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Fitness trainer reveals 4 unconventional training methods to burn fat, improve fitness: Climb stairs, carry backpack

Don't have time to hit the gym? Fitness coach Raj Ganpath suggest adopting these simple daily activities as part of your new fitness routine.

Published on: Aug 28, 2025 12:04 pm IST
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When it comes to burning fat and staying fit, most people think of the usual gymbro suspects - running on a treadmill, lifting weights, or cycling. But most of us are so wrapped up in deadlines and daily responsibilities that we hardly get enough time to focus on fitness and work out. However, routine activities like climbing stairs or carrying a heavy backpack can double as unconventional workout methods, contributing to fitness and significantly helping to burn fat.

Routine activities like climbing stairs can contribute to fat loss.(Pexel)

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Fitness trainer Raj Ganpath suggests that mixing things up with unconventional training methods can not only accelerate fat loss but also make fitness more enjoyable and sustainable. In an Instagram video he posted on August 28, Ganpath reveals four unconventional training methods that target cardiovascular health, strength, mobility, and burning calories - all without relying on the same old gym routine. He also highlights that in order to consciously burn fats, eating better and eating less are non-negotiables.

He explains why and how this helps, “Because it gets your heart rate up and helps you burn a bunch of calories. And it also strengthens your lower body.” However, if you are someone who suffers from weak knees and pain, the trainer suggests that you address those concerns first, since climbing stairs puts a lot of pressure on the knees.

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Rucking

Raj explains, “It essentially means you take a bunch of weight, put it in a bag, wear it, and walk.” You can use a rucksack or even a regular backpack - fill it with weights or just stack it with books. What you use doesn’t matter, it’s the added resistance that counts. You can load the backpack with weights anywhere between 2 and 20 kilograms, and the fitness trainer recommends walking with it for 30-45 minutes to maximize benefits.

“Because you're carrying additional weight, this is much harder on your body. And so you end up burning a lot more calories and it also strengthens your core,” Raj adds. He highlights this as especially effective and extremely safe, but cautions that this is not an easy activity to perform.

Variable speed running

Variable speed running is a structured workout method where you alternate between different intensities of movement - such as walking, jogging, running, and sprinting - within a fixed time cycle. Raj recommends dedicating 30-45 minutes to this routine: begin with a 20-second walk, transition into a 15-second jog, pick up the pace to a 15-second run, and finish strong with a 15-second sprint. This routine will take you 1 minute.

The trainer elaborates that repeating this 30 to 45 times will help you burn a bunch of fat: “Repeat this 30 to 45 times, and you'll see that your heart rate goes up. You're able to work on your speed, and you also burn a whole bunch of calories.”

Dancing or playing a sport

Fun and engaging activities like dancing or sports are great for burning fat and improving fitness. According to Raj, “They will improve your strength, your speed, your endurance, your mobility, your flexibility.” However, the only requirement is consistency - you need to actively participate in dancing or sports regularly in order to see results. As long as you are consistent, ‘you will most definitely burn fat and improve your fitness’, he says.

Note to readers: This article is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice. It is based on user-generated content from social media. HT.com has not independently verified the claims and does not endorse them.

 
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Eshana Saha

Eshana Saha is a fresh face in lifestyle and cultural journalism, bringing a refined, multidisciplinary perspective to the intersection of entertainment, fashion and holistic wellbeing. With less than a year of professional experience, she has quickly adapted to high-pressure editorial environments and currently works full-time with HT Media. Prior to this, she interned for nearly six months with Hindustan Times’ entertainment and lifestyle vertical, where she gained hands-on experience in digital reporting, trend analysis and editorial storytelling. Based in New Delhi, Eshana specialises in comprehensive coverage of major cultural moments — from international film press tours to the curated aesthetics of global fashion showcases, award shows and music-centred events. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in English from St Xavier’s University, Kolkata, and a Master’s degree in English from the University of Delhi, equipping her with a strong academic foundation and a keen ability to deconstruct complex cultural trends into clear, high-impact narratives. Beyond the red carpet, Eshana has developed a growing focus on health and wellbeing reporting. She bridges the gap between celebrity-driven trends and practical, evidence-informed lifestyle advice, ensuring her work remains both aspirational and grounded in editorial rigour. She has extensively covered the health implications of Delhi’s air pollution crisis, while also playing a key role in amplifying expert-led insights on women’s health and mental wellbeing, helping translate complex medical perspectives into informed, impactful public awareness. An artist at heart, she explores multiple creative forms — from visual arts and music to culinary experiments — and brings a creative’s eye for nuance, texture and detail to every story. Whether analysing runway dynamics or examining emerging wellness movements, she remains committed to accuracy and the highest standards of contemporary journalistic ethics.

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Catch your daily dose of Fashion, Taylor Swift, Health, Festivals, Travel, Relationship, Recipe and all the other Latest Lifestyle News on Hindustan Times Website and APPs.
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