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Choose one or
more of these fat burning exercises for your daily workouts
The best fat burning exercises
are aerobic exercises. They are also
called
cardio exercises because they exercise the heart and
lungs.
Common aerobic exercises are: fast walking, jogging,
running, cycling, swimming, cross-country skiing, stair climbing,
jumping rope, dancing,
and rowing.
There are some excellent machines for aerobic exercise,
like treadmills and exercise bikes.
Our favorite is
the elliptical machine, which is easy on the joints.
Not just for weight loss
Everyone, even people who are not overweight, should
do some aerobic exercise for at least 30
minutes, five
times a week. Your heart is a
muscle that needs exercise, and regular aerobic exercise will give you
a strong heartbeat and a low, healthy heart rate. Not only are aerobic
exercises good for your heart, but they are the very best fat burning
exercises.
In addition to the aerobic exercise for your heart, you need to be on
your feet and moving every day. See this information on
walking for weight loss to learn how much total exercise you
need.
How hard do you have to exercise?
Not too slow and not too fast. If you love math, there is a
formula you can use that involves measuring your heart rate as you
exercise:
-
Subtract your age from 220. The number you get
is approximately the
maximum rate at which your heart is capable of beating.
-
Multiply that number by a certain percentage,
somewhere in the range
of 60% to 80%. That is your target heart rate zone. Your heart
rate should be in that zone as you exercise.
Example: Suppose you are 45 years old. 220 - 45 = 175. That is your
maximum heart rate. 175 x 0.6 = 105. 175 x 0.8 = 140. You
should try to
maintain your heart rate between 105 and 140 as you exercise.
How can you measure your heart rate while you exercise? There are a few
options:
-
Wear a heart rate monitor.
-
Exercise on a treadmill or other equipment
that has a heart rate
monitor built in.
-
Stop your exercise briefly and immediately take
your pulse for 10
seconds. Multiply by 6 to get your heart rate. (Or count for 6 seconds
and multiply by 10.) You want a quick "snapshot" of your heart rate. Do
not stand there and count for 60 seconds. Your heart rate will slow
during that minute and your total count will be wrong.
If this all seems like a big hassle, there is an easier way. You are
performing your fat burning exercises at the right intensity
if you can talk while you exercise. But....
you should be breathing hard enough that you would
prefer not
to talk!
Fat burning exercises for
beginners
If you have been sedentary, you will find that you can easily get your
heart rate into the aerobic range just by walking. Your challenge is to
go slowly enough that you don't get out of breath and have to stop. As
you gradually become more fit, you will have to walk a little faster to
get your heart rate into the range.
If
you are obese, weight-bearing exercises might be too hard on
your
joints. Instead of walking, take
a water aerobics class. Check with your local YMCA or
recreation center to find a
class. Swimming is a good exercise too. Try some
other fat-burning exercises. You may be able to ride an exercise bike
or use an elliptical machine.
If you are only slightly overweight, swimming is not the your best
choice of exercise. Your body will tend to hang on to extra fat as
insulation against the cool water. Use any other aerobic exercise
instead.
As
you lose more weight and shape up, try different kinds of exercise.
Step aerobics, biking, jogging, and jumping rope are all good
fat-burning exercises.
Find
two or three exercises that you like and alternate them. Your fitness
level will improve faster if you ask your body to do something
different every day. This also reduces boredom and helps you
avoid overuse injuries.
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