The Benefits Of Burpees To Maintain Your Fitness Levels

Burpees are one of the most effective cardiovascular exercises you can add to your fitness routine to improve your fitness levels and athleticism. It is a challenging exercise that works on most of the major muscles in your body.

What you need to know:

What are burpees?

Burpees are a full-body calisthenics workout that uses your body weight for resistance. This workout helps you get down to the ground and rise again, which improves your mobility, enabling movements like bending, picking something up from the ground, or getting something from a higher shelf. Burpees can also provide strength and flexibility to your joints.

This exercise works your arms, shoulders, chest, hips, legs, and abdomen. It strengthens your heart and lungs, lowers blood pressure levels, and improves brain function and blood flow.

How many calories do burpees burn? 

On average, you can burn 10 calories for every minute of burpees you perform. Doing 100 burpees will burn more than 50 calories.

The right way to do burpees

Here are the steps that you can follow to perform this exercise the right way and reap the benefits of burpees:

  1. Start in a standing position with your back straight and your feet shoulder-width apart.
  2. Lower your hands on the ground and drop in a squat position. 
  3. Kick your feet back to get into a pushup position while keeping your body straight from head to heel.
  4. Do one pushup, and through a frog kick, jump on your feet to get back into the starting position.
  5. Stand and jump quickly with your arms extended over your head.
  6. Land with your knees bent in a squat position and repeat the exercise.

Myriad benefits of burpees

Burpee Variations_Activ Living Community

A full-body workout 

Burpees train your body weight for resistance. It aims to build muscle strength in your upper and lower body. 

Burns fat

Bupees are a part of the HIIT (high-intensity interval training) program. HIIT involves a type of workout where you do short bursts of intense exercises followed by intervals of rest. This workout type is very effective in burning fat, especially around your stomach and the abdomen.  

Can be done anywhere

You don’t need to go to the gym or use professional equipment to perform this exercise. All you need is some open space to perform the exercise sequence, which can be done in a park, your office, or your home. 

3 burpee modifications

Burpees_Activ Living Community

Here are the steps for performing three different types of burpees:

Reverse Burpee 

  • Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, toes pointing outside, and arms at your side.
  • Bend your knees to lower your hips to the floor. Keep your chest up, feet on the ground, and back straight.
  • Place your hands next to your hips and lie down on your back.
  • Instead of lowering down on your stomach, this modified burpee involves landing on your back, bringing your knees up to your chest to work your core, and getting up.
  • Jump quickly with your arms extended over your head.
  • Land softly with your knees bent in a squat and repeat the exercise.

Burpee Walkouts

  • Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, toes pointing outside, and arms at your side.
  • Hinge at your hips to fold forwards. Place your hands on the floor and shift your weight onto them.
  • Walk your hands forward to come into a high plank position. This checks your hamstring flexibility and hip mobility.
  • Roll onto your toes, bend your knees, and walk your hands back towards your feet. Slowly return to the starting position.

Burpee Squat Thrust

  • Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, toes pointing outside, and arms at your side.
  • Bend your knees to get into a squat position. Keep your chest and back straight.
  • Hinge at your hips to fold forwards. Place your hands on the floor and shift your weight onto them.
  • Jump both feet back so that you land softly on the balls of your feet. Keep your body in a straight line from head to heels.
  • Jump both feet forward, do a squat thrust, and get up.
  • Stand and jump with your arms extended over your head.
  • Land with your knees bent in a squat position and repeat the exercise.

If you feel uneasy during any burpee modifications, stop doing it immediately. Do not strain yourself, and perform it only if you feel comfortable. If you have any pre-existing health conditions, consult a medical expert before performing this exercise.

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