20 Ways to Burn 500 Calories

Tom Kelso

Contributor - Strength and Conditioning

St. Louis, Illinois, United States

Strength and Conditioning

Many of you are seeking ways to lose fat. You also know the most solid approach to this is to create a calorie deficit so your body can better tap into adipose fat storage sites.


In essence, if you take in fewer calories than you expend, you'll lose weight. If done properly and while using resistance training, muscle tissue will remain, and it will be your stored body fat that exits the body and facilitates that desired defined appearance.



Calories in versus calories out. It’s simple to understand, but often times difficult to do. Because it's difficult, what is the sensible approach to take?


Calories In

90% of it comes down to discipline. Eschew those bad calories (processed food) and go with nature’s gifts: vegetables, fruits, grass-fed meats, beans, and plain H2O in relative proportions.


If it comes out of a box, is microwave-ready, or processed otherwise, it's a red flag. It's true that over-consuming any food can lead to a calorie surplus and result in fat weight gain, but going with a natural approach will make your efforts a bit easier.


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Calories Out

Knowing that calorie intake is paramount in the fat loss goal, what type and amount of exercise can you add to the equation? Exercise helps, but it remains significant relative to fat loss. All things considered, the old adage is true. You cannot out-exercise a poor diet.


Running on a treadmill at a 10:00-per-mile pace for 45 minutes burns approximately 500 calories for a 140-pound person. If you then go home and eat two slices of a fourteen-inch, regular crust pepperoni pizza, you'll consume 596 calories.


Train for 45 minutes and ruin that with ten minutes of pizza eating. Is it worth it?


How to Burn 500 Calories

Again, discipline is the key element. If you truly want it, you'll do it. If you don't, then pay the price. If you do want it, what follows are activity suggestions that burn approximately 500 calories based on your body weight.


You can implement them into your training or, at the least, make you aware of the impact of activities and their approximate calorie burn.



Incinerating 500 calories (based on various calculator averages):


20 Ways to Burn 500 Calories - Fitness, body fat, fat loss, fat burning, calories


Understand these are just estimates. Note that the more intense an activity, then the greater the calorie usage. Keep that in mind when selecting activities.


Go harder rather than longer. That stated, what is important to know is successful fat loss comes down to disciplined food intake combined with sensible exercise selection.



1. SparkPeople. "Calories Burned Calculator." Accessed November 18, 2013.

2. WebMD. "Fitness and Exercise Calorie Calculator." Accessed November 18, 2013.

3. MyFitnessPal. "Calories Burned From Exercise." Accessed November 18, 2013.

4. Fitness. "Calories Burned Calculator." Accessed November 18, 2013.


Photo courtesy of Shutterstock.

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