Burning calories in short bursts throughout the day can be an effective way to increase your daily calorie burn and aid in weight loss or maintenance. Even just one minute of elevated heart rate activity can burn extra calories. While longer duration exercise is ideal for optimal health and fitness, fitting in mini calorie-burning sessions requires less time commitment and can fit into even the busiest schedules.
What is a 1 minute calorie burn?
A 1 minute calorie burn refers to the amount of calories you can burn by doing an exercise that elevates your heart rate for 1 minute. The number of calories burned in 1 minute depends on the exercise, your weight, and intensity level. On average, a 155 pound person can expect to burn about 10-15 calories with a moderate intensity 1 minute exercise. Some examples of activities for a 1 minute calorie burn include:
- Jumping jacks
- Running in place
- Jogging up stairs
- Plank hold
- Squat jumps
- Mountain climbers
- Jump rope
- Burpees
The more vigorous the exercise, the more calories burned. High intensity interval training (HIIT) is a great way to maximize calorie burn in a short duration.
Benefits of 1 minute calorie bursts
Fitting in short 1 minute calorie burn sessions throughout your day offers several benefits:
- Increases daily calorie expenditure which can aid weight loss.
- Boosts metabolism through excess post-exercise oxygen consumption (EPOC).
- Improves cardiovascular fitness.
- Builds strength and endurance.
- Easy to fit into a busy schedule.
- Breaks up periods of sedentary time.
While longer workouts are ideal, research shows short bursts of exercise can improve fitness and health. One study found doing three 20-second high intensity intervals while climbing stairs improved cardiovascular health over 6 weeks.
How to maximize your 1 minute calorie burn
To get the most out of your 1 minute calorie burning sessions, follow these tips:
- Choose vigorous exercises – Opt for exercises like sprints, squat jumps and burpees that elevate heart rate quickly.
- Maintain high intensity – Keep your effort level high during the full minute. Take minimal breaks.
- Use intervals – Alternate short intense bursts with brief rest periods to keep heart rate elevated.
- Engage large muscles – Use lower body and core exercises that recruit more muscle fibers.
- Stand instead of sit – Opt to stand during work meetings or while watching TV.
- Add weights – Use dumbbells or resistance bands to increase calorie burn.
Tracking your heart rate, time intervals, and perceived exertion can help optimize intensity. Mix up activities to target different muscle groups and prevent boredom.
Sample 1 minute calorie burning exercises
Here are some examples of exercises you can do for a quick 1 minute calorie burn:
Jumping jacks
- Targets whole body
- Gets heart rate up quickly
- Burns 10-15 calories
Plank jacks
- Works core and arms
- Challenging balance and coordination
- Burns 10-12 calories
Squat jumps
- Uses large lower body muscles
- Elevates heart rate fast
- Burns 15-20 calories
Mountain climbers
- Full body exercise
- Gets heart pumping
- Burns 13-18 calories
High knees
- Intense lower body move
- Improves running form
- Burns 13-15 calories
Burpees
- Advanced full body exercise
- Very high intensity
- Burns 15-20 calories
How to incorporate 1 minute bursts into your day
Here are some tips for fitting in quick 1 minute calorie burning sessions throughout your day:
- Set a phone alarm for every 1-2 hours as a reminder.
- Use TV commercial breaks for exercise bursts.
- Stand up and jog in place or do knee lifts during work calls.
- Do squats, lunges or planks while waiting for coffee or food.
- Stair step ups while brushing your teeth.
- Jumping jacks or burpees during kitchen breaks.
- Morning energizer of high knees or plank jacks.
Choosing exercises you can do easily at home or work helps maintain consistency. Even quick bursts add up over the course of a day.
How many calories can you burn per day?
The calories you can burn per day through 1 minute bursts depends on:
- Number of intervals – More intervals equals more calories burned
- Exercise selection – Vigorous exercises like burpees or squat jumps burn more calories per minute than lower intensity moves like marching.
- Your weight – Heavier individuals burn more calories for the same exercise.
- Total time – Longer sessions mean greater calorie burn.
For reference, here are some estimates for total calories burned with different interval schedules:
10 intervals per day
10 minutes total
150 lb person: 100-150 calories
200 lb person: 130-190 calories
20 intervals per day
20 minutes total
150 lb person: 200-300 calories
200 lb person: 260-380 calories
30 intervals per day
30 minutes total
150 lb person: 300-450 calories
200 lb person: 390-570 calories
Consistency is key. Schedule intervals throughout each day to create an exercise habit. 10 intervals per day is a good starting point.
Sample daily schedule with calorie bursts
Here is an example schedule integrating 1 minute calorie burning sessions throughout the day:
| Time | Activity | Calories Burned* |
|---|---|---|
| 7 AM | 15 jumping jacks upon waking up | 10-15 |
| 9 AM | 10 high knees during work break | 10-15 |
| 11 AM | 30s squat hold, 30s side plank (each side) during call | 10-12 |
| 1 PM | 15 squat jumps during lunch | 15-20 |
| 3 PM | 20 mountain climbers in office | 15-20 |
| 5 PM | 10 burpees after work before dinner prep | 12-15 |
| 7 PM | 15 plank jacks during TV show | 10-12 |
| Total | 7 intervals | 80-110 calories |
*Based on estimate for 155lb person.
