8 Fat-Burning Aerobic Exercises For People Who Dislikes Running, Swimming & Cycling

Fozaib Blog • May 1, 2021

Aerobic exercises are gentle workout sessions in which the predominant form of energy used is fat - mainly body fat. Aerobic exercise slowly build-up mitochondrial density and forces your body to burn fat.

Aerobic exercise is a long-term, relaxing, gentle, and most importantly, productive activity. If you want to be a fat-burning machine, become metabolically flexible, and have essential aerobic exercise capacity - you have to perform aerobic exercise.

But not everyone likes running, swimming or cycling. That's why I want to give you a few different options for fat-burning aerobic exercise.

Benefits of Fat-Burning Aerobic Exercises

When you fulfill the fat-burning aerobic exercise goals, you don't only strengthen your heart, but can also get the following other health benefits:

  1. Mental Health Benefits: Aerobic exercise has been shown to increase your memory, self-confidence, emotional stability, and brain function.
  2. Weight Loss Benefits: Aerobic exercise burns calories, which in turn can help you lose weight. Aerobic exercise can also strengthen muscles and improve your posture.
  3. Fitness Benefits: Over time, aerobic exercise can provide you with more energy to work out. By improving the body's ability to absorb oxygen and use it as fuel, aerobic exercise can increase endurance to provide more energy for your work or entertainment.
  4. Bone and Joint Benefits: According to HHS guidelines, moderate or high-intensity aerobic exercise can help increase bone density with age and in patients with osteoarthritis or other rheumatic conditions.
  5. Brain Health Benefits: Aerobic exercise has been shown to reduce the risk of anxiety, depression, and dementia in adults. Exercise can improve quality of life, sleep effects, and cognition to keep your brain working well as you age.

Target Your Heart-Rate & Stay into Aerobic Fat-Burning Zone

Training in the fat-burning zone is significant for everyone. Use the following techniques to stay in the aerobic workout zone:


  1. Calculate & Stay Below The Aerobic Threshold: Subtract your age from 180 to get your aerobic threshold. 180 minus age - this is the maximum aerobic heart rate. But don't go over it.
  2. Wear a Heart Rate or Heart Monitor: Unless you can intuitively track your aerobic threshold on your own, use a device that records your pulse or heart rate.
  3. Breathe Through Your Nose Entire Time: Nasal breathing is not only more efficient and beneficial but also an indicator of sufficiently low intensity.
  4. Ensure You Hold A Conversation During Workout: Having a normal conversation without gasping for a breath or taking a long pause to regain strength means you get a gentle enough aerobic exercise session.

Warm-Up and Cool Down For Fat-Burning Aerobic Exercise

Every aerobic exercise session should include a warm-up and cool-down. It can include:

  • Fast-paced walking
  • Jogging on the spot
  • Walking up and downstairs
  • Fast-paced side stepping
  • Arm swings
  • Squats, lunges

8 Best Fat-Burning Aerobic Exercises

Here are some ideas for fat-burning aerobic exercises:

1. Uphill Walking

  • Uphill walking activates the calves, glutes, and hamstrings.
  • It blasts more calories than walking on flat ground.
  • Walk a long way, or walk near steep slopes, rolling hills, and switchbacks.
  • You can do this on a treadmill with a steep incline or walk up and down the same hill.

2. Burpee Treadmill

  • Burpee exercise is the ultimate example of full-body strength training and functional fitness. It can improve your strength and endurance.
  • With the Burpee treadmill, you can perform Burpees at average speed, but only 1-3 every 30 seconds.
  • Just keep it up, and do a maximum number of Burpees for 30 seconds, which will keep you below the aerobic threshold.

3. Plank Jacks

  • Plank jacks develop your core strength and relieve lower back pain.
  • Get into a push-up position with your feet together.
  • Move your feet sideways as far as you can comfortably and rest gently on your toes.
  • Return to the normal position by joining your feet together.
  • Practice plank jacks for 30 seconds to 1 minute.

4. Loaded Walks - Rucking

  • Your shoulders, back, core, traps, legs, and glutes muscles are all strengthened by rucking.
  • Put on a weightlifting vest of a backpack full of books and take a walk.
  • The extra weight increases the intensity of walking, so your heart rate rises with the aerobic threshold. But it is still simple enough that you will not exceed it.

5. Floor-Based Creative Movement Flow

  • Get down on your all fours and move around.
  • Switching between different positions, crawling, rolling over, cartwheeling, somersaulting, planking, and doing a push-up shoulder rolling.
  • It's fun, and it can be highly aerobic.

6. Full-Body Fat-Burning Cindy Workout

  • Cindy's workout includes rounds of 5 push-ups, 10 pull-ups, and 15 bodyweight squats.
  • Perform these activities as many times as you can in a given time.
  • It is an easy exercise if you go slowly. But most people like to do this with great intensity.
  • These simple and effective exercises are the perfect way to gauge your beginner's current fitness level.

7. Rowing Machine Workout


  • As long as you stay in a strong form, the rowing machine is an excellent full-body exercise that can improve endurance and cardiovascular strength.
  • Moderate rowing burns about 200-300 calories in 30 minutes, according to data collected by Harvard-Medical-School.

8. Walking Lunges Variations

  • Walking lunges are a variation of static lunges workout.
  • Instead of standing up straight after performing a lunge with one leg, as you would in a steady bodyweight lunge exercise - "walk forward" by lunging out with the other leg.
  • The movement continues for a certain number of repetitions.
  • Walking lunges are an excellent way to strengthen your lower body muscles.

Fat-Burning Aerobic Exercises - Takeaway

There are many ways to perform aerobic exercise, and not all of them require running, swimming or cycling.
Regular moderate fat-burning aerobic exercises could help you lose extra weight, strengthen your heart and lungs.
In addition to aerobic exercises, strengthening and stretching exercises should also be included in your routine. It will improve your overall strength, endurance, and flexibility.
Hopefully, after reading it, you will try some of these and start building your aerobic capacity from today to onwards!

 

Unique Fitness offers 3 locations here on Long Island, each with their own style and focus, attracting people of all different ages, fitness levels, and abilities. Contact us today to claim your free 3-day trial membership .

 

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