The best cardio for belly fat loss is Sprinting. Whether on the treadmill or outside, sprints are a great way to burn the most calories in the least amount of time. This cardio for belly fat requires no equipment and can be done just anywhere.
If reducing overall body fat, including belly fat, is your ultimate goal, aerobic exercises that increase your heart rate, such as walking, running or swimming, and aerobic exercise combined with strength training are the gold standards when it comes to exercise that supports weight loss.
If you want to see results then you're going to need to be disciplined and put in the hard yards. To shed that stubborn belly fat, you should work your way up to 30 to 60 minutes of moderate-intensity activity four to five times a week.
Cardio's role in helping you shed pounds is burning calories. The more you exercise, the more calories you'll burn. If you're trying to lose weight, you should aim for doing cardio at least five days per week for a total of at least 250 minutes (4 hours, 10 minutes) each week.
Now, cardio. For weight loss, the National Institutes of Health recommends at least 30 to 45 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise three to five days a week. But you can maximize your sweat sessions for efficiency if you alternate between high- and low-intensity workouts each day, says Forsythe.
Slower, lower-intensity workouts are better for burning body fat. They also help improve heart health because they keep your heart working at a higher-than-resting rate for extended periods of time.
Mistake: You always do cardio first
"Instead, hit the weights first," says Nick Tumminello, owner of Performance University International. "When you have more energy, you'll be able to lift heavier weights and get more muscle-building benefits, which will help you burn fat everywhere, including your belly."
Aerobic or Cardio Exercise
Your first step in burning off visceral fat is including at least 30 minutes of aerobic exercise or cardio into your daily routine. Studies show that aerobic exercises for belly fat help to reduce belly fat and liver fat.
As a general goal, aim for at least 30 minutes of moderate physical activity every day. If you want to lose weight, maintain weight loss or meet specific fitness goals, you may need to exercise more. Reducing sitting time is important, too. The more hours you sit each day, the higher your risk of metabolic problems.
No, you don't need to do cardio to lose fat. Weight loss, including fat reduction, is typically caused by a calorie deficit: slashing your calorie intake, increasing the number of calories burned, or both. That said, cardio will help you burn calories more quickly, increasing your fat loss potential.
If you have been exercising and still have belly fat, you could be doing the wrong style training, your stress levels may be too high, or you may have an endocrine disorder like polycystic ovary syndrome.
Losing belly fat and getting a flat stomach is done through achieving a caloric deficit by eating less, exercising more, and doing that for at least 6-12 weeks. The more stubborn your belly fat is, the more strict and consistent you need to be with your diet and exercises regimen throughout that period.
Exercises that require the coordination and movement of multiple joints, such as squats, deadlifts, Olympic lifts, pull-ups and push-ups, are the most effective for maximizing fat loss and muscle gain.
The 'fat burning zone' is where you are working out at about 70 – 80% of your maximum heart rate, also known as your fat burning heart rate. If you're looking to lose weight and keep fit, the general rule of the game is to increase the intensity of your workouts.
According to a study published in the American Journal of Physiology, 30 minutes of daily exercise is just as effective for losing weight as 60 minutes.
At a low intensity, you may burn 70% of calories from fat while at a high intensity you burn 50%. In 20 minutes of cardio exercise you may burn 100 calories at a low intensity and 200 at a higher intensity.
However, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) recommends about 30-45 minutes of moderate-intensity cardio per day to either maintain a healthy lifestyle or drive you towards your goals. The NIH also recommends 60 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous exercise per day to avoid gradual weight gain.
You should cap your cardio at no more than 3-4 sessions a week and no longer than 20-25 minutes per session, no matter the intensity.