Goal of Cardio
When you are trying to get a slimmer stomach, realize that nobody can lose fat in one location. That would be spot reduction which is not possible Cardio burns calories and causes you to lose weight throughout your entire body -- making it effective at reducing stomach fat.
Forms of Cardio
All forms of cardio are effective at burning stomach fat. The most important factor is that you do something that you like. If you do not remain constantly motivated to exercise, you may fall off the wagon. Brisk walking, running, elliptical training, rowing, stair stepping, spinning and kickboxing are examples. Begin your workouts with a light warm-up and exercise at an intensity that causes you to breath heavily and break a sweat.
Duration of Workouts
The length of time you do cardio plays a role in your stomach fat reduction plan. According to the American College of Sports Medicine, 60 to 90 minutes of physical activity performed five days a week is needed to lose weight. If you are unable to work out that long in one session, split up your time into multiple sessions.
Impact of Intervals
Working out at a steady pace is beneficial, but you can boost your progress by doing interval training. Start out with a regular light warm-up, then alternate back and forth between low and high intensity for the entirety of your workout. This type of training will boost your caloric expenditure and also increase your metabolism when you are done.
Caloric Restriction
No amount of cardio is going to be effective if you don't make changes to your diet. Remember, you need to lose weight throughout your body as a whole to lose stomach fat. The best way to achieve this is by cutting back on your intake of calories. If you reduce your intake by 500 to 1,000 calories a day, you can lose about 1 to 2 lbs. a week according to the National Institutes of Health. Choose nutrient dense foods with your meals, such as fruits, vegetables, lean meats, fish, whole grains, beans and low-fat dairy.
Importance of Weight Training
Cardio alone can take you far in your plight to lose stomach fat, but you can boost your results by adding weight training to your program. When you lift weights, you build muscle which in turn raises your resting metabolic rate. With a higher resting metabolism, you will burn calories more efficiently around the clock and lose your stomach fat quicker. Choose exercises that target all of your major muscles like chest presses, shoulder presses, bent-over rows, triceps extensions, biceps curls and lunges. Work out two or three days a week.
