Forget running – burn calories, improve stamina with this 7 minute workout

There’s no denying running is fantastic when it comes to burning calories and improving our overall fitness levels; it’s also great for incorporating into your workout regime alongside strength training if you’re trying to lose weight healthily. But, not all of us enjoy it, or take to it particularly well, no matter how good it is for us. If that’s you, then this alternative workout has some of the same benefits, but doesn’t require you to lace up any running shoes.

You’re probably wondering ‘what’s better than running?’. Well, if you’re trying to lose weight there’s lots of alternative training styles that can help, for example HIIT (high intensity interval training), which is what this particular workout is, with a cardio focus. If you haven’t tried HIIT before, it’s basically short bursts of exercise that gets your heart rate up with a short rest period in between each exercise. Not only can it burn lots of calories, and is therefore good for fat loss, but these workouts can continue to do so for up to 24 hours post-workout.

For this workout all you’re going to need is a good pair of workout shoes, so that you’re more stable when performing each exercise and an exercise mat. You’ve got six exercises to complete and, we’ll be honest, there is some jumping involved. However, if you don’t want to run, then you’ll have to challenge your body in other ways. The good news is you’re only doing each exercise for 30 seconds – that’ll fly by! You're going to do each one back-to-back, then rest for 30 seconds before doing the whole thing again. You want to do it three times. Ready? Here’s your workout:

• Criss-cross jumps

• High knees

• Pop squat and twist

• Mountain climber

• Half burpee

• Bicycle crunches

Although this workout is short and won’t burn as many calories as this longer HIIT workout, it’s a good start on your fitness journey. Research has also shown that combining aerobic exercises alongside strength training is the most effective way to lose body fat, so if this is your key focus, why not try doing this workout one day during the week and then this quick, full-body dumbbell workout another day? You can track your progress, such as calories burned and stamina levels with one of these best Garmin watches.