Not just running! TOP 10 activities to help you burn more calories

What’s our TOP 10 all about?

This article isn’t a ranking of the most intense activities or a competition about how many calories you can burn in one workout. Our TOP 10 is a list of ideas where everyone can find something for themselves and enjoy movement – whether as active recreation or a more intense workout. It includes both advanced cardio workouts and simple, accessible forms of activity that can easily be added to everyday life.

We believe that any movement is better than none – that’s why we encourage you to try new activities and discover the joy of sport and recreation!

1. Cycling

Cycling is the most popular form of activity among Poles – according to the report “MultiSport Index 2024: Sportkrastynacja” – 44% of physically active people practise it. For many of us, two wheels are not only a way to stay active but also an increasingly popular everyday means of transport. In cities, bikes are getting more popular – often faster than cars or public transport. It saves money on fuel and time spent looking for parking. And it's eco-friendly!

The bike opens up a wide spectrum of training possibilities. You can build an aerobic base, develop strength, endurance, pace and riding technique. It’s perfect for volume or interval training. You can ride solo or in a group, on smooth roads or tough terrain.

2. Indoor cycling/spinning

Wondering what it would be like to enjoy all the benefits of cycling without worrying about gear or weather? You'll find the answer in spinning classes. Riding a stationary bike doesn’t have to be boring at all. You train in a group with an experienced instructor, and dynamic music keeps you in rhythm and motivated to push harder. There’s no room for weak moments – you rest only when the instructor calls a break.

Spinning classes are a great choice for both beginners and advanced riders, as it’s easy to find a group that matches your fitness level. Just starting out on your cycling adventure? Avoid interval sessions and those favoured by triathletes, especially if you don’t yet have enough aerobic endurance. Remember, spinning is a simulation – it won’t improve your outdoor riding technique, but it’s excellent for boosting fitness and motivation.

3. Swimming pool

Swimming classes are becoming more and more available, with an increasingly diverse offer – from sessions for babies and swimming lessons for kids and adults to advanced swim training.

Swimming, like any endurance sport, increases cardiorespiratory fitness. A typical swimming workout is based on the volume method – lots of repetitions (pool lengths) at medium intensity. It helps strengthen muscles often overlooked in daily life, such as the back, arms, glutes, and thighs.

Swimming can be a standalone sport or a complement to other types of training, like strength workouts. If you’re looking for a new way to burn calories, it’s worth trying classes that use water resistance, like aqua aerobics.

4. Strength training

Wondering why strength training is included in our list? Its aim is not necessarily only to build strength and muscle mass. Strength training, like other forms of exercise, also burns calories – though not as quickly as intense cardio workouts. What matters more, however, is the way it affects your body in the long run. By building muscle, you increase your basic daily energy needs. This means your body has to burn more calories just to maintain its basic life functions. If you want to lose weight, combining strength training with cardio will be the best solution for you.

Remember, strength training doesn’t have to be limited to classic work with barbells, dumbbells, or machines. You can also choose from many forms of functional training and kettlebell workouts that emphasise dynamic, powerful movements. Building strength and muscle endurance is useful in almost any type of activity – so we encourage you to visit your local gym!

5. Circuit training

Combining different exercises into fast sequences performed in intervals gives quick results and makes the most of your training time. The key, however, is having proper fitness and mastering the basic movement patterns used in circuit classes. Circuit training combines elements of different types of exercises – resistance, functional, and mobility – creating an intense workout that engages many muscle groups in each session. This way, you improve overall motor fitness and speed up calorie burning.

Circuit training can be an exciting challenge and a great variation for intermediate and more advanced fitness enthusiasts. We especially recommend it for those preparing for obstacle course racing (OCR). However, it’s important to remember that without proper focus on technique and given the high intensity, this type of training can be quite tough for beginners.

6. EMS (electrical muscle stimulation)

EMS training uses electrical impulses to make your muscles work harder. It helps you burn calories and reduce body fat as effectively as traditional cardio – but in much less time.

An EMS session lasts about 20 minutes, making it a great option for busy people or an exciting extra boost for more advanced training. EMS also improves skin condition, which can be a strong added benefit.

7. Tennis and racquet sports

If you value not only burning calories and full-body training but also a bit of healthy competition, grab a racket and start playing. Tennis can be a fun way to stay active or a full-on workout for your body – it all depends on your ambition and commitment. To get the basics right and pick the best gear, it’s worth getting help from a coach or joining group classes.

If you feel classic tennis isn’t for you, there are plenty of alternatives to try. Alongside the ever-popular squash, padel has joined in – taking the best of both sports. You can also go for fast-paced options like badminton or table tennis – they may look easy at first, but you’ll quickly see they’re real sports, and the training can get pretty intense.

