Stationary Exercises That Help You Burn Calories

You don’t have to run, walk or bike miles at a time outside to burn calories, reduce your heart-disease risks and maintain a healthy body weight. Stationary exercises burn just as many – if not more – calories than other forms of exercise. Stationary exercises are those you can perform in a small space, such as the comfort of your own living room.

  1. Jumping Rope

    • Choose jumping rope for a high calorie-burning exercise that’s convenient -- because you can do it inexpensively at home. The more you weigh, the more calories you’ll expend jumping rope. Harvard Health Publications reports that for just 60 minutes of jumping rope, you can burn about 600 calories if you weigh 125 pounds and about 888 calories if you weigh 185 pounds. Jumping rope also helps strengthen and tone your arm, leg and abdominal muscles.

    Kickboxing

    • If your goal is to tighten and tone your butt, thighs and abs, kickboxing may be a good fit for you. Try a kickboxing class at the gym or use a kickboxing video in the comfort of your own home to burn calories quickly. A study conducted by the American Council on Exercise found that the average kickboxer burns about 350 to 450 calories per hour, while a very large person pushing himself harder than average can burn up to 800 calories per hour.

    Step Aerobics

    • Engaging in high-impact step aerobics can push you to your limits and help tighten and tone problem areas. Harvard Health Publications notes that a 125-pound woman burns 600 calories per hour doing high-impact step aerobics, while a 185-pound person expends up to 888 calories in just one hour. Try a step aerobics class at your local gym or buy your own step and video workout if you don’t have a gym membership.

    Stationary Exercise Machines

    • Using an exercise machine is an effective calorie-burning indoor workout. Stationary machines that provide you with maximum calorie expenditures include stationary bikes, elliptical machines, stair-step machines, treadmills, rowing machines and ski machines. For example, Harvard Health Publications reports that 125 to 185-pound individuals burn 360 to 532 calories per hour using a stair-step machine, 420 to 622 calories per hour using a stationary bike or rowing machine at a moderate intensity, 540 to 800 calories per hour on an elliptical machine and 570 to 844 calories per hour using a ski machine.

    Weight Lifting

    • You can lift weights -- or use your own body weight as resistance -- to help burn fat and increase muscle mass, according to a 2009 review in “Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise.” Lifting weights helps burn 180 to 532 calories per hour depending on your body weight and the intensity level of your workout, notes Harvard Health Publications. For each weight-lifting set you participate in, the American College of Sports Medicine recommends completing 8 to 12 repetitions to improve strength and power and 15 to 20 reps to increase muscular endurance.