This sample schedule incorporates calorie bursting intervals throughout the day during natural breaks in activity. Just 7 minutes total provides an added calorie burn of 80-110 calories.
Tips for sticking with 1 minute calorie bursts
To maintain consistency with 1 minute calorie bursts, consider these tips:
- Schedule intervals on your calendar to create accountability.
- Pair exercises with daily habits like brushing teeth.
- Alternate cardio and strength moves to prevent boredom.
- Use reminders like phone alarms and visual cues.
- Team up with a partner for encouragement and motivation.
- Track your activity to stay on target each day.
- Focus on how you feel after moving – energized, stronger, healthier.
The key is choosing exercises you enjoy and setting yourself up for success by integrating them into your normal daily routine.
Strength training for added calorie burn
In addition to cardio exercises, incorporating strength training into your 1 minute calorie bursts provides other benefits:
- Builds metabolism-boosting lean muscle mass.
- Increases EPOC effect, burning more post-exercise calories.
- Keeps calories burning longer compared to just cardio.
- Well-rounded fitness approach.
- Can be done at home with minimal equipment.
Some examples of 1 minute strength moves include:
- Body weight squats
- Pushups
- Planks
- Lunges
- Burpees
- Wall sits
- Jumping lunges
- Crunches
- Dips
Work major muscle groups like legs, chest, back, core, and arms with strength training intervals 1-2 times a day. This provides a more complete approach for metabolic, cardiovascular, and muscular fitness.
Sample strength training intervals
Here are two sample 1 minute strength training intervals:
Interval 1
- 20 body weight squats
- 15 pushups
- 30 second plank hold
This hits legs, chest, and core.
Interval 2
- 15 dips
- 20 jumping lunges (10 each leg)
- 15 second wall sit
- 20 crunches
This targets arms, legs, glutes, quads, and abs.
Mix up your strength moves each session to target all major muscle groups. Increase difficulty by adding weights, bands, or unstable surfaces over time.
High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT)
For maximum calorie burn in the shortest duration, utilize high intensity interval training (HIIT). HIIT involves alternating short bursts of high intensity exercise with brief rest periods. This keeps exercise intensity and heart rate elevated throughout the session.
Benefits of HIIT for calorie burning include:
- Burns more calories per minute than steady state cardio.
- Elevates metabolism and EPOC after exercise.
- Builds cardio endurance and muscular strength simultaneously.
- Keeps intensity high through built-in recovery periods.
Sample HIIT format:
- Warm up: 2 minutes of light cardio to prepare
- intervals: 30s high intensity, 30s rest x 8 rounds
- Cool down: 2 minutes of stretching
Total time is just 10 minutes but calories burned is significant. You can substitute any exercise for the high intensity portion – sprints, burpees, jumping rope, etc. Just be sure to give maximal effort.
Precautions for 1 minute intervals
While generally low risk, consider these precautions when starting a 1 minute interval training program:
- Get medical clearance if you have chronic health conditions.
- Start slowly if new to intense training.
- Listen to your body and don’t overdo it.
- Maintain proper form on exercises.
- Hydrate before, during and after sessions.
- Don’t exercise on a full stomach.
- Cool down and stretch after.
- Allow for rest and recovery between sessions.
Start low with just 1-2 intervals per day and gradually increase frequency and intensity. This allows your body to adapt while staying safe.
FAQs
Does 1 minute of exercise really help?
Yes, short 1 minute bursts can improve your health and fitness. Research shows intervals as short as a few minutes provide cardiovascular benefits. The calories burned during each short session also add up over the course of a day. Consistency with the 1 minute workouts maximizes results.
Is jumping rope for 1 minute effective?
Yes, jumping rope for 1 minute is an excellent calorie burning exercise. It elevates heart rate quickly and uses more muscles than jogging. A 155 lb person will burn about 13 calories in 1 minute of moderate-intense jumping rope. It’s an easy exercise to fit in throughout your day.
How many calories does 100 squats burn?
Doing 100 body weight squats vigorously will burn around 50 calories for a 155 lb person. It takes most people 2-3 minutes to complete 100 squats. You can double your calorie burn by reducing rest time between sets. Squats are a great strength exercise that engage the large lower body muscles.
What exercise burns the most calories in 10 minutes?
Some of the most calorie burning exercises in just 10 minutes include:
- Jumping rope – 150 calories
- Rowing – 140 calories
- Running stairs – 130 calories
- Sprinting – 200 calories
High intensity intervals also burn lots of calories in 10 minutes. The more full body and compound the exercise, the more calories incinerated.
Conclusion
Getting in quick 1 minute calorie burning bursts throughout your day can significantly increase daily calorie expenditure. All it takes is picking exercises that elevate your heart rate, like high knees, squat jumps and burpees. Consistency is key – schedule intervals throughout your day around natural breaks. Just 7-10 minutes total could burn 80-150 extra calories. For maximum benefits, incorporate both cardio and strength training intervals. Stay motivated by tracking your progress. In no time you’ll notice feeling healthier, stronger and more energetic from your 1 minute calorie burn sessions.
