exercise. This can be as simple as increasing your speed during a run or adding jumping jacks, jump rope, cone hops (hopping back and forth over a cone with both feet). You should push yourself hard during these intervals…and recover for 3-5 minutes or until your breathing returns to normal. You can pair these intervals with your normal cardio machine or your strength training routine.

Sample 30-min workout you can do once or twice a week for a higher-intensity session. If you have a treadmill you can do the first 22 min on that or go outside then return home for the rest.

• 5 min easy walk or jog
• 30 second pick-up (or run at the fastest pace you can maintain)
• Repeat the above 2 exercises 3 more times (total of 22 minutes)
• Squats for 1 min or to fatigue (dumbbells optional)
• Push-ups to fatigue (on toes or knees)
• Tricep dips off a sturdy chair to fatigue
• Crunches to fatigue
• 30 seconds jumping jacks or jump rope
• Repeat last 5 exercises 2 more times!
  

If the above workout seems too intense, you can replace the walk/run with biking, and replace any of the strength moves with a dumbbell exercise instead of a body weight exercise. The goal is to cycle the higher intensity exercise with the recovery, or less intense, exercise.


Feel free to comment below or contact me at columbusmultiples@gmail.com with any questions you might have for me. Whether the questions are about the summer challenge, burning the most calories in 30 minutes, fitness techniques or anything fitness related for you or your children (and husband too!), I am here to help you!

Get moving!
Kendra