Pro Tips to Burning More Calories Each Session

Losing weight and burning calories is top of mind for many people trying to improve their health and fitness. Getting your body to burn more calories each day is one of the most effective ways to kickstart weight loss and can help you shed those stubborn extra pounds.

In this post, I'll provide tips on how to burn more calories through various types of workouts and daily activities. The goal is to give you practical strategies to boost your calorie burn so you can reach your weight loss goals faster. Whether you're just starting your fitness journey or looking to take your efforts to the next level, incorporating these suggestions into your routine can get your calorie burn soaring and accelerate your progress.

Calculate Your Calorie Needs

The number of calories you need each day depends on your basal metabolic rate (BMR) and your activity level. Your BMR is the number of calories your body burns at rest just to perform basic bodily functions. This accounts for 60-70% of the calories you burn each day.

You can use the following formula to calculate your BMR:

For men: BMR = 88.362 + (13.397 x weight in kg) + (4.799 x height in cm) - (5.677 x age in years)

For women: BMR = 447.593 + (9.247 x weight in kg) + (3.098 x height in cm) - (4.330 x age in years)

Your activity level accounts for the remaining 30-40% of calories burned. Sedentary people should multiply their BMR by 1.2, moderately active people by 1.5, and very active people by 1.9.

You can also use an online calculator to determine your calorie needs more easily. Enter your details and it will provide estimates for maintaining or losing weight based on your activity level.

The key is to consume fewer calories than you burn to create a calorie deficit for weight loss. Aim for a 500-1000 calorie per day deficit.

The Role of Cardio

Cardiovascular exercise, or cardio for short, is one of the most effective ways to burn calories and lose weight. Cardio gets your heart rate up and increases calorie burn during the workout. It also continues to burn calories after you finish your workout.

The key factors that determine how many calories you'll burn with cardio are the duration and intensity of your workout. Longer cardio sessions burn more calories. For example, jogging for an hour will burn more calories than jogging for 30 minutes.

Higher intensity cardio leads to more calories burned in less time. High intensity interval training alternates short bursts of intense activity with recovery periods. This allows you to burn calories fast without having to work out for a long period of time.

Aim for 150 minutes of moderate intensity cardio or 75 minutes of vigorous intensity cardio per week. Mix up your workouts by including some longer steady state cardio sessions along with high intensity interval training. This will maximize calories burned and help you reach your weight loss goals faster.

Add Strength Training

Strength training is a must if you want to burn more calories and boost your metabolism. When you lift weights, your body uses more energy both during and after your workout. This is because muscle tissue requires more calories to maintain than fat tissue. The more lean muscle mass you have, the more calories you will burn around the clock.

Just two or three strength sessions per week can make a big difference in the amount of calories you expend. Try to target all the major muscle groups such as legs, back, chest, shoulders, arms and core. Here's a sample full body routine:

Workout A

• Squats 3x8-10
• Bench Press 3x8-10
• Bent Over Row 3x8-10
• Shoulder Press 3x8-10
• Bicep Curls 3x8-10

Workout B

• Deadlifts 3x6-8
• Incline Bench Press 3x8-10
• Lat Pulldowns 3x8-10
• Lateral Raises 3x10-12
• Tricep Extensions 3x8-10

Aim to lift relatively heavy weights with good form. Take short rest breaks between sets. You can alternate between Workout A and B twice per week, with a day of rest in between sessions.

Adding in just two strength workouts per week will help you build metabolism-boosting muscle so you burn more calories around the clock.

HIIT Workouts

High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) is a powerful calorie-burning technique that alternates short bursts of intense activity with periods of rest or lower intensity exercise. The high intensity periods spike your heart rate and rev up your metabolism, resulting in greater overall calorie burn compared to steady state moderate cardio.

Some examples of effective HIIT workouts include:

• Tabata intervals - 20 seconds of max effort followed by 10 seconds of rest, repeat for 8 rounds. You can use exercises like sprints, jumping jacks, burpees, mountain climbers, etc.
• 30-60s intervals - 30-60 seconds of high intensity exercise followed by 30-60 seconds of rest or light activity. Try sprinting, rowing, cycling, jump rope, kettlebell swings, etc.
• 10-20 minute HIIT circuits - Perform compound exercises back-to-back with little rest for a set time period. Exercises like jump squats, pushups, skaters, and thrusters get your heart rate up fast.
• Treadmill or stationary bike intervals - Alternate 1-3 minutes of pushing hard with 1-3 minutes of moderate pacing for 10-30 minutes.

The great thing about HIIT is that you can tailor the work to rest ratio, intensity, duration and exercises to suit your fitness level. Start with shorter intervals and lower impact moves if you're new to HIIT training. Remember to include a proper warm up and cool down when doing high intensity exercise.

Burn Calories Through NEAT

NEAT stands for Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis. It refers to the calories you burn during your normal daily activities besides your regular workouts. This includes things like walking, standing, fidgeting, cleaning, and taking the stairs.

NEAT accounts for a significant portion of the calories you burn each day. Studies show NEAT burns up to 2000 extra calories per day for active people, compared to less active folks.

Here are some tips to increase your NEAT and burn more calories throughout the day:

• Take breaks to walk around while at work
• Opt for the stairs instead of the elevator
• Park farther away and walk to your destination
• Set reminders to get up and move every 30 mins
• Stand while talking on the phone or watching TV
• Do household chores like vacuuming and washing dishes
• Fidget, tap your feet, or pace while standing
• Go on walking meetings rather than sitting in a conference room

Making small efforts to be more active and less sedentary can really add up. Look for ways to incorporate more NEAT activities into your daily routine.