If you are looking to burn 400 calories, it’s easily achievable even in as little time as one hour. There are multiple ways to achieve your goal. Whether you have a whole day at your disposal or you are in a hurry for a specific event, we will list dozens of ways you can use to burn 400 calories.
Age and weight play a role in the number of calories we burn. The list we will provide is based on the typical calorie burn for an average person.
If you want to calculate the exact number of calories you will burn during certain exercises, download the Workit App and access the calorie calculator to get your results.
The Best Way to Burn 400 Calories
400 calories can be both little and a lot of food, but it is quite easy to consume this much without even realizing it. To give you an example of how much 400 calories can be, we created a simple list for you:
- One McDonald’s Double Cheeseburger (437 Calories)
- 1/2 Cup of Almonds (400 Calories)
- 3/4 Cup of Shredded Cheese (400 Calories)
- 4 tbsp of Peanut Butter (400 Calories)
- 5 Hard Boiled Eggs (400 Calories)
As it is easy to consume 400 calories, it is not as simple to burn them. When we make bad nutrition decisions, the results can be quite hard to reverse. As we discuss the multiple ways to burn 400 calories in as simple a manner as possible, we would like to advise you to be mindful of what you eat, as it is quite easy to overeat.
Especially in modern life, where every market shelf or fast food joint is filled with processed foods.
Firstly, we burn calories by simply breathing and completing normal daily activities. The bigger your muscles are, the more calories you will burn. Our list includes simple exercises you can complete in an hour to burn 400 calories.
Walking
The number of steps required to burn 400 calories depends on a few factors like your weight, pace, and overall intensity of walking.
To give you a precise example, a person who weighs around 160 pounds (~72kg) burns around 40 calories per 1,000 steps.
For this particular person to burn 400 calories, they will need to walk 10,000 steps. Following the same logic, a 120-pound (~54kg) person will burn 30 calories per 1,000 steps. So to burn 400 calories, they will need to walk 13,300 steps.
Please note that these are average estimates, and actual calorie burn can be different based on individual metabolism, walking speed, and weight.
If you are not sure whether you burned 400 calories, make sure to walk an extra mile or two to ensure you hit the goal.
When you are in a hurry and want a low-impact, injury-free way to burn 400 calories, walking is our top recommendation. Reaching 10,000 steps may require around an hour and 20 minutes or, if you walk slowly, about an hour and 40 minutes.
Walking is ideal for burning calories and getting some extra blood flow in your joints, as well as your brain, and increasing its activity. Walking improves cognitive functions, boosts your mood, and it is one of the main exercises when someone wants to lose weight with as little impact as possible.
Lifestyle Changes
400 calories aren’t much, and you don’t need a special workout to burn those extra calories. Simple lifestyle changes like taking the stairs, parking the car a little farther from the grocery store, and walking the extra mile will do the trick and help you burn the desired calories.
Completing house chores like making your bed, washing the dishes, taking out the garbage, scrubbing floors, or working lightly in the garden (if you have one) is enough to burn 400 calories in a day.
The only difference is that this particular option can take up the whole day to burn the 400 calories, while, on the other hand, walking or any other exercise listed here will likely require around an hour.
Dancing
Dancing is one of the most exciting ways to burn calories. Of course, the intensity and speed of your movements matters when calculating how much calories you are burning, but there are hundreds of dancing workout video you can find on YouTube.
These are super fun to complete, burns a lot of calories, lifts up your mood. Here’s breakdown of how many calories you can burn on average, while doing moderate or high-intensity dancing.
Moderate-Intensity Dancing (e.g., ballroom dancing, slow dancing)
- 125-pound person will burn about 5 calories per minute. It would take around 73 minutes to burn 400 calories.
- 155-pound person will burn about 7 calories per minute. It would take around 57 minutes to burn 400 calories.
- 185-pound person will burn about 9 calories per minute. It would take around 47 minutes to burn 400 calories.
Moderate-intensity dancing is low-impact, enjoyable and easy to follow. If you are in a hurry and can’t go out, you can even complete the dancing exercise at home.
High-Intensity Dancing (e.g., Zumba, hip-hop dancing, fast-paced dancing)
- 125-pound person will burn about 9 calories per minute. It would take around 45 minutes to burn 400 calories.
- 155-pound person will burn about 11 calories per minute. It would take around 36 minutes to burn 400 calories.
