Are you looking to boost your calorie burn, shrink your waistline, and elevate your fitness in a short amount of time? If so, you’re far from alone. According to a recent survey by Statista, over 40% of U.S. adults want to drop weight, making weight loss the most common fitness goal in America. However, going from “wanting” to “achieving” a fitness goal can be daunting, especially with all the conflicting information online. Fortunately, we chatted with Mike Masi, CPT, a certified personal trainer at Garage Gym Reviews, who shares 10 highly effective ways to burn more calories in 30 minutes and maximize your body’s calorie-torching potential.
Time is precious, especially when it comes to working out. That’s why it’s essential to make every minute count when exercising. With the right approach, you can torch a significant number of calories in just 30 minutes, leaving you feeling energized and glowing from the inside out.
Whether you’re short on time or prefer quick, efficient workouts, these expert tips will help you maximize your 30-minute sweat session. Keep reading to discover 10 proven strategies to help you burn more calories in 30 minutes, according to a fitness expert.
High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT)
HIIT is a time-efficient workout alternating between intense bursts of exercise and short rest periods. It can help you torch more calories during and after your workout by increasing your metabolism. Plus, research shows that HIIT is more effective at burning calories compared to other forms of physical activity.
“HIIT is a great way to burn extra calories when you don’t have the time for your traditional steady-state, low-intensity cardio training,” says Masi. “It also helps expose the body to more profound stressors, some of which may even signal muscle growth depending on the circumstances.”
Strength Training
Increasing your strength and muscle mass can boost your metabolism, helping you burn more calories throughout the day, even at rest. In just 30 minutes of lifting weights, a 125-pound individual can torch 90 calories, a 155-pound person can burn 108 calories, and someone who’s 185 pounds can melt 126 calories.
“Strength training temporarily elevates your metabolism and, contrary to popular belief, doesn’t require endless hours in a gym,” says Masi. “Higher-frequency protocols can focus on one or two muscle groups with lower exercise volume each session, allowing workouts to be finished within 30 minutes.”
Circuit Training
Circuit training combines strength training and cardio to provide a full-body workout that maximizes calorie burn in less time than traditional workouts.
“Linking your exercises together in circuits can have some interesting effects,” explains Masi. “Your workouts get completed much quicker, but when structured well, circuit training may also keep the heart rate elevated throughout the entire workout, creating more caloric demand than your standard training session utilizing rest breaks.”
Cold Exposure
Exposure to cold temperatures can activate brown fat, which burns calories to generate heat. Cold exposure can be as simple as taking a cold shower or drinking cold water. You can even try cold plunging!
“Regular cold exposure can increase your metabolic rate and overall energy expenditure. This effect is due to your body’s need to generate more heat to maintain a stable internal temperature when exposed to cold environments. Brief cold showers or ice baths may stimulate this effect,” Masi tells us.
Drinking Coffee
Coffee contains caffeine, which some research suggests can boost fat metabolism and increase calorie burn. Caffeine also provides a temporary energy boost, making it easier to push through a workout and torch more calories.
However, Masi tells us, “Understand that caffeine doesn’t give you energy; rather, it stimulates you to burn the energy you already have, leading to more caloric demand. It has also been shown to depress appetite slightly in some instances.”
Drinking Green Tea
Green tea is rich in antioxidants called catechins, which studies show can help accelerate your metabolism and boost fat loss.
“These antioxidant compounds in green tea have been shown to enhance thermogenesis, the process by which your body burns calories to digest food and produce heat,” says Masi.
Dynamic Stretching
Dynamic stretching helps increase blood flow and warm up your muscles. This process gets your body ready for exercise and can improve flexibility and range of motion while burning a few extra calories than if you didn’t warm up.
Masi tells us, “Engaging in active, movement-based stretching can increase your heart and metabolic rate compared to static and passive stretching.”
Brisk Walking
Brisk walking is a low-impact, convenient cardiovascular exercise that research says is one of the best strategies for weight management and body mass composition.
“Brisk walking, especially uphill or on an incline, increases calorie expenditure and engages more muscle groups than walking at a leisurely pace,” Masi explains. “This is usually the cardiovascular exercise of choice for bodybuilders because the activity doesn’t require high levels of skill and doesn’t produce large quantities of fatigue, making it a great option to perform daily or even multiple times per day.”
Jumping Rope
According to a 2021 study, jumping rope is a high-intensity cardio exercise that can torch a lot of calories in a short amount of time, especially when done alongside a calorie-restricted diet.
“Jumping rope is a fairly low skill threshold to cross, and much like incline walking, it can be performed daily or multiple times a day as it doesn’t generate a lot of fatigue,” says Masi. “If you can’t jump rope or don’t have one available, you can mimic the motion with ankle hops and get the same effect without the equipment and skill barrier.”
Dance
According to a 2024 systematic review, dancing regularly is a highly effective way to burn calories, promote weight loss, and improve body composition. Plus, it’s fun and energizing, can be done alone or in a group, and there are plenty of dancing styles to choose from.
“High-energy dance styles like hip hop, salsa, or Zumba not only elevate your heart rate but are also fun ways to burn calories quickly,” says Masi. “Music and exercise have both been shown to have positive effects on your mood, so it would be a great way to start the day or to fit into a lunch break.”
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