most helpful way to do so.

Wait for Weights

Maximize the calorie-burning benefits of your workout by tackling

cardiovascular exercise before strength training.

Doing cardio first can help you exercise longer, and thus burn more

calories, than you would if you were tired out by weight training first.

And finishing your workout with weights helps boost post-workout

metabolism -- the rate at which your body burns calories after you're

done. The result may be an overall better calorie burn, according to a

small study.

Although all types of exercise -- cardiovascular, strength, and flexibility

-- help you burn calories, cardio workouts result in the greatest calorie

burn. Because of this, it may be best to do your cardio exercises first

while you are fresh. You're likely to spend more time on aerobic exercise

and work out harder if you haven't tired yourself out by doing other

kinds of exercises first.

On the other hand, strength training results in the greatest boost in

post-exercise calorie burning. It boosts your metabolism for a longer

period of time, helping your body burn more calories after your workout

is done.

Ultimately, this means that doing your cardio workout first can help

ensure that you achieve the maximum calorie burn from it, and ending

your workout with a strength-training session helps ensure your postexercise

metabolism stays high.