There are simple ways to burn calories just as effectively as your usual cardio

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You can reap plenty of benefits from cardio workouts. They increase the strength of your heart and lungs, and they can improve your overall endurance, too. There is also research that claims cardiovascular exercises can boost your mood and protect your brain from the effects of aging. But there are also exercises that can help burn the same amount of calories more than just running for hours on a treadmill.

Jumping rope

Potential calories burned: 200 to 300 calories in 15 minutes

Celebrity trainer Corey Calliet says that people who just started working out should begin with jumping ropes if they’re a little intimidated or overwhelmed. “Jumping rope is honestly one of the best things you can do. If you can’t jump rope and you have to do it like you used to when you were playing hopscotch, I still suggest you try it. It’s a fun exercise, and it’s also a conditioning exercise that I do with all my boxers.”

Not only do you burn calories from jumping ropes, it's also fun, too — Jumping rope is an easy way to ease yourself into an active lifestyle

Stair sprints and climbs

Potential calories burned: Approximately 1,000 calories per hour of stair climbing

Aside from boosting your VO2 max, you can effectively sneak a workout into your schedule by sprinting up the stairs. In 20 minutes, you can burn 429 calories—the same number that you could burn from an hour of low-impact aerobics.

Burpees

Potential calories burned: 8 to 12 calories per minute

This type of workout requires no equipment, which makes it perfect for people who want simple but effective workouts. Scientific studies say that you can burn 8 to 12 calories a minute when doing high-intensity interval training. Meaning, if you do burpees in the course of an hour, you can burn about 563 calories immediately.

Gardening

Potential calories burned: 200 to 400 calories per hour

Based on research, just by pushing a mower, you can already burn up to 300 calories or more and tasks that are simple as digging and planting can also help you burn about 200 in less than an hour. While doing all this, every major muscle group in your body is operating. Simply put, gardening will make you move from one place to another: If you’re removing a plant, you will have to squat. Lifting the soil or pushing something will work your arms.

This one might be a surprise but gardening is in fact a whole-body workout in itself that burns as much as 400 calories per hour — This one might be a surprise but gardening is in fact a whole-body workout in itself

Kettlebell workout

Potential calories burned: 400 calories in 20 minutes

Kettlebells are time-saving workout devices. In a study by the American Council on Exercise, it found that an average person burns 400 calories in just 20 minutes of exercise. But an hour of kettlebell exercises with brisk intensity can burn as much as 544.