by Arjun Wadhwa

Created on: December 27, 2008   Last Updated: July 18, 2009

There are thousands of exercises out there. Trainers make a living by teaching others the exercises that burn a lot of calories. Exercise equipments, muscle powders have become one of the top selling fitness products in North America and Europe.

But have you ever wondered which exercises are the best? Despite the fact that there are many exercises, there are standard exercises which work for almost everyone and keeps them in shape. These include:

* Cycling; A fun and easy way to train leg and thigh muscles to their full potential. The cycling machine has many different difficulty levels. All you need to do is to select the medium mode and ride the cycle at a comfortable speed for 30 minutes. This will burn a lot of calories and develop your leg and thigh muscles.

* Swimming: Michael Phelps stays in shape by eating 12,000 calories a day and swimming. He is able to eat 12,000 calories because he burns 10,000 of those calories while swimming. Vigorous swimming trains all muscle groups and builds endurance and stamina. Long periods of swimming will reduce the risk of a heart attack. Swimming is one of the best calorie burning exercises/sports. It can also be refreshing and a lot of fun.

* Running/Jogging: A very standard way of exercising which works every single time. Running for long periods of time will help you maintain or get into shape within a few weeks. It is indeed tough to run for long periods of time and that is why you have a great alternative for running known as jogging. What you can do is run for a short amount of time, and then start jogging. If you cannot run at all then try jogging long distances to burn calories.

* Brisk Walking: If you have ever had a sore muscle doing tough exercises then brisk walking is for you! It is one of the easier exercises which you shouldn't have trouble with. Brisk walking is easy and can be done anywhere (including your house).

* Weight training: Burn calories during sleep. Yes, that is exactly what muscle training does. As you gain more muscle, you will start burning more calories when you are at rest, than an average person without muscles. Your fat will be turned into muscle or trimmed by weight training. Weight training might not burn many calories in the short run, but in the long run weight training will burn a lot more calories and make you healthier for sports.

* Playing sports: Physically demanding sports such as basketball, soccer, football, baseball, cricket, are an excellent way of burning calories. Since many of these sports require running for long periods of time; they will build your endurance and stamina.

For example, Cricket requires hours of standing, jogging and bursts of energy while making a play. Baseball requires stretching to the fullest extent to make great catches and fast running between bases. Football requires fast running, tackling and jumping. Soccer and basketball require jogging/running for long periods of time. All these activities burn a lot more calories than standard exercises.Playing sports can also be a lot of fun, and you can play for hours without being bored.

These are some excellent exercises that burn a lot of calories!

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