A Guide on How To maximize Cardio exercises For Weight Loss 

If you are currently trying to lose weight, it is essential to ensure you burn fat as you strengthen the muscles beneath the fat. The best way to do so is by incorporating a healthy diet as well as strength and cardio training into your workout routine.

When incorporating cardio exercising into your fitness routine, it is important to ensure you do it right. One of the best ways to make the most of cardio workouts is to choose the best cardio routines. You should incorporate high-intensity cardio with high-intensity interval training. For cardio to burn fat for weight loss, you need to choose routines that raise your heart rate for a prolonged period. According to research, a 40 to 45 minutes workout, five days a week, has the potentials of yielding required weight loss.

Here are the best cardio exercises for weight loss.

High-intensity cardio 

According to studies, people who take on high-intensity cardio workouts at least three days a week have a higher chance of reducing overall body fat. After 12 weeks, they will experience a smaller waistline and reduced body fat.

Based on this research, the high-intensity cardio exercises that burn the most fat include:

• Stationary cycling: 391 calories
• Swimming: 372 calories
• Running at 6mph: 372 calories.
• Steps aerobics: 372 calories
• Jumping rope: 372 calories
• Elliptical: 335 calories

To effectively do this, ensure you warm up for ten minutes. This helps to ease your body into the exercise. Work at an intensity of at least 70% of your heart rate for at least twenty minutes. Take a break and repeat a few more times. Repeat the routine three or four times a week.

Circuit strength training 

Strength training is essential for weight loss as it helps to build muscles, which makes your body more efficient in burning calories. You should perform strength training routines back to back in quick intervals. This increases your heart rate, helps in weight loss, and builds muscles.

To effectively do strength training, plan your circuit routines to incorporate exercises that target the major muscle groups in the shoulders, arms, chest, abs, hips, and legs. The routines can be done in one-minute intervals or based on repetition of at least 12 executions of each exercise. You should perform circuit strength training at least three times a week non-consecutively.

HIIT (High-intensity interval training)

This type of training involves doing short periods of intensive training and alternating with short periods of rest. This type of training burns more body fat than steady-state cardio exercises. HIIT done three times a week will lead to a decrease in overall body fat percentage, low cholesterol, and lower body mass index.

To effectively use HIIT for weight loss, warm up for ten minutes. Plan your workouts to ensure you go hard on each routine for at least 30 seconds and no longer than 4 minutes at a time. Do low rate routines for the same amount of time. Repeat this process for at least 20 minutes. Do HIIT workouts at least three times a week while avoiding doing it consecutively.

It is vital to choose an activity you enjoy for your cardio workouts. This makes it possible for you to make it part of your day to day lifestyle, which is important for maintaining the new body.

[avatar user=”PaulWallace” /] About Paul Wallace Personal trainer of 15 plus years and creator of FT-Fit one of Glasgow’s largest fitness classes