We, humans, are lazy these days. We sit in the office, we sit in the car, we sit on the train – and we also sit at home most of the time. Yet our bodies want to move. And it has to. At the turn of the year, many people resolve: “I’m going to do more sport this year! Because the holidays make themselves felt with extra belly or hip fat. Sort burns the most calories. But which sport is most effective? Jogging, Zumba or aerobics? In this article, we will explain which activity burns the most calories in the shortest time.

What are calories?

Put simply, you can think of the body as a stove. The calories are the wood that is thrown into the stove, and the energy we need to breathe and move is the heat that is produced when it burns. If too much wood is thrown into the stove, the fire burns like a blaze and warms more than the room needs. In this case, it usually helps to open the window to cool down. However, our body has no window to get rid of the excess energy. The “too much” is stored as fat and shows up as “hip gold” or “raccoon belly”.

Those who want to lose weight should know that only with a negative energy balance can the fat on the hips melt at all. This means that the body must be supplied with fewer calories than it consumes. But what are calories? They are an almost obsolete unit of measurement from thermodynamics. A calorie is the amount of energy needed to heat one millilitre of water from 14.5 to 15.5 degrees Celsius.

How does the body burn calories?

For the human body, the unit of measurement for burning fat is important. This is a constant process. In the process, the body gets the energy from food, which is then needed for muscle movement, body heat regulation, mental activity and many other things. Here, too, the vernacular often speaks of calories, but scientifically the energy requirement is expressed in kilocalories (Kcal) or (more modern) in joules (J). One kilocalorie is equal to 4.1868 kilojoules, one joule is equal to 0.239 calories.

However, energy is also needed for energy production. To break down the food and convert the fats, proteins and carbohydrates into energy, the body also has to make some effort. The remaining energy is called the “physiological calorific value”. The information on food packaging, therefore, refers to the energy that is ultimately available to the body from that food. For example, one gram of fat provides nine kilocalories, one gram of protein and one gram of carbohydrates each provides four kilocalories, and one gram of alcohol provides seven kilocalories. “Burning calories” is, therefore, in simplified terms, nothing more than the consumption of energy.

Why exercise is so important for losing weight

If you want to lose weight, you have two options: eat fewer calories or consume more through exercise. Experts always advise against short-term diets, because they are often followed by the unpopular yo-yo effect. Option two is therefore more sensible. Get moving! You burn calories both during and after exercise: Trained and larger muscles consume significantly more calories even when at rest.

Sport makes you smart and happy

During a training session, the brain receives significantly more oxygen and releases the hormone ACTH. This so-called creativity hormone lowers blood pressure and improves thinking and concentration. But the sport also makes you happy, because the happiness hormone serotonin is also released into the body in greater quantities during sport. And last but not least, sport makes you attractive. A well-toned body goes hand in hand with fresh, smooth skin and enhanced radiance. Sport also stimulates libido, lowers cholesterol, prevents diabetes and strokes, and so on. The list is almost endless.

Calorie consumption: What kind of exercise burns how many calories?

But which type of exercise is right for everyone? Those who have a choice are spoilt for choice because not every training session burns the same number of calories. Consumption also depends on other factors such as height, weight, age and training intensity. Therefore, the following are guidelines and may vary from person to person. Here are our top ten ways to burn the most calories in the shortest time:

1. High-intensity interval training (HIIT), e.g. Tabata: up to 700 Kcal/hour.
2. Jogging: up to 540 Kcal/hour
3. Strength training: up to 480 Kcal/hour
4. Tae-Bo: up to 460 Kcal/hour
5. Nordic walking: up to 440 Kcal/hour
6. Swimming: up to 435 Kcal/hour
7. Cycling: up to 410 Kcal/hour
8. Inline skating: up to 408 Kcal/hour
9. Cross-country skiing: up to 300 Kcal/hour
10. Zumba: up to 280 Kcal/hour

Undisputedly at the top of the list is high-intensity interval training – often abbreviated as HIIT. With intense intervals, such as those common in Tabata or circuit training, you burn by far the most calories. The reason is simple: short, high-intensity workouts throw our bodies out of balance – they have to adapt quickly. As a result, our muscle activity, breathing rate and heart rate increase. All this burns large amounts of calories. Especially the use of large muscle groups, e.g. thighs and buttocks, leads to high-calorie consumption.
But classic jogging also burns some calories. Those who put on their running shoes not only do something for the cardiovascular system and gain endurance but also burn an enormous number of calories. A 39-year-old test person, weighing 60 kilograms and 1.70 metres tall, burned 547 kilocalories per hour during a measurement in Cologne. However, jogging is only suitable for people with healthy joints. Those who do not want to or cannot run should switch to swimming or cycling.

