13 of the Absolute Essential Exercises You Need to Burn the Most Calories ...

1. Cycling

An alpha and an omega of a good cardio training, a bicycle should definitely become one of your best friends! Now, I know what you’re going to say and I must admit it’s not one of my faves either but just knowing that a person can burn up to 1000 calories per hour by simply cycling does sweeten up this deal! But, let me put it in numbers – an hour of cycling at maximum intensity will help a woman of average weight (which is about 160 pounds) burn about 850 calories and the numbers are even higher for men (about 950)! Not bad, huh? Time to pay your bike a visit, I’d say.

2. Jumping Rope

Rope jumping is more than a game for children! In fact, it also happens to be one of the exercises that burn the most calories and will definitely help you get rid of those pesky 5 pounds just in time for the bikini season! An hour of this activity can help men burn up to 850 calories while women can hope to burn up to 750. Well, I’d say that’s a good reason to add this one to your list of best fat burning exercises and make it your personal goal to spend at least 10 to 20 minutes each day having fun with your kids and exercising all at the same time.

3. Swimming

Don’t really enjoy sweating? No problem! With about 840 calories per hour for men and 720 for women, swimming deserves a strong third place on my list of exercises that burn the most calories. And if you’ve ever wondered how to lose calories fast and have fun in the process, you’ve got your answer right here! After all, is there a better way of making sure your beach body stays sexy than enjoying one of the best activities summer has to offer!?

4. Aerobics

Fun, dynamic and relatively hassle-free, aerobic is definitely my favorite exercise for burning calories. It is a bit hard at first and you might feel embarrassed for not getting the moves right all the time but the feeling is gone in about a week and you start feeling much better. An average female can burn up to 680 calories per hour if she decided to take up aerobics and let’s not forget the other benefits such as cellulite-free thighs, firm sexy butt and abs to die for.

5. Elliptical Trainer

Way more interesting than a treadmill, an elliptical trainer can help you burn up to 600 calories per hour and a whopping 11% more if you don’t mind going backward instead of just pushing forward. Not bad at all! Grab those handles and let your arms share the work in order to exercise more muscle groups and get the most out of it and don’t worry if you don’t manage to break the gym’s record on your first use – when used right, these babies will really make you work hard for it.

6. Zumba

With an average calorie loss ranging from 400 to 700 per one hour session, fun, popular Zumba also deserves its place among the best fat burning exercises to opt for in order to zap away stubborn fat and tone those muscles fast. This is even better than aerobics ladies because you’re not only spending those calories like crazy and seriously working your way to a better body but learning sweet dance moves as well, some of which you can even use on the dance floor.

7. Water Aerobics

Last on my list of exercises that burn the most calories, water aerobics is perfect for all of you who hate sweating but can’t swim good enough to get all the benefits an hour of swimming can provide. Don’t worry though – an hour of water aerobics will help you burn anywhere from 200 to 400 calories, all depending on the intensity of your training. And since all the moves are done in water, you don’t have to worry about injuries either.

8. Running

Running has been proven to burn more calories at the time movement is exerted than any other form of exercise. It is also one of the best to reduce stress and depression. You can burn around 600 calories per hour running, and even jogging is around 550 for a 130 pound woman. I am not a huge fan of running, but if you want to drop weight and burn the most calories, running is a great way to do that!

9. HIIT

If you haven't heard of HIIT training yet, let me introduce you! HIIT is a fantastic form of exercise that stands for High Intensity Interval Training ( HIIT). It involves short quick routines that are done at a fast pace, and you alternate different exercises with no rests in between. You'll only have to do about 20 minutes to burn around 300 calories, without any cardio at all. You might do jumping jacks for 30 seconds, then hit the floor and do 10 pushups, then jump back up to do 30 seconds more of jumping jacks, followed by 15 squats, then 25 situps, and whatever else the exercises are. Each HIIT sequence is different, and made to challenge the body through constant exercises that are never the same repetitive motion for the entire sequence, like running, for example. This increases the heart rate, tones muscles and trains the body to have to adapt, which burns a ton of calories in a very short period of time.

10. AsHtanga Yoga

Ashtanga yoga, especially done in a hot room, will increase your calorie burning in a big way! This form of yoga is the type of yoga you'll often see called "flow yoga". It involves you doing several repetitive motions, and in a constant "flow", that is gentle on the body, yet similar to calorie burn and movement like cardio is. You don't stop moving, although the movements used are quite gentle on the body. This form of yoga is the best for burning the most calories in a short period, and is great for increasing your heart rate as well.

11. SURFING

If you live at the beach, consider trying to learn to surf to burn major calories. Surfing involves using your entire body for strength and stability, and because you're constantly moving up and down, you burn big calories in a short period of time.

12. Kickboxing

Three years ago, my brother really got into kickboxing and he's never looked so good! He got in major shape in a very short period of time and lost a ton of weight. Kickboxing is one of the absolute best forms of exercise you can do to burn calories quick. I've always wanted to learn myself, not so much for the weight part, as much as for the ability to relieve stress and feel empowered! Something about hitting a punching bag when you've had a bad day, and getting in a workout too just sounds nice, don't you think?

13. Hiking

I would love to start hiking someday. It is a great form of exercise and you can really burn a lot of calories quick by hiking. All you need to do is just start! If you can walk, you can learn to hike. Talk about increasing your calorie burn, and training those buns and legs! I'm in, are you?

Can you name other exercises that burn the most calories? Do share! My best girl and I are torn between Zumba and water aerobics so if there is some other exercise for burning calories fast now would be the perfect time to know about it.