Introduction
What’s the best workout for burning belly fat? You may have asked yourself this question after hearing about some crazy new workout that promises to torch that stubborn belly fat and make you look like you’ve lost 10 pounds. If only it were that easy! To truly understand what the best workout to burn belly fat is, we need to first take a step back and look at how your body stores fat, burns fat and builds muscle.
Cardio to Burn Belly Fat
Studies have found that exercising to lose belly fat requires a steady regimen of at least 20 minutes of cardio five days per week. Aerobic exercise like running, biking, and swimming are some of your best bets when it comes to burning belly fat. However, there are also ways to get more out of your cardio workout by incorporating HIIT training. A recent study published in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise suggests that performing interval training as part of a consistent running routine can help you burn more belly fat than just doing long-distance running alone—even if that means losing minutes from your workout time overall.
High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT)
Exercising at a high-intensity level sends signals to your body that it needs more fuel and it begins burning fat. HIIT is one of the most efficient ways to burn belly fat because your post-workout calorie burn remains elevated throughout most of your day, increasing the number of calories you’re burning even when you’re not exercising. Be aware that HIIT workouts can be brutal, so if it’s your first time trying a HIIT workout routine, ease into it with shorter sessions and don’t overdo it. Begin with two HIIT sessions per week, increasing up to three as you improve and become fitter.
Strength Training for a Flat Stomach
Regular strength training is your best bet when it comes to burning belly fat and building a flat, toned stomach. That’s because weight-bearing exercises—those that force you to work against gravity—keep your muscles working long after you leave the gym. Long after that energy bar has been digested. (Check out these 15 Weight-Loss Tips Women over 40 Need to know if you need more proof.) This after-burn effect boosts your metabolism and torched calories at rest, even when you sleep! And we all know nothing zaps more stubborn body fat than regular old cardio, right? Nothing burns a greater percentage of calories than some good ol’ fashion cardiovascular exercise.
Combining Cardio and Strength Training for Best Results
In general, if you want to burn belly fat, it’s recommended that you perform cardiovascular exercise and strength training. When combining both cardio and strength training exercises in your workout routine, keep in mind that form is key. Poor form or using poor technique when lifting weights can lead to injuries such as muscle strain or muscle pull. Also, make sure not to do too much too soon. Start with a small dose of cardiovascular exercise by doing about 20 minutes 3 times per week. After about one month of performing cardio exercises at these low levels of intensity, it’s time to add some weight training into your regimen as well.
Running.
If you’re looking to burn belly fat, your first choice should be a running workout. When it comes to exercise, more intense is better—and running delivers that in spades. Running boosts not only your overall calorie-burning capacity but also your body’s after-burn effect (the calories you burn after completing a workout). Research shows that if you run with proper technique and consistency, you can increase your daily caloric expenditure by as much as 2,000 calories per week. Start slow and stick with it to see real results!
Cycling.
Everyone has their own personal preferences when it comes to exercise, but one of my go-to forms of exercise is cycling. With cycling, you can choose your intensity level based on how hard you pedal, and different research suggests that higher levels of resistance are more effective at burning belly fat than lower levels. Cycling also involves one big advantage over other forms of exercise: You’re a lot less likely to injure yourself in a fall or collision. And because cycling is low impact and non-weight bearing, it’s easy on your joints—especially if you’re dealing with chronic joint pain or injury. So if you want to burn fat while keeping weight off your joints, look no further than biking as a go-to form of exercise.
Swimming.
You don’t need to spend hours at a time in a pool or gym to burn calories. One of my favorite workouts is swimming because it offers low-impact, full-body exercise. Because swimming can be done almost anywhere—and you can do it without getting super sweaty—it’s perfect if you have a busy schedule. But keep in mind that swimming will probably work best as part of an overall fitness routine that includes other types of activity like running and strength training. So, if you want to lose belly fat with swimming, combine it with those other exercises!
Conclusion
There are many ways to go about burning belly fat, but nothing does it better than exercise. Whether it’s a high-intensity workout or aerobic exercise, you’ll find yourself dropping belly fat in no time.
