MANY OF US PREFER to run only when it’s a necessity, like when the train doors are about to close or the fuzz are hot on our trail. Preference aside, running—particularly sprints—is tough to top as a calorie burner. One 2012 study out of Colorado State University and University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus found that just 2.5 minutes of sprinting burned upwards of 200 calories throughout the day.

However, before you lace up your runners, remember that “improper form can lead to muscle pulls or strains,” explains former Philadelphia Eagles tight end turned fitness trainer Kyle Hunt, C.S.C.S.