You just got home from work. You drop your bags and let out a sigh of relief. It was a long day and you’re tired. But wait, you completely forgot that today is your day to hit the streets and go for a run. And it’s also your turn to cook dinner. Oh, and your toddler is clamoring for mommy to play with him. How are you going to manage? At Kaia, we know that there are other alternatives to weight loss besides a 30-plus-minute run. In fact, running may not only be time consuming but a lot less effective, in terms of calorie burn, than you think. Here’s why why you may want to ditch the run and try something different.

It’s time consuming

There are no ifs, ands or buts about it: running is time consuming. Very few people run for 15 minutes or less (and if they are, they’re not doing much to burn calories). There’s really no point in strapping on your Nikes and hitting the pavement or treadmill for anything less than a half hour. And most people run for much longer.

That said, many choose to skip exercise because they don’t have the time for it. So why choose an exercise that is fundamentally time consuming? With numerous commitments you need to attend to everyday, you’re less likely to squeeze in a workout routine that takes a lot of time. So if you’re trying to lose weight, choosing a time consuming exercise is a good way to ensure it won’t get done.

Not a lot of calorie burn

Length of time spent exercising does not automatically equal calorie burn. While running for 30 minutes can burn anywhere from 300-500 calories, when you’re done the calorie burn comes to a hault.

There are, however, other exercises that can boost your metabolism and keep the calorie burn going long after you’ve finished. High intensity training exercises such as burpees, reptile push ups and even sprints all have this ability. These involve working at your highest intensity level, pushing your body to the max, for short bursts of time.

The beauty of these exercises is that they create an afterburn effect that keeps you burning calories for 24-48 hours after your workout is finished. Pretty cool, huh? And the best part? They take much less time than running.

If you don’t enjoy it, you’ll make excuses to avoid it

If there ever was a cliché exercise, it would be running. It’s the fallback go-to exercise that people choose when they’re not really sure what to do. And for that reason, a lot of people just don’t actually like it.

When it comes down to it, exercise is something that should be enjoyed – for the sole reason that if you don’t enjoy it, you’ll be less likely to keep on with it. And don’t believe that there aren’t better, more fun options out there. There’s always dancing, skiing, yoga and rollerskating, just to name a few.