Sit-ups are effective strength resistance exercises to burn calories. They can be done by any age groups as long as they are done properly. They are most important for people who want to burn belly fat or to build abdominal muscles. How many calories do sit ups burn? Keep reading.

How Many Calories Can Sit Ups Burn?

According to Livestrong.com, a person weighing 150 pounds can burn approximately 57 calories if he/she can do 100 sit-ups within 10 minutes. The number of calories burnt by doing sit-ups is dependent on the intensity of the exercise as well as the body weight. Increasing the intensity of the sit-ups will raise the number of calories burnt. If you are wondering how many calories does a sit up burn, you can visit calorie lab, and you will get an approximation of the number. This will mostly depend on your weight. The heavier you are, the more calories you will burn while holding all the other factors constant.

Factors That Affect Calories Burnt

As we have mentioned before, the number of sit ups calories burnt is dependent on the weight and speed. We shall expound on these elements right below.

1. The body weight

People have different weights. The more they weigh, the more calories they will burn doing sit-ups. If we assume 3 to 6 minutes, the calories burnt will be as shown below.

• 125 lbs: 13 to 27 calories
• 155 lbs: 16 to 30 calories
• 185 lbs: 20 to 40 calories

2. The speed and intensity of the sit-ups

The speed and intensity of the exercise determine how hard it will be to execute. The faster the speed, the harder the exercise; and the harder you work, the more calories you burn. For example, a person weighing approximately 140 pounds will burn 47 calories in 10 minutes doing 200 sit-ups. If speed is increased, the number of calories burnt will increase proportionately.

Working under high intensity when the body has not adapted can easily result in injury. It's advisable to divide the exercise between a number of sets that can be executed within a certain time comfortably. For example, divide 100 sit-ups into 5 sets and include 20 sit-ups per set. To get how many calories do sit ups burn per minute, divide the number of calories burnt with the number of minutes taken to do them.

A Step-by-Step Guide on How to Do Sit Ups

Sit-ups can cause neck and back injuries if they are not performed correctly. It's important to learn the basic steps to do them.

• For comfort, lie flat with your back on a mat and bend your knees while keeping the feet flat. The feet should remain flat on the floor or mat during the whole course of doing the sit-ups.

• Get set for the exercise by crossing your hands over your chest. You can also raise the hands slightly from the floor or cap them behind the ears. Make sure not to put the hands at the back of the head when doing sit-ups.

• With the feet still flat on the floor, raise your head first, followed by the shoulder blades and finally the torso in a steady motion. Ensure that there is almost no gap between your chest and the knees. By the time the torso is close to the thighs, the back is already fully off the floor, and you can now recline back.

• As you do the sit-ups ensure that your elbows are pointing sideways. Ensure you get a breathing gap to enable you to keep going. Repeat the steps above as you do the sit-ups in sets of 3s, 6s, 10s, or 20s. The faster you do the sit ups, the more calories you'll burn. As such, to know how many calories does a sit up burn, you will have to divide the number of calories burnt with the number of sit-ups in that set.

Tips to Do Sit-ups

• Create an exercise routine

Working on a routine is the best way to achieve your goals. Otherwise, working haphazardly will likely give no tangible results. You need to work in a systematic way to train the body how to do sit-ups correctly.

• Avoid pull on the back of the neck or head

Don't support the back of your neck or head while doing sit-ups. Doing so exerts excess pressure on the neck muscles as you try to rise from the ground and this can lead to severe pain.

• Allow recovery time

This can be achieved by working in sets depending on fitness level. The stronger you are, the less time you require to recover. Basically, the stronger you are, the more sit ups calories you will burn compared to a beginner.

• Avoid overstraining

A big mistake a majority of people make while trying to do sit-ups is forcibly doing the exercise. The body develops muscles gradually, and it's a process. As such, increase the intensity of the exercise gradually rather than trying to do a lot within a short time when the muscles are not fully built.

Wrap Up

If you want to burn calories without getting intense on the exercise, the best way is to try sit-ups. They might seem a simple exercise, but it's worth knowing how many calories do sit ups burn. An average person will burn 100 calories in 15 minutes doing sit-ups. However, the major determinants on how many calories you'll burn are the speed and body weight.