Tae-Bo made it onto the list because it burns a particularly large number of calories during intensive training. This is because training with boxing elements involves, among other things, intensive arm movements. Simple walking is out today. Those who reach for the Nordic walking poles achieve a higher speed and also consume more energy. Inline skating is also comparable. Here, coordination is trained in addition to fitness.

You can check out our other useful articles about health here.

Hula hoops are fun and easy to use. They provide a full body workout and are great for strengthening muscles. They are also a great way to get in shape and burn calories. You can even use them in the office while you’re on the phone or waiting for an important email. We explain step by step how to learn hula hoop as a beginner.

Hula hoop: burn calories and strengthen muscles

It’s the fitness trend! We used to spin the hoop around our hips as kids, now we spin in the comfort of our own homes and have a lot of fun doing it. Besides, hula hooping is a real calorie killer – half an hour of hula hooping burns around 200 calories, which is the equivalent of running for 60 minutes on the treadmill.

In addition, Hula-Hoop offers many other benefits:

• Your endurance and fitness improve.
• The movements improve the blood supply to your tissues and can make them firmer. The waist automatically looks narrower.
• Your coordination and sense of balance are trained.
• You train your abdominal, leg, arm, back and buttock muscles.
• Hula Hoop can prevent back and neck pain.
• Hula Hoop strengthens the pelvic floor and is therefore a great fitness tip for new mothers.
• It also massages the internal digestive organs such as the intestines, which stimulates digestion.

Learning the Hula Hoop: These tips must be followed by beginners

But especially as a beginner or newcomer, the hula hoop does not stay on your hips and quickly falls to the ground! With these seven tips you will become a hula hoop queen in no time:

1. The right hula hoop

The right hoop size is crucial. Therefore, buy a hoop that reaches up to your belly button when you stand next to it. Your hula hoop should have a diameter of about one metre and a thickness of about two and a half centimetres. For the beginning, you should take a slightly heavier hula hoop that weighs at least a little more than one kilo – then hula hooping will be much easier for you. Make sure that the hoop is stable. It should not give or sag – this makes the hula hoop more difficult.

2. It depends on the clothes

Before you even start, you should choose the right clothes. Disturbing folds in the fabric can interfere with the swinging of the hoop. It is best if the belly is free or you wear a tight top. A waistband that is too high and thick can also make it difficult to spin around.

3. The starting position

Find a place where you have enough space to gyrate your hips and ring. Stand hip-width apart and position one foot further forward. For right-handers, this is usually the right foot. To have the most secure footing, it is best to stand barefoot.

4. The position of the ring

Get into the hoop and hold it at hip height. The back is straight while doing this. Important: Make sure that the hula hoop is held parallel to the floor. If you hold the hoop at an angle, the hoop will wobble around your hips.

5. The right hip movements

Give the hoop some momentum and move your hips and belly slightly back and forth. Beginners usually make the mistake of letting their hips gyrate wildly. Keep your hands above the hoop. You can either cross them in front of your chest or stretch them out to the side. If all this works, the hula hoop should swing in circular motions around your belly, backwards and forwards again.

6. The direction of rotation

You will notice right at the beginning in which direction the hoop spins better. In the beginning, stay on your “chocolate side”. Once you have more experience, you can try a change of direction. This may feel unusual at first and you may not be able to pull in the other direction at first. But don’t worry – with a little practice and time you will be able to swing the tyre in the other direction.

7. Straightening the ring

The more often and the longer you swing the hoop, the longer you will be able to keep it up. As your hoop slowly slides down, bend your knees slightly to give it a little more momentum.

Learning Hula Hoop: What to do if the hoop keeps tipping over?

Despite our tips, it doesn’t quite want to work and instead of circling your hips, the hula hoop keeps landing on the floor? Keep trying and don’t get discouraged. Give yourself enough time to get used to the new movements and internalise all the tips. With the hula hoop, it’s a bit like riding a bike. Eventually, you get the hang of it and it gets easier each time.

Pain and bruises after training?

At first, the hula hoop can be painful and cause a bruise or two. But over time, the connective tissue layer on the abdomen becomes firmer and bruising no longer occurs.

You can check out our other useful articles about fitness here.