What Type of Aerobic Exercise is P90X Equal to?

P90X is a home fitness plan that promises to "bring it!" If you've ever attempted a P90X workout, there's likely little doubt in your mind that the workouts really do just that when it comes to aerobic exercise. But you may be wondering just what activities are equivalent to the aerobic workout offered by the program. While the program may be unique, there are other exercises that can offer similar aerobic benefits.

  1. Heart Rate and Calorie Burn

    • A 2011 study commissioned by the American Council on Exercise examined the effects of the P90X program on 16 healthy participants ages 19 to 26. The study found that the average heart rate of male subjects ranged from 67 to 83 percent of their maximum heart rate during the workouts. For female participants, this figure was 65 to 88 percent. It also found that male subjects burned an average of 10.5 to 16.2 calories per minute, while women burned 7.2 to 12.6 calories per minute. According to the study, P90X workouts "meet or exceed established fitness industry standards for losing weight and improving cardiorespiratory fitness."

    Comparison to Jogging

    • According to the study's lead researcher John Porcari, Ph.D, of the University of Wisconsin, La Crosse, "when you look at the average caloric expenditure for P90X, it’s actually very comparable to jogging." The actual number of calories you burn jogging -- or doing P90X for that matter -- will vary depending on your weight and intensity. A 150-pound person will burn eight calories per minute doing a light jog, for instance. When doing a 5 mile per hour run, this calorie burn increases to 10 calories per minute and at 7 miles per hour it would climb to 13 calories per minute.

    Other Comparable Exercises

    • The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention classify workouts like running, jogging or those in P90X as vigorous-intensity aerobic activities. These are exercises where you're breathing hard and your heart rate is elevated. Other vigorous-intensity aerobic activities include swimming laps, riding a bike on flat or hilly surfaces, playing singles tennis or playing basketball. The CDC recommends getting at least two-and-a-half hours of vigorous-intensity aerobic exercise per week.

    Moderate-Intensity Aerobic Activities

    • According to the CDC, an hour of moderate-intensity aerobic activity is equal to a half-hour of high-intensity aerobic activity. So, if you have time to spare, you can simply do more moderate-intensity workouts in place of your P90X workouts to get a similar aerobic workout. According to the CDC, moderate-intensity aerobic activities are ones that raise your heart rate just enough to break a sweat. These activities can include walking fast, water aerobics, riding a bike on level ground and playing doubles tennis.