Top 10 Cardio Exercises to Burn the Most Calories

We all know that the most important thing you can do for heart health as well as weight loss is regular cardiovascular exercise. With so many to choose from, which exercises are the most effective?

Here are the top 10 cardio exercises which burn the most calories in 30 minutes.

Top 10 Cardio Exercises to Burn the Most Calories

1.  Running

Running is an excellent cardio workout because all you need is a pair of good running shoes. You can burn serious calories especially if you add hills and sprint running. A 145 lb. person can easily burn 300 calories in 30 minutes. But you do have to watch your joints for injuries.

2.  Bicycling

Get your heart pumping with a stationary or outdoor bike. Depending on resistance and speed, you can burn 250 to 500 calories in 30 minutes.

3.  Martial Arts

Have fun working out and gain strength and speed with martial arts like karate and Tae Kwon Do.  Burn almost 400 calories in 20 minutes.

4.  Circuit Weight Training

Interval training combines short, high intensity bursts of speed (from ten seconds to three minutes) with slow, recovery phases, that are repeated during one workout.

5.  Climbing Machine

Climbing combines both lower and upper body exercise into one natural vertical climbing motion; It’s like having two cardio machines for the price of one!

6.  Aerobic Dance

Dance or step Aerobics is a tough workout and a popular choice among women. Targeting your legs, hips and glutes, areas of choice for women particularly, you can burn approximately 350 calories in 30 minutes. Take a step class at your gym, or buy a DVD to do at home.

7.  Boxing

Build speed and endurance while burning calories.  Burn 330 calories in 30 minutes.

8.  In-Line Skating

In-line skating works your whole body, particularly your legs, hips and glutes which is fab for women.

9.  Cross-Country Skiing

Embrace the winter and go cross-country skiing, another full-body exercise that you can enjoy outdoors. Not so fond of the cold? Use an indoor machine that simulates the motion.

10.  Jumping Rope

A tough workout to say the least but it does burn calories.

Other exercises that are good for you:

Swimming. Doing the breast stroke for 30 minutes and you can burn about 400 calories. The best part is that it’s a full body exercise and low-impact so its easy on your joints.

Racquetball/Handball. The side to side sprinting makes racquetball or handball an excellent cardio workout. A 145-lb person burns over 400 calories in 30 minutes.

Rock Climbing. Are you up for a challenge? Not afraid of heights? Try rock climbing and you can burn a whopping 380 calories in 30 minutes, and you’re also building arm and leg strength.

Elliptical Trainer. The elliptical is a great way to build endurance while protecting your joints. Use both arms and it’s like a cross-country ski machine. Easy on the joints, a 145-lb person can shed about 300 calories in 30 minutes.

Rowing. Rowing can really get your heart pumping as give your arms a tough workout. A 145 lb. person can burn about 300 calories in 30 minutes.

Walking. Brisk walking is a less strenuous form of cardio exercise but you can burn up to 180 calories in 30 minutes. Sprinting, adding hills or an incline can increase amount of calories burned.