The three best fat-burning sports – with some added little tweaks for bigger results
Running
The trick: run ladders
Use the first and last kilometres of your run to warm up and cool down. In between, run 30 seconds fast, 30 seconds slow, 45 seconds fast and slow and then 60 seconds of each. Follow with 1 or 2 minutes at your warm-up pace then reverse the ladder (60, 60, 45, 45, 30, and 30).
The pay-off
Ladders boost calories burnt by 60%. That’s 432 calories per half hour compared with 270 while jogging.
Bonus breath
Stop your muscles tightening when you’re on the last mile by fully inhaling and exhaling though your nose. This makes you breathe from your abdomen, which makes you calmer.
Cycling
The trick: increase cadence
A higher cadence or pedal revolutions per minute (rpm) improves your overall fitness and burns more calories. It also increases pedaling efficiency. Aim for 90-100rpm to start with.
The pay-off
Increasing exertion to vigorous (20-22kph) can burn 463 calories, compared with 232 in 30 minutes at moderate (12-14kph).
Bonus breath
When tucked in the racing position, a tight neck and shoulders make it hard to draw a deep breath. Keep your fingers loose on your handlebars. This will make your muscles loosen, open your chest and drop your heart rate.
Swimming
The trick: swim with fins
They create more resistance, so you need to use more muscle and energy to move through the water. You also need to train your muscle to move continuously. Fins make better use of your muscles and the energy in your legs which are often ignored by amateur swimmers.
The pay-off
You’ll burn 25% more calories this way. That’s 388 calories in 30 minutes, compared with 310 calories at a moderate intensity without fins.
Bonus breath
To swim fast and straight, you need to breathe on both sides. Turn your torso not your head, rolling your body until your mouth is above water. Raising your head disrupts your stroke rhythm. The three best fat-burning sports – with some added little tweaks for bigger results
