Does Cardio Burn Fat? 5 Best Cardio Exercises Reduce Fat 2024

Cardio exercise is often touted as the best way to burn fat. But does it really work? We’ll take a look at the science behind cardio and fat burning, as well as the five best cardio exercises to help you reduce body fat. Whether you’re looking to lose weight or simply tone up and build a leaner physique, cardio exercises or even fasted cardio are effective ways to do it.  

Not only will cardio help you shed unwanted pounds, but it can also improve your overall health by strengthening your muscles, increasing stamina and endurance, as well as improving mental clarity. 

Does Cardio Burn Fat?

Does cardio help you lose weight? It sure does. Cardio exercises are an effective way to burn fat and calories in the body. Regular cardio exercise can lead to a significant decrease^[1] in your overall body fat percentage. Studies have shown^[2] that engaging in at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity a day can help you not only lose weight but keep it off over time.  

The best type of cardio exercise is one that is intense enough to increase your heart rate^[3] and breathing rate while also helping to build muscle mass. Examples of such exercises include running, swimming, cycling, rowing, and aerobics classes such as kickboxing or Zumba. 

The good news is you don’t already have to be a fitness guru to reap the benefits of cardio training. All fitness levels can benefit from these types of activities by increasing their endurance and stamina over time as they become more used to them. Start small and work your way up!  

Combining Cardio With Other Interventions

Other forms of exercise combined with cardio are even more beneficial for long-term success^[4] when looking at maintaining weight loss. A mix of strength training (like resistance training with weights) and cardio interval training (short bursts of high-intensity interval workouts) have better results than just cardio alone for fat loss.  

Studies have shown^[5] that cardio’s combination of cardio workouts paired with a healthy diet can help people lose more weight than those who focus on diet alone. Controlling your portion sizes, choosing low-fat, high-fiber options, and avoiding high glycemic carbohydrates may all fuel your cardio exercises while dropping pounds.

 According to the American College of Sports Medicine, doing aerobic exercise at least three times a week can be helpful in achieving weight goals. With cardio activities ranging from running and walking to swimming, there are ample options that make cardio fun and attainable no matter what kind of lifestyle you live. If you are stuck for ideas, check out our top 12 effective cardio workouts for health and weight loss. 

Fasted cardio has also been gaining a lot of attention, but does fast cardio burn more fat than regular cardio? It does. Studies have shown^[6] a significant increase in fat oxidation when performing exercises in a fasted state. 

Effect Of The Glycemic Index On Cardio

The glycemic index is a measure of the effects of sugar in foods on blood sugar levels in the human body. This index is used to maximize the effect of glucose without causing high blood sugar levels that may adversely affect metabolic functioning. For example, a low glycemic meal before endurance training^[7] may induce less post-prandial hyperglycemia and hyperinsulinemia (high insulin levels), thus increasing endurance time in training.

How Does Cardio Burn Fat?

So how exactly does cardio burn fat? When we think about burning fat with cardio, we should first consider how our bodies use energy for fuel.^[8] Our bodies break down carbohydrates and fats into glucose, which provides energy for every living cell in our bodies. When there are too many carbohydrates available, our bodies will store them as fat cells instead of breaking them down into glucose for immediate energy needs. This leads to increased body fat levels over time, a pattern that is worsened by high glycemic foods.

Cardio helps us to reduce those reserves of carbohydrate-based fats by increasing our metabolic rate and causing us to use more stored energy than normal when exercising. By doing even low-intensity aerobic activities such as walking or light jogging, we can increase our metabolic rates significantly. 

Do you have to do cardio to lose weight? No, but it is an effective way to burn fat because it burns the most amount of calories^]9] in a period of time. When the body undergoes aerobic exercise, it releases energy from burning calories. In order to effectively lose weight with cardio, it is important to also maintain a calorie deficit that is large enough to create the desired effect. 

5 Best Cardio Exercises For Weight Loss

Five great exercises for weight loss are running, HIIT (high-intensity interval training), swimming, cycling, and jump rope. If you want to amp up your results, team up your diet and exercise with a high-quality fat burner.

You could also try dancing, running stairs or hill climbing. Activities that involve continuous movements are great for losing weight. If you feel bored of doing these exercises alone, then you can join a fitness club or find a workout buddy and do your cardio exercises together.

It is important to also be aware of your limitations when trying to lose fat with exercise. High-intensity cardio and other workouts do come with a high risk of injury, so if jumping rope is starting to feel a bit tough on the knees, switch it up and try a lower-intensity cardio workout like swimming.  And, don’t forget to stretch! Stretching your muscles is essential to warm them up and adequately strengthen them without injury.

How Much Cardio For Weight Loss?

Doing cardio is one of the best ways to lose weight, improve your overall health and fitness, and reduce your risk of developing certain diseases. But the amount of cardio you need to do for weight loss depends on several factors, including your current weight and physical activity level.

If you are coming from a pretty sedentary lifestyle, jumping into high-intensity cardio probably won’t be sustainable and puts you at risk of injury. However, it’s okay to build up slowly over time. 

So, you might ask, “does cardio burn belly fat?” A 2014 study showed that something as simple^[13] as brisk walking is effective at reducing belly fat if the diet is controlled along with cardio. In this particular study, women walked three days a week for an average of 50-70 minutes targeting 400 calories of burn for twelve weeks. At the end of the trial period blood glucose had dropped and visceral and subcutaneous fat decreased significantly as compared to no change in the control group.

Regular aerobic physical activity can help you burn calories and reduce body fat, but both low-intensity and high-intensity workouts can be effective in doing so, which means that you don’t necessarily need to engage in hours of difficult workouts if your goal is simply to shed pounds.

So how much cardio should you do per week, and how often? The amount varies based on individual fitness levels, preferences, goals, and time availability. To begin with, experts recommend doing 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise each week^[14] if you’re looking to lose significant amounts of weight. That translates into about 30–60 minutes a day for five days during the week. However, some suggest starting with lower amounts with higher intensity, like 20 minutes per session three times per week, before gradually increasing it over time.

Final Thought

When it comes to burning fat, there is no doubt that cardio can have a positive effect. A regular exercise routine with a combination of cardio and strength training can help you achieve your desired weight loss goals and improve your overall physical and mental health. It’s important to remember that the real key to success when it comes to reducing excess body fat is creating and maintaining a healthy lifestyle overall, which includes proper nutrition, regular and consistent physical activity, and plenty of rest. This is a big task in this modern lifestyle we live. 

With enough dedication and commitment; you can successfully burn fat through cardio exercises and enhance your fitness overall. Lastly, listen to your body and don’t overexert yourself, as too much cardio can lead to muscle soreness and exhaustion.

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