I love to exercise.

Correction: I like to exercise.

Correct, correction: I like to exercise when the workout routine requires anything but running.

I know, I know. I've heard it all before, "If you run often enough, you'll eventually love it."

Nevertheless, I loathe the exercise that requires I put one foot in front of the other for long periods of time. And no matter how often I do it, I find that no amount of suffering through it makes me enjoy the experience any more.

I get it, some people naturally love running. However, I and many others are just not built for it and all its wonders. Even though we are happy to be left out of the strenuous activities running entails, this hatred does, admittedly, leave us out of the calorie-burning benefits running has to offer. So, what do we do?

Don't sweat it. For those of us that hate running, or like running but want a change, here are some calorie-burning alternatives that don't require you give into the peer pressure of being about that running life. Besides, these exercises burn more calories than running anyway. Check them out:

High Intensity Interval Training

Average Calorie Burn: Depends on the exercise, experience, and level of intensity.

A form of HIIT (high intensity interval training) workout can burn more calories than running.

Short and effective workouts, HIIT can burn calories and build muscle without the need of fancy equipment in a combo of body weight strength movements and cardio movements. HIIT workouts can consists of jumping jacks, alternating side lunges, tricep dips, and squats or squat jumps, etc. All you would need is a timer and a target number for your chosen exercises, then do as many rounds as you can in that time.

Bonus: HIIT not only burns calories and fat in a shorter time period, but it also helps build endurance, boosts metabolism, good for heart health, and is physically challenging.

Featured image by Getty Images

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Originally published January 25, 2019