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10 Exercises That Burn More Calories Than Running
Wellness

10 Exercises That Burn More Calories Than Running


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:

Rowing

Average Calorie Burn: 210 to 311 calories per half-hour for moderate pace, 255 to 377 per half an hour for vigorous rowing

Due to the utilization of the muscle in your arms, legs, and back for efficient strokes, rowing is a great total-body workout.

Most of the muscles you use in running are in your lower body: your quads, hamstrings, glutes, hip flexors and calves. However, rowing activates requires "nine muscle groups and 85% of the body's musculature." Meaning that when you row, both upper-body and lower-body muscles serve as your primary movers, and you strengthen many more muscles than when running.

This means that although running on a treadmill, or traditionally running, will burn more calories during the workout, rowing will burn more calories in the long run. The more muscle groups used, the more those groups are strengthened. And more muscle mass means more muscle tissue to burn more calories—even when you're at rest—than body fat.

Bonus: Rowing is an effective aerobic exercise, helps with weight loss, provides an upper and lower-body workout, low impact cardio, increased endurance, and is easy to use!

Featured image by Getty Images

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Originally published January 25, 2019

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