Disney's High School Musical Star Zac Efron leaves a Los Angeles basketball court on Thursday after breaking a sweat during a two-hour game. A 120 lb person would burn 1,200 calories playing a 2 hour game of full court basketball. Between hitting the gym and playing ball Zac seems to make fitness a top priority. SOURCE

Jogging is one of the best ways to shed pounds and burn calories. Because jogging is such an exerting activity, you may burn between 600-1200 calories per hour. This rewarding yet strenuous exercise can also be taxing on the knees, ankles and muscles.  We exercise to do good for ourselves and to become healthier, trying our best to avoid injury. The following are important steps for jogging safely.

·         Always be sure to stretch the calves, hamstrings, quadriceps, lower back, etc… CLICK HERE for some great pre-jogging stretches.

·         Be sure to wear proper foot wear designed specifically for jogging. Jogging sneakers are designed to provide support for your ankles. I love how New Balance shops take the time to measure the contour of your feet to find the the perfect shoe.

·         It’s also important to replace jogging shoes when they become worn out. Frequent joggers may need new sneakers every 4-6 months.

·         An ideal surface to run is flat, smooth, resilient, and reasonable soft. Avoid concrete side walks. If possible, use community trails that have been developed specifically for jogging and running. Hills should be avoiding if you’re a beginner because of increased stress placed on the joints.

·         If you’re knee, ankle or muscles begins to bother you, don’t push yourself to run. Take time to let your body heal before jogging again.

SOURCE

Have you ever wondered what supermodel Giselle Bundchen does to maintain her perfect figure? Besides seeing photos of her walking the dogs, Giselle's physical fitness has been a mystery until now. This Brazilian beauty enjoys an uphill mountain bike ride on a sunny October day.

Giselle proves there's no need to make a fashion statement while exercising. She wears a simple grey tank with blue jeans and a helmet.

According to Health Status Calculator a 120 pound person burns 460 calories with an hour of mountain biking.

To see more photos of Giselle's bike ride visit the source!

Shape.com shares great ways to increase your cardio calorie burning.

1. Add 10 minutes in the morning: While you may be religious about going to the gym after work, waking up 10 minutes earlier in the morning and taking a walk around the block (or, alternatively, simply dancing to your morning radio show for 10 minutes) will let you start off your day with a faster-burning metabolism and, most likely, head off to work in a better mood than usual.
*Calorie-burning boost: 275 calories per week

2. Do intervals: When you alternate high-intensity cardio work with moderate-intensity recovery periods, you boost your calorie burning and increase your fitness level. This will help you break through plateaus.

Here's how: Warm up for 5 minutes, then increase speed or resistance on the machine for 2-5 minutes. Return to your usual pace for 5 minutes, then continue with short bursts interspersed with a moderate pace for the rest of your workout. Cool down for 5 minutes at a slower pace.

When you're ready to progress, make the work part of the interval longer and decrease the recovery time (but never to less than 30 seconds). For example, you could do 6 minutes at a higher speed and recover for 3 minutes.
*Calorie-burning boost: 300-450 calories for 45 minutes

3. Work out with a faster partner: Whether it's in the gym or on the neighborhood track, a fit buddy will challenge you to keep up and exercise at a higher intensity. It's the friendliest way to kick your own butt! Plus, workouts go faster accompanied by good conversation.
*Calorie-burning boost: Simply increasing your walk from 3 mph to 4 mph will burn almost 100 extra calories in 60 minutes.

4. Jump rope on your coffee breaks: Sound silly? It won't after you read the numbers. Slip off your pumps and put on your sneakers, then head off to a corner with a jump-rope. This quick heart-pumping activity is also weight-bearing, so your muscles and bones will benefit. And you'll probably feel completely energized, too.
*Calorie-burning boost: You can burn 208 calories on two 10-minute breaks each day (that's 1,000 calories a week)!

5. Go longer: If your typical workout is 30 minutes -- no shorter, no longer -- here's an easy way to challenge yourself. Twice a week, try adding 10 or 15 minutes to your cardio. You know you'll burn more calories, but you'll also increase your cardiovascular endurance level, making your weekend hikes and bike rides easier. To adapt your workout to your higher fitness level, every two weeks you should also up your intensity level by increasing resistance or incline on the machine or the road.
*Calorie-burning boost: Running 30 extra minutes on the treadmill each week can burn 400 calories.

6. Change equipment or activities: If you always head right for the treadmill, take a step class or get on the elliptical trainer and step up the intensity. This may increase the calorie burn of your workout because our bodies work less efficiently doing new exercises than ones we're used to. Periodically shifting activities will also decrease the chance of an overuse injury and keep your workouts fresh and fun.
*Calorie-burning boost: Step aerobics vs. walking at 3.5 mph burns 237 vs. 177 calories in 30 minutes.

7. Add another day: Ho-hum ... does week after week only encompass Monday-Wednesday-Friday on the treadmill? Add a Saturday bike ride or Sunday-morning indoor cycling class to your week, and your fitness level -- and body shape -- will show it. Make your workout activity-focused and you'll also invigorate your mind and spirit.
*Calorie-burning boost: A two-hour hilly hike can burn up to 800 calories.

8. Hire a trainer: Nothing gets you out of a fitness rut faster than refining your routine based on the experience of someone who knows exactly how to get results. A good trainer (make sure she's certified) will look at your current program to make sure it's safe and effective. Does this sound too extravagant? Make an appointment with a trainer once a month or once every three months to update your program and get feedback on your form.
Calorie-burning boost: If your trainer has you change from a fast walk to a slow jog, you'll burn an extra 100 calories in 30 minutes.

9. End with an invigorating stretch
Stretching is as important after running or walking as it is after weight lifting. A study found that regular stretching can increase your strength by up to 19 percent when interspersed between weight-training exercises. With additional muscle you'll burn more calories throughout the day. To keep your heart rate up while still stretching your whole body, try doing a series of 10-12 Sun Salutations, yoga's most aerobic move (it incorporates poses that flow from one to the next).

SOURCE: shape.com