Cardiovascular Workouts
Losing Body Fat
needed for fat loss you need to do cardiovascular workouts. Once you start performing regular cardio workouts you should see much more fat melt off your body as long as you don't overeat.
Cardiovascular workouts can be done just about anywhere - in a gym, outside, or at home. If you don't feel comfortable working out in a gym or outdoors you can find many reasonably priced cardio machines you can keep in your house or apartment so you can exercise with the privacy you want.
Running or jogging is one of the most popular ways to do a cardio workout. You can run or jog outdoors or on a treadmill. Running allows for a lot of variety since you can run on an incline or increase and decrease the intensity based on how fast you go.
Biking is another great way to get a cardio workout. You won't put quite as much stress on your ankles when you ride a bike, though you may put some more stress on your knees. Biking is great for your quadricep and hamstring muscles, but if you weight train you'll want to avoid doing too much of it so you don't overtrain those muscles.
Boxing style cardio workouts using a heavy bag, speed bag, and jump rope are a great way to get away from the boredom of many other forms of cardio exercises. They will also allow you to use your upper body a lot whereas most other forms of cardio involve the lower body. Boxing workouts will also give you a chance to do a lot of abdominal work. Your shoulders and arms will take a beating from hitting the bags and jump roping so be careful to avoid overtraining them if you follow a weight training routine.
Cardiovascular workouts on an elliptical machine will allow you to get all of the benefits of running or biking without putting as much stress on the joints. If you have any joint problems you should work out on an elliptical machine to get your cardio.
If you play sports that have you constantly moving you'll get a great cardio workout. The best sports you can play for cardio are basketball, soccer, tennis, or racquetball.
No matter what kind of cardio exercise you choose to do to help burn fat you must avoid going overboard with it. If you do too much you may end up burning muscle tissue along with the fat which won't be good for your resting metabolic rate. Try to work your way up to 3 or 4 45 minute cardiovascular workouts a week (longer if you play a sport) and see if you are still burning fat and keeping the same amount of muscle strength. If you're quickly getting weaker you may be losing some muscle.
To lose body fat you need to burn more calories than you take in. Even if you don't eat much you won't lose weight if you aren't active enough to burn enough calories to create this calorie deficit. To help your body burn the extra calories