8. Tabata

The original Tabata protocol was designed for professional athletes. Its goal was to boost their aerobic and anaerobic capacity during intense effort. It’s based on very short intervals performed at extreme intensity (around 170% of VO₂ max). The fitness version of Tabata is gentler – intervals are done at about 115% of VO₂ max, and the sessions last longer. The main goal of these workouts is fast calorie burn and fat reduction, and the interval method lets you cut workout time compared to volume training.

Fitness Tabata is meant to be more accessible for a wider audience, but you still need a solid fitness base to get the most out of it. Just like other high-intensity interval trainings (HIIT), it’s not a method we’d recommend for beginners.

9. Zumba/Body Combat

Movement classes with music have a long tradition in our culture. Today, one of the most popular forms of such activities is Zumba. The workout combines elements of aerobics and dance, with sequences of moves performed to a choreographed routine prepared by the instructor. Beyond burning calories and the energy of group activity, Zumba also helps improve mobility, coordination, and sense of rhythm.

Body Combat follows similar principles, built around moves inspired by different martial arts. The classes also include interval elements, resembling a “shadow fight” workout set to energetic music. If you’re after an intense cardio workout but find the classic forms a bit boring, both Body Combat and Zumba are great options.

10. NEAT

NEAT stands for non-exercise activity thermogenesis – the energy you burn through activities that aren’t formal exercise. It covers all the everyday activities that can add a few hundred calories to your daily energy burn. They won’t replace workouts, but they do help prevent a sedentary lifestyle. Plus, if you train regularly, NEAT can speed up your weight-loss progress.

The simplest and most accessible form of NEAT activity is walking. The more you walk, the less you sit. If burning calories is your goal, you should walk more often and for longer. Daily walks can be a great starting point for active leisure, leading to longer hikes or light, easy-going activities such as:

• nordic or power walking
• rucking (walking with added weight)
• slow jogging

Planning to reduce body fat?

If your goal is fat loss, any activity from our TOP 10 will help you get there – as long as you meet a few key conditions. We’ll share them as practical tips. By following them, your training will become more effective.

1. A proper diet. To lose weight, you need to create a negative energy balance. Physical activity is important, but just as crucial is a balanced diet that matches your calorie needs and provides the right amount of nutrients. It’s worth consulting a nutritionist – their support can be just as valuable as having a workout plan from a trainer.
2. You burn as much as you can. The number of calories you burn in a single workout session depends not only on the type and intensity of the activity. It’s an individual matter, influenced by age, sex, body weight and composition, as well as fitness level. That’s why we don’t give specific numbers for the activities on our list. Don’t worry about burning too few calories. What matters is sticking to your plan consistently – that’s how you’ll reach your goal.
3. Rest is as important as training. “More is better” is not a good starting point for a training plan. Your body needs time to recover, clear out metabolic by-products, and restore hormonal balance. Overtraining does not lead to progress, which is why rest is a must in your training plan. This is especially true for intervals – we strongly advise against doing them on consecutive days!
4. Regularity is key. Training goals are achieved through consistent execution of your plan, not the intensity of a single session. Don’t just train on instinct – work with a coach to create a plan tailored to your goals, abilities, and schedule. Focus on regularity of activities!
5. Don’t start with intense effort. If you haven’t exercised for a while, the first workouts can feel tough. Don’t expect too much from yourself right away – your body needs time to adjust to the effort. Start with lower-intensity classes and gradually build your aerobic base, strength, and endurance. The time for high-intensity interval workouts will come sooner or later.

^References:

1. ^{MultiSport Index 2024: Sportcrastination. Jak (nie) ćwiczą Polacy?, Minds & Roses i IRCenter dla Benefit Systems, 2024.}
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3. ^{Helgerud J., Wang E., Karlsen T. and other, Aerobic high-intensity intervals improve VO2max more than moderate training, Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 2007.}
4. ^{Tabata I., Tabata training: one of the most energetically effective high-intensity intermittent training methods, Journal of Physiological Sciences, 2019.}
5. ^{Kemmler W., Teschler M., Weissenfels A. and other, Effects of Whole-Body Electromyostimulation versus High-Intensity Resistance Exercise on Body Composition and Strength: A Randomized Controlled Study, Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 2016.}
6. ^{Kumar D., Nara K., Dhull S., A comprehensive analysis of circuit training: Assessing the benefits and drawbacks for diverse fitness goals, Journal of Sports Science and Nutrition, 2023.}
7. ^{https://www.health.harvard.edu/heart-health/why-you-should-move-even-just-a-little-throughout-the-day}