Cardio Exercises Effective for Fat Loss

Strength-training exercises such as weightlifting build muscles, which burn more calories for energy than body fat. However, if you want to tackle that body fat directly, vigorous cardiovascular exercise is the way to go. You don't need a lot of equipment and it's fairly easy to find fun activities that force your body to burn off calories. Check with your health care professional to make sure you're healthy enough for a vigorous cardio workout. If you are, it's best not to limit yourself to one activity. Variety can keep you motivated to turn fitness into a lifestyle.
Heart Rate and Cardio Exercise
Effective fat-burning cardio involves raising your heart rate so that it's beating 70 to 80 percent of your maximum heart rate. You can calculate your maximum heart rate a number of ways, but for a simple -- though rough -- estimate, subtract your age from 220. The sum is the approximate number of times your heart is capable of beating per minute. As you challenge your heart with cardio exercise, stop periodically and take your pulse for 10 seconds, then multiply the number by 6 to get your beats per minute. If it's below 60 percent of your maximum heart rate, try to increase your intensity.
Child's Play
Get your inner child involved in your cardio workout routine. If it's been ages since you put on a pair of roller-skates or inline blades, give it a whirl. Inline skating burns 913 calories per hour for a typical 160-pound person, according to MayoClinic.com. What you lose in calories burned you may make up for in fun.
Hit the Road
Depending on how you moderate your diet and the pace you maintain, brisk walking can help you burn off fat. A brisk 30-minute walk each day could burn 1/3 lb. per week -- weight loss that could be significant if you do it consistently and cut calories from your daily diet. This may be a good option if you've been sedentary a long time. Building your pace gradually, over time, you may reach a point where you're comfortable running. Running 8 mph for an hour burns an average of 986 calories for a 160-lb. person.
Sports
As you look for cardio exercises you're motivated to do alone, mix up your routine by participating in sports activities that challenge your heart and lungs. A casual game of racquetball with a buddy could burn over 500 calories an hour if you weigh 160 lbs. or more. Basketball, flag football, softball and baseball also make for fun calorie-burning activities.