Cardio is any type of exercise that gets your heart rate up for a prolonged period of time, but what's the best form for weight loss? There's so many different ways to work on your cardiovascular ability – how efficient your heart is at pumping oxygen around your body, but knowing which to go for is hard.
mind.
What does the term cardio actually mean?
. 'It’s also sometimes known as aerobic exercise as it relies on your body’s ability to utilise oxygen to maintain efforts for a significant amount of time.'
, including regulation of appetite, heart health and protecting your immune system, so keep those front and centre when planning your exercise.
Don't forget: Standing on the scales is just a snapshot of your body in that moment – what's more important is your overall health and how you feel throughout the day/week/month.
How does cardio help weight loss and fat loss?
you need to eat to reach a healthy weight.)
But how can cardio help you stay in a calorie deficit? Whapples explains:
'People lose weight when their energy input is less than their energy output. If someone is consuming the recommended amount of calories but burning more calories than that by doing cardio workouts, their output would be larger than their intake, resulting in weight loss.'
If you're already at a healthy weight for your height, a calorie deficit is not something you should be chasing. Similarly, if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, taking prescription medication, have an adrenal-related medical condition or a teenager or child you should absolutely not try to maintain a calorie deficit.
and not losing mass from muscle tissue or water retention.
to your workout routine, alongside your cardio, will be important – more on this later.
Cardio alone works in favour of fat loss as it increases your heart rate and, once your HR is high enough (and you've used all the usual blood sugars and carbs up), your body is forced to convert fat into energy.
Can cardio for weight loss burn belly fat?
to preserve lean muscle tissue will serve you better than a cardio-only programme.
for you is a good place to start.
What's the best cardio for weight loss?
Let's get one thing clear first: not all cardio is created equal. Each type burns different amounts of calories and can be more or less time-efficient. Plus, how much energy one woman requires to do a workout will be very different to another because our body makeup (amount of muscle etc) is all different.
outside for the same amount of time. And a mum pushing a pram is going to use more cals than say, two pals taking a leisurely amble with a flat white through the park.
You'll want to consider the following lifestyle factors, too:
Enjoyment
Make the cardio kind you go for the one you enjoy—the workout you look forward to is the one you keep up, after all.
, for example,' says Whapples.
Your schedule
After consistency, timing is a key factor too – what does your schedule actually allow for? The best cardio for weight loss you can do is the one you can commit to regularly. If you can only make time to swim once a month, it mightn't be the best choice. Whereas a lunchtime walk can (usually) easily be incorporated into most schedules.
, strength and conditioning PT. 'If you have more time on your hands and enjoy the outdoors then give running a go. Keep it simple and find what works best for you around your day-to-day demands.'
13 best cardio for weight loss workouts
. The following types of cardio are great to underpin your workout schedule but make sure to mix it up too.
To note, the following workouts have been ranked in order of general effectiveness for weight loss by the experts, but know that what works for others, may not work for you. The one you enjoy and will remain consistent with is the one that will you'll reap the rewards from.
1. HIIT (high-intensity interval training)
, or otherwise), it's one of your best choices as it's over double-quick and makes you work super hard at the same time.
- Time-efficient; can be done without any extra kit.
is perfect to do at home and you don't need any kit to do it. Win!
2. Running
fat loss pick.
, of course).
- Free; requires no special equipment; can be done anywhere. Try sprinting for a more effective fat burn.
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