Aerobic exercise, or cardio, is the best type of activity for losing stubborn belly fat. Unlike spot exercises for your midsection, aerobic exercises burn more calories, particularly from fat storage in the abdominal area. There are plenty of ways to engage in aerobic activities. But which is the best to lose belly fat the fastest?
Technically speaking, any degree of aerobic exercises burn fat to some extent. But some activities are effective in burning off more body fat per session. If you are on a weight loss streak or are time limited, you might want to perform the most effective aerobic exercises. Here is a list of some of the best activities for getting your heart rate up to burn off fat:
Running (Burns Around 600 Calories Per Hour)
Running can burn about 600 calories per hour (this will depend on your BMI, of course). In comparison, a power walk would only burn between 300 to 400 calories per hour. Running is a high impact and high-intensity aerobic exercise that’s highly recommended by experts to not only burn fat but also to ensure heart health as well. Running burns lots of calories because of its all-body intensive nature. If you combine running with sprinting, then you will be engaging in both aerobic and anaerobic activity.
You can run outside in your neighborhood or go to a gym. The best exercise machine for cardio is the treadmill. Notably, treadmill running is not the same as running outside, but treadmills are great for highly controlled exercise. If you are new to aerobic exercises or running, using a treadmill is advised before you start running outdoors. Treadmills are also kinder on joints than a sidewalk or jogging tracks.
Swimming
Swimming is a total-body workout that burns about 600 calories per hour. Swimming works all the major muscle groups in the body so your stamina levels would gradually rise when you are a regular swimmer.
Cycling
The calorie-burning impact of cycling is similar to running. Both exercises also use the same muscle groups, but cycling is a lower impact form of activity. If you suffer from joint pain, cycling is a great way to fulfill your aerobic exercise requirements without further damaging the joints. Road cycling and stationary machine cycling can burn similar amounts of fat. However, road cycling sometimes uses more muscle groups and can be more fun. Cycling is highly effective with resistance. It’s also one of the activities that can be used for interval training.
Rowing
Rowing is an amazing aerobic exercise that can burn over 800 calories per hour. Unfortunately, most people don’t get the opportunity to actually go rowing. You can substitute with rowing machines at gyms. Rowing is like the opposite of cycling in that it targets upper body muscles more. Rowing uses nearly all major muscle groups in the body and is thus a highly recommended way to get your aerobic exercise needs.
If you really want to up your game, consider jumping rope, known to burn over 1,000 calories per hour. Jumping rope is a very high impact activity that most ladies take time to get used to. But doing so would be highly beneficial to your health.