The 6 best calorie-burning exercises to maximize your workout

Most of us know the feeling of lacing up our running shoes, dragging ourselves to the gym or diving into a pool of water and wondering how much bang we're really getting for our buck.

Whether aiming to lose weight, train for a sport or build endurance, "the best workout for your health is the one that gets you exercising," says Dr. Michael Fredericson, director of the physical medicine and rehabilitation division at Stanford University.

But understanding which exercises deliver the most benefits – and burn the most calories – can be a game changer. Here’s how movement transforms your body and which common workouts top the calorie-burning list.

How does exercise benefit the body?

One of exercise’s primary benefits is calorie expenditure, which happens "by calling on your body to turn stored fuel such as sugar or fat into energy," explains Austin "Ozzie" Gontang, a licensed psychotherapist and director of the San Diego Marathon Clinic.

But exercise does much more than burn calories. Regular activity strengthens the heart, helping it pump blood more efficiently and lowering resting heart rate. It also boosts lung function, allowing oxygen to reach and fuel cells more effectively.

Muscles also grow stronger and more resilient, helping you improve and maintain lean muscle mass. Bones benefit as well, becoming stronger, denser and less prone to fracture.

And the rewards aren’t only physical. Gontang notes that exercise stimulates endorphins and other neurotransmitters that reduce stress, elevate mood and ease anxiety and depression. Regular movement also supports better sleep, sharper cognition and steadier energy levels throughout the day.

What types of exercise are best for the body? 

When considering your many exercise options, a well-rounded approach is ideal, combining aerobic, muscle-strengthening and multicomponent activities that build balance and flexibility.

Aerobic exercise, such as brisk walking, running, swimming and cycling, "is strongly associated with reduced all-cause cardiovascular and cancer mortality," says Fredericson. It also boosts cardiovascular fitness, strengthens the heart and lungs, helps with weight management and sustains calorie burn by keeping your heart rate up.

Resistance training, such as weightlifting, body weight movement and resistance bands, "are also all associated with lower all-cause and cardiovascular mortality rates," Fredericson notes. And they help build and preserve muscle, strengthen bones and raise metabolic rate. Such benefits are why "the American Heart Association recommends engaging in muscle-strengthening activities that involve all major muscle groups at least two days a week," he says.

Multicomponent activities such as yoga, tai chi, Pilates or martial arts "are particularly beneficial," says Fredericson, "as they reduce fall risk, improve balance and enhance overall physical function." 

What exercise burns the most calories?

While nearly all exercise benefits the body, certain activities outpace others when it comes to burning calories. The total amount, of course, depends on your weight, metabolism and intensity and duration, but scientists have established rough estimates: 

• Running is among the top calorie burners. For example, a 154-pound person running at 5 mph (about a 12-minute mile) expends some 590 calories per hour, per the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Running also provides "one of the highest cardiovascular outputs of any exercise while also improving bone density, VO2 max levels and mental resilience," says Gontang.
• Cycling is especially effective when done at high intensity. Moderate cycling at 10 mph burns close to 600 per hour for a 154-pound person, while intervals, uphill climbs or vigorous pacing can burn even more.
• Rowing engages legs, core and upper body muscles and, even at a moderate pace, burns a ton of calories, more than 500 in an hour for a 165-pound person. 
• Swimming is also highly beneficial, because it’s a "full-body workout that engages all major muscle groups," says Gontang. Swimming can also torch north of 500 calories per hour. 
• High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) and burpees are beneficial because they alternate short bursts of effort with recovery. This boosts calorie burn during and after exercise through excess post-exercise oxygen consumption. Of the many different types of HIIT available, Fredericson says burpees stand out. "Burpees burn more calories per minute than any other common bodyweight or resistance exercise," he explains. "And their full-body, high-intensity, plyometric movements recruit multiple large muscle groups and drive both heart rate and metabolism higher than squats, push-ups or jumping jacks."
• Interval walking is another option. Though lower in calorie burn (about 280 per hour for a 154-pound person), walking "is simple and accessible to more people, including older adults and those with chronic illness," says Gontang. It also "encourages rhythmic pacing and breath awareness, which promotes mindfulness."

In the end, "all movement counts," says Gontang, "but the key is consistency over intensity." If calorie burn is your main focus, he says, aerobic and high-intensity workouts deliver the most payoff. But it's also important not to neglect strength, flexibility and balance training, since they benefit the body in other ways and enable you to gain more calorie-burning benefits over time.

Whatever workout you decide to pursue, Gontang says, "the best exercise is the one you're willing to do."