Whether you want to burn calories, boost your mood, or simply get fit, running is a great workout choice. However, jogging and sprinting are not created equal when it comes to running for weight loss.
In fact, the calories burned sprinting are a lot higher than the calories burned while jogging. Sprinting will give you better results in less time, so it’s perfect for squeezing in an effective workout when you’re short on time.
Sprint workouts are a simple and convenient cardio workout that requires no equipment, except a good pair of running shoes. Incorporating sprints into your regimen not only burns calories fast, but it also boosts your metabolism, builds muscle, and tones your legs and glutes… all without lifting any weights.
Are you ready to learn more about the calories burned sprinting vs jogging for weight loss? Let’s dive in!
How Many Calories Burned Sprinting vs Jogging?
It turns out that sprinting burns significantly more calories than jogging. In fact, you can burn as many as 200 calories in just two and a half minutes of sprinting. However, a person who weighs around 150 pounds will only burn about 165 calories in 15 minutes of jogging.
So, you can burn a whopping 1200 calories in just 15 minutes of solid sprinting. You would have to jog for almost two hours to burn the same number of calories. Wow! That’s a pretty big difference, huh?
Just keep in mind that the human body can only sustain a full-on sprint for 60 seconds or less, so you certainly wouldn’t be sprinting for 15 minutes straight.
But, when you incorporate low-intensity intervals mixed with high-intensity sprints, you can get some pretty dramatic results in a lot less time. Sprinting is amazing for weight loss because you can burn off a lot of calories in a short amount of time.
And, it’s an anaerobic exercise, which means your body will continue to burn fat and calories for hours after your workout. With jogging, the calorie-burning ends within a few minutes. Why work harder when you can shed more calories in less time?
So, now that you know the calories burned sprinting are much greater than jogging, let’s dive into some other ways sprinting supports weight loss and how you can incorporate it into your fitness routine.
Other Advantages of Sprinting for Weight Loss
The calories burned sprinting are truly impressive, but the advantages of sprinting for weight loss don’t end there!
Here’s how sprinting supports weight loss:
- Building Muscle: As we’ve already mentioned, sprinting is an anaerobic exercise. That means it helps to build muscle, much like strength training does. But, when you lift weights, you can only focus on one muscle group at a time. On the other hand, sprinting uses dozens of muscles at once, making it one of the most complete muscle training exercises you can do.
- Boosting Metabolism: One of the most amazing things about sprinting is that it continues to help you lose weight for hours after you finish your workout. That’s because it kick starts your metabolism, so you keep burning more calories, even at rest.
- Improves Cardiovascular Health: Sprinting is also excellent for lower your blood pressure and improving heart function. Short bursts of high intensity exercise make your heart pump harder and improve blood and oxygen circulation. As a result, you’ll not only have a healthier heart, but you’ll also have better endurance. So, in addition to the impressive number of calories burned sprinting, you’ll be able to work out longer and harder to meet your weight loss goals more quickly.
- Increases Human Growth Hormone Production: Just like doing a 3-day fast, sprinting increases the production of Human Growth Hormone (HGH). HGH slows down the aging process, supports muscle growth and recovery after high-intensity exercise, boosts performance, and helps you lose weight.
3 Sprint Workouts to Burn Calories and Lose Weight Faster
The beauty of sprint workouts is that they can be done without any special equipment. And, you can burn a lot of calories fast, so they’re easy to incorporate into your schedule.
Be sure to warm up with stretching followed by a five-minute jog before your first sprint. These workouts can be done outdoors or on the treadmill… it’s totally up to you. Doing sprint intervals on the beach can dramatically increase the intensity of your workout.
Try these three sprint workouts to burn a lot of calories in a short amount of time:
- After your warmup, sprint for 20 seconds, then jog for 10 seconds. Repeat eight times. (This one challenges your muscles by making them fire up quickly.)
- After your warmup, sprint for 30 seconds, then jog for 90. Repeat eight times. (This one is great for beginners and you can adjust the intensity gradually as desired.)
- Want to give your upper body a workout, too? Do your warm-up, sprint for 20 seconds, drop and do 10 pushups. Rest for 15 seconds. Repeat five to seven times to get a fantastic total body workout and calorie burn in a short amount of time.
Sprinting for Weight Loss: Tips for Success
Here’s how to be successful with sprinting for weight loss:
- Warm-up by raising your heart rate progressively. Start with some knee circles, ankle circles, and light hip stretches, followed by a five-minute, low-intensity jog. This will get your muscles ready to fire faster when you do your first sprint.
- Give each sprint your all. You want to be totally winded when you finish each sprint.
- Don’t rush your break in between sprints. You’ll burn more calories with short bursts of high intensity exercise after your body has reached a state of rest. Even if you feel like you can start sprinting sooner, you’ll get better results by taking the full rest break and then pushing yourself harder during the next sprint.
- Don’t lean forward during your sprints. Staying upright keeps the intensity on your muscles, while leaning lets gravity pull you forward, making your sprint less impactful.
- The intensity of your sprint is more important than the number of cycles. Give each sprint your all and don’t try to save your energy so you can complete a certain number of cycles in a given workout.
- Add the right supplements to your routine. The best vitamins and supplements for runners can improve your performance, lower your risk of injury, and help you recover faster to support your weight loss efforts.
Wrapping It Up: Staying Safe When Sprinting
The calories burned sprinting are truly impressive, but it isn’t for everyone. Sprinting is very high impact, so it puts a lot of stress on your joints, tendons, and ligaments. It’s not a good choice for those with foot, knee, or hip issues.
And, if your body isn’t already used to running, you’re better off starting out with jogging to build up your endurance gradually before you try sprinting.
If you’re recovering from an injury, you should choose a low impact form of cardio, such as swimming. Don’t attempt to do sprints until you’re completely recovered.
And finally, if you have a health condition, you should always talk to your doctor before beginning any exercise regimen, especially one as high intensity as sprinting.