- 185-pound person will burn about 13 calories per minute. It would take around 31 minutes to burn 400 calories.
Please note that these estimations are based on average values and can vary depending on many factors. If you use a fitness tracker, you will get a more precise calculaton.
There are also many popular dance workout videos you can find on YouTube. For example, we recommend trying MadFit dance workouts.
Running
Running is not everyone’s cup of tea but its very effective at burning calories in a short amount of time. While the rate we burn calories at is determined by weight, running speed and individual metabolism, we will provide some estimations based on different weights and running speed.
Moderate Running (5 mph or 12-minute mile pace)
- 125-pound person will burn about 480 calories per hour. It would take around 50 minutes to burn 400 calories.
- 155-pound person will burn about 600 calories per hour. It would take around 40 minutes to burn 400 calories.
- 185-pound person will burn about 720 calories per hour. It would take around 30 minutes to burn 400 calories.
Faster Running (6 mph or 10-minute mile pace)
- 125-pound person will burn about 600 calories per hour. It would take around 40 minutes to burn 400 calories.
- 155-pound person will burn about 750 calories per hour. It would take around 32 minutes to burn 400 calories.
- 185-pound person will burn about 890 calories per hour. It would take around 27 minutes to burn 400 calories.
Vigorous Running (7.5 mph or 8-minute mile pace)
- 125-pound person will burn about 750 calories per hour. It would take around 32 minutes to burn 400 calories.
- 155-pound person will burn about 950 calories per hour. It would take around 25 minutes to burn 400 calories.
- 185-pound person will burn about 1,100 calories per hour. It would take around 22 minutes to burn 400 calories.
Running is very effective at burning calories. It is also quite enjoyable if you like this kind of physical activity. If you decide to go running, make sure to use good running shoes; otherwise, you may injure your back.
High-Intensity Training
HIIT workouts are another way to easily burn 400 calories. HIIT workouts can be completed at the gym, at home or outdoors. You can find a lot of workouts that are bodyweight or require minimal weights.
We would recommend browsing the Workit App library, where you can find a lot of HIIT follow-along workouts, that can help you burn 400 calories in 15-20 minutes.
Here’s a simple 20 minute workout you can try to burn 400 calories. We would recommend adding 2kg dumbbells to make it a challenge and increase intensity. If you don’t have any dumbbells, complete this without weights or use water bottles.
HIIT Tabata Style Workout
Warm-Up
- Warm-up (5 minutes): Jog in place, jumping jacks, or dynamic stretching.
Round 1: (4 minutes)
- 20 seconds of Burpees
- 10 seconds rest
- Repeat 8 times
Round 2: (4 minutes)
- 20 seconds of High Knees
- 10 seconds rest
- Repeat 8 times
Round 3: (4 minutes)
- 20 seconds of Mountain Climbers
- 10 seconds rest
- Repeat 8 times
Round 4: (4 minutes)
- 20 seconds of Jump Squats
- 10 seconds rest
- Repeat 8 times
Cool Down
- Cool-down (5 minutes): Light jogging or walking, followed by stretching
The exact number of calories burned will vary and factors like your weight, fitness level, and intensity play a crucial role. This is why we recommend adding light weights, as 2kg dumbbells will ensure that you reach the 400 calorie goal.
Cycling
If you have a bicycle, cycling can be a fun activity to burn those extra calories. You can go on an adventure, cycle in the forest, and explore the city.
While the time to burn 400 calories will vary from one individual to another, here are some estimations based on different weights and intensities:
Moderate-Intensity Cycling (12-14 mph)
- 125-pound person will burn about 480 calories per hour. It would take around 50 minutes to burn 400 calories.
- 155-pound person will burn about 596 calories per hour. It would take around 40 minutes to burn 400 calories.
- 185-pound person will burn about 710 calories per hour. It would take approximately 34 minutes to burn 400 calories.
Vigorous-Intensity Cycling (14-16 mph)
- 125-pound person will burn about 600 calories per hour. It would take around 40 minutes to burn 400 calories.
- 155-pound person will burn about 744 calories per hour. It would take around 32 minutes to burn 400 calories.
- 185-pound person will burn about 888 calories per hour. It would take around 27 minutes to burn 400 calories.
High-Intensity Cycling (16-20 mph)
- 125-pound person will burn about 720 calories per hour. It would take around 33 minutes to burn 400 calories.
- 155-pound person will burn about 892 calories per hour. It would take around 27 minutes to burn 400 calories.
- 185-pound person will burn about 1,066 calories per hour. It would take around 23 minutes to burn 400 calories.
Indoor Cycling/Spinning
- 125-pound person will burn about 500 calories per hour (depending on the intensity of the class). It would take around 50 minutes to burn 400 calories.
- 155-pound person will burn about 600 calories per hour (depending on the intensity of the class). It would take around 45 minutes to burn 400 calories.
- 185-pound person will burn about 700 calories per hour (depending on the intensity of the class). It would take around 35 minutes to burn 400 calories.
Other factors like cycling in the mountains, on slopes, or off-road play an important role. We would advise using a fitness tracker that would give more precise estimations.
Circuit Training and Weightlifting
Circuit training is another way to burn 400 calories. It is quite effective but requires a gym to complete it, as 60-70% of circuit training is based on weight lifting.
An hour of circuit training is enough to burn 400 calories (depending on the intensity and weight lifted). Circuit training not only burns calories but also builds muscle, and as we already know, the bigger our muscles, the more calories we burn.
The same can be said about weightlifting. The only difference between circuit training and weightlifting is that 80-90% of weightlifting consists of lifting weights.
If you have time on your hands, enjoy going to the gym, and sculpting your body, this would be our number one recommendation as it also builds muscle and burns calories.
Swimming
If you have access to a pool, live by the sea, or near a river, you can easily burn 400 calories. Moderate-intensity swimming (e.g., recreational swimming, moderate pace) will help you burn 400 calories in 50 minutes.
If you have some experience in swimming and can do vigorous or high-intensity swimming, you can achieve your goal in less than 40 minutes.
Swimming not only burns calories but also builds an amazing physique. Have you ever been mesmerized by the bodies of Olympian swimmers? They build it with this particular activity.
Yoga
Yoga is a popular fitness activity that can help you burn 400 calories in an hour. There are different types of yoga, but we will discuss Vinyasa and Power yoga. Yoga not only helps with flexibility and building muscle but also helps with obtaining inner peace and meditation.
Let’s break down both types of yoga and find out how long it will take to burn 400 calories:
- Vinyasa Yoga: Vinyasa is a fast-paced form of yoga where you actively change from one position to another without rest. The movements are synchronized with breath. Vinyasa is quite effective for calorie burning. It would take around 60 minutes to burn 400 calories.
- Power Yoga: Power Yoga is very similar to Vinyasa, but Power Yoga has more emphasis on strength and intensity. As Power Yoga is more intensive and requires more strength, it would take you around 50 minutes to burn 400 calories.
The great thing about yoga is that you can complete it anywhere, in your living room or outside. If you have the opportunity, doing yoga in nature is much more enjoyable.
Pilates
Pilates has recently become quite popular as it is a great form of exercise that utilizes bodyweight movements and exercises. Pilates is a little slower in burning calories compared to other forms of exercise we mentioned. Nevertheless, it’s a great way to burn the desired 400 calories in a short amount of time.
There are two types of Pilates: Mat and Reformer (which requires a special machine). We will discuss both, but Mat Pilates would be more convenient as it can be completed at home using minimal to no equipment.
- Mat Pilates: As the name suggests, a yoga mat is needed to complete the Pilates exercises. Pilates emphasizes core strength, flexibility, and overall muscle tone. Pilates can be low, medium, and high intensity. If you do the exercises at medium intensity, you will burn 400 calories in 60 minutes. As for high-intensity Pilates, you can burn 400 calories in 45 minutes. For exercise examples, please browse YouTube.
- Reformer Pilates: This form of Pilates is performed with a specialized machine that adds resistance to the exercises. As this burns more calories, it is difficult to find the machine when you are in a hurry. Depending on the intensity, it is possible to burn 400 calories in 30 minutes.
As with yoga, mat Pilates can be completed in your living room. This is quite comfortable and requires no equipment except for a yoga mat. You can also substitute the mat with any type of fabric.
Conclusion
There are many ways you can burn 400 calories in a short amount of time. We have listed several simple and effective activities that can help you burn 400 calories in less than an hour.
These activities require minimal to no equipment and can mostly be completed in the comfort of your home. We also mentioned activities like walking, running, swimming, and cycling, as well as other low-impact exercises that are effective in burning calories.
If you are looking for a calorie calculator that can show you how many calories a certain exercise burns based on your weight and age, download the Workit App and access the calculator for free.