Best Cardio Workout For Weight Loss

 

Best Cardio Workout For Weight Loss

By Susan A Johnson

 

 

Cardiovascular (or aerobic) exercises have been scientifically proven to be the best exercises for weight loss. Cardio exercises involve raising your heart rate to a moderate level and keeping it elevated for an extended period of time. In other words you're exercising at a steady pace for over 20 minutes. By doing this your body is burning fat as its primary source of energy. To answer the question of which cardio exercise is best for weight loss... whatever you enjoy doing the most!

 

There are many types of exercises that fall into the category of being cardiovascular. The most common are power walking, jogging, swimming and cycling. They are all effective in being able to raise your heart rate to the fat burning zone, and keeping it there for an extended period of time. You can find your fat burning zone by using your age and a simple formula. The heart rate fat burning zone is between 60-70% of your maximal heart rate. Your maximal heart rate is 220-your age. So for a 55-year-old, the max heart rate is 220-55 which is 165. Then to find the fat burning zone find 60-70% which is 99 to 115.

 

My advice would be to try each of the exercises and see which your most enjoy and which one gives you the best results. But don't just try it once and give up. Give each exercise a good 3 weeks so your get a good idea of what really involved and how benefit you will get. Remember that to lose weight you must exercise for at least 3 days a week, if not more.

 

It is always a good idea to add variety to your workouts. This helps prevent your body reaching a plateau when it comes to weight gain. It will also keep you interested and motivated and help keep you on track. There are a few ways to mix up your workouts. Firstly you can change the exercise altogether. For example if you have been running for a few months go swimming for a week.

 

Another way to mix up your weight loss workouts is to add resistance exercises to the routine. This can be easily done without any equipment. During you run stop every 5 minutes and do a set of sit-ups or push-ups, then after another 5 minutes stop and do some squats and lunges and so on. This will help you boost your weight loss and at the same time help tone and strengthen your muscles.