If you're trying to lose weight or simply maintaining your current weight, you may wonder how many calories your workouts are really burning. The exact number varies according to how much you weigh and the intensity of the workout.
These Atlanta fitness classes, however, are particularly efficient ways to burn a high number of calories in a relatively small amount of time.
Try the following five fitness classes to burn 300 calories (or more) in just 30 minutes:
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Piloxing combines Pilates, dance and boxing to create a fun yet intense workout for your whole body.
It builds and elongates muscles and also uses interval training, so you're alternating quickly between activities. This helps you burn off a significant number of calories while keeping your interest and motivation high. The activity can burn around 900 calories an hour, so just 30 minutes will also yield significant results.
Where to go:
SFX Fitness, 925 Woodstock Road, Suite 102, Roswell. 770-587-2389. sfxfitness.com.
Kettlebells
Kettlebells are nothing new, and they're about as low-tech as you can get. They look like small cannonballs with handles, and they pack a powerful workout into a short amount of time. Kettlebell workouts combine cardio and strength training in one session. It's a very efficient way to burn calories, according to the American Council on Exercise (ACE), which found that in a 20-minute session, participants were burning an average of 20.2 calories per minute. This astounding rate was described by researchers as "off the charts" and comparable to cross-country skiing uphill at a fast pace.
Where to go:
Atlanta Kick Fitness and Martial Arts, 764 Miami Circle, Suite 204, Atlanta. 404-352-1140. atlantakick.com.
POUND
If you've always wanted to channel your inner drummer, POUND gives you the chance to go for it while you're getting fit. You'll pound on the floor to the beat of the music, using weighted plastic drumsticks. The combination of pilates, yoga and plyometrics ("jump training") can burn up to 900 calories an hour.
Where to go: Concourse Athletic Club, 8 Concourse Parkway, Sandy Springs. 770-698-2000. wellbridge.com/concourse-athletic-club/sandy-springs.
BodyStep
BodyStep takes basic stepping to the next level, adding additional moves like pushups or using weight plates during parts of the workout. The movements and step height are adjustable according to your fitness level, with a 12-inch bench allowing you to burn around 10.5 calories a minute, or 315 calories per 30-minute workout.
Where to go:
Atlanta Fitness, Alpharetta, Cummings, Newnan locations. atlantafitness.com.
Kickboxing
Work out your aggression and burn some serious calories with kickboxing, a competitive martial art. Bags provide resistance and help you tone your arms, legs and abs while increasing your heart rate. A 155-pound person can burn around 744 calories per hour, depending on the intensity of the workout, so even 30 minutes should burn more than 300 calories.
Where to go:
X3 Sports, Atlanta, Inmam Park, Marietta locations. x3sports.com.
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