For anyone planning to lose weight, running is among the first workouts that come to mind. We can definitely say that this is an effective way to do it: for a 155 lb person, running at 5 mph for 30 minutes should burn something like 298 calories. However, some people are not quite into running. Maybe it’s because it wears on their knees and joints, maybe they just think it’s boring.

We at Bright Side found some other exercises that can burn more fat than running. Also, check out our bonus ’exercise’ at the end.

1. Jumping rope — 372 calories

This is not just a popular child’s game, this is a common exercise among many athletes. Jumping ropes can be a great cardio exercise — besides helping with coordination and timing. Since it can be done in more than one way, anyone can come up with their own “tricks” to try this exercise.

2. Swimming (crawl) — 409 calories

Swimming is a great option for burning some calories and preventing many diseases at the same time. It is an effective way to avoid diabetes, stroke, and other forms of heart failure. Also, it helps to strengthen muscles, but with the advantage of not putting any stress on knees or hips.

3. Rock-climbing — 409 calories

Here’s a thrilling and fun way to burn some calories. Rock-climbing exercises muscles from pretty much the whole body, and its benefits can be felt even in your mental health, as it increases focus and self-efficiency.

4. Bicycling — 614 calories

The calorie loss obtained by riding a bike, like running, has much to do with the intensity of training. Adding some intermittent sprints during the ride may also be effective. There is also no shortage of reasons to ride a bike. Aside from being a good workout, with benefits for your muscles and heart, it’s a convenient, eco-friendly way of transportation.

5. Step aerobics — 372 calories

Aerobics are one of the most engaging activities at gyms, usually accompanied by mood-lifting, mid-tempo music. This exercise is not only good at burning fat, but also at improving your cardiovascular health. Since step aerobics does not stress the joints, it is a good workout to be done by people with osteopenia or osteoporosis.

6. Elliptical workout — 335 calories

The elliptical machines provide a good way to exercise the whole body. It shapes up the lower body (calves, thighs, glutes) and upper body (arms, back, and pecs). As a low-impact exercise, it is a good option for women who want to get in shape after pregnancy.

7. Burpees — 316 calories

This may be one of the most dynamic calisthenics exercises — ones where you use your own body to do the work, with minimal or no equipment at all to assist you. Burpees create a whole-body muscular response, allowing you to lose up to 10 calories per minute, depending on the intensity.

8. Handball — 446 calories

Sports, more than competitive games, are great exercises too. This game, in particular, is among the ones that burn the most calories since the players are moving around the whole time during the match.

Bonus: Playing with children — 372 calories (1 hour)

That’s right, we don’t necessarily have to become fitness freaks to lose weight. An hour of playful time with your kids may be enough to burn a good amount of calories. Mothers with young children who don’t have time to go to the gym might be happy to find out about this.

Note: The values ​​mentioned in this article consider an average caloric loss of a person who is approximately 155 pounds, performing the mentioned exercises for 30 minutes, except where noted.

Do you like running? When do you prefer to work out — in the morning or in the evening? Why?

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