Burning Fat

Burning fat is the byproduct of burning more calories than you consume, and a simple way to reduce the amount of fat on your body is to exercise frequently. You will lose 1 pound of fat whenever you create a calorie deficit of 3,500 calories or, in other words, burn 3,500 more calories than you eat and drink. If you wish to lose fat, make realistic fitness goals. For example, plan to burn 700 excess calories during five days of the week to lose about 1 pound of fat per week.

Gymnastics Calories Burned

Every activity helps you burn calories at a different rate, although vigorous-intensity aerobic exercises typically provide the fastest way to burn calories. Harvard Medical School reports that a 125-pound person will burn 120 calories during a 30-minute general gymnastics workout. If you weigh 155 or 185 pounds, expect to burn 149 or 178 calories, respectively, during a half-hour gymnastics workout.

Other Activities

It might seem that the ability to burn 120, 149 or 178 calories during a short gymnastics workout is impressive, but the workout's rate of burning calories is lower than most other types of exercise. A 185-pound person who spends 30 minutes swimming the breaststroke, for example, will burn 444 calories. Exercises that burn calories at the same rate as gymnastics include curling, horseback riding, Tai Chi, volleyball and walking at 3.5 mph.

Considerations and Benefits

Although you'll burn calories at a low rate during gymnastics, you can still use this exercise to help you lose fat, provided you're active regularly and combine the exercise with a healthy diet. Beyond trimming a few inches, gymnastics helps improve your flexibility, strength and stamina. People who exercise regularly, regardless of the type of exercise, lessen their risk of developing health issues such as heart disease and cancer, generally experience an improved mood and can even live longer than those who are inactive.