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Losing weight is a lengthy process. You not only have to exercise regularly but also follow a strict diet plan. But what type of exercise should you focus on primarily? Fitness trainers recommend starting with cardio exercises. But what is cardio, and why is it so important for losing weight? Let’s find out.
Understanding cardio
Cardiovascular exercises involve using large muscle groups under controlled breathing. You need to breathe in and breathe out frequently while exercising. It will slowly increase your heart rate, keeping it in your aerobic zone for a specific amount of time.
How cardio exercises work
The primary goal of cardio exercises is to create a calorie deficit in your body. It will help to burn more calories compared to what you consume. You can ask any cardiologist near Washington DC about the best way to lose weight. He/she will tell you two things: you need to eat healthy food and include cardio exercises in your workout sessions.
Many people prefer to lose weight only by dieting. That takes a massive amount of time. Instead, strength and cardio training are the most effective. You will achieve faster results if you can follow a low-calorie diet along with daily exercise.
- Burn more calories when you exercise
Cardio exercises boost your heart rate. They target your heart rate zone, making the heart pump harder. This means you will breathe frequently and sweat more. When you sweat more, your body burns more calories. It also means you lose more calories if you work out longer. For example, if you weigh 150lb and walk at a brisk pace for 30 minutes, you can burn 150 calories or more. You always have the chance to walk more to lose more fat.
- Doesn’t require too many exercises
Cardio exercises are easy to perform. You don’t need to learn complicated moves or positions to burn calories faster. All you need to do is increase the intensity of the exercises you already do. For example, you can increase the speed at which you run, swim, job, or jump to accelerate your metabolism. The faster you run, the faster your heart will beat, thus increasing the intensity at which blood pumps in your veins. This will burn fat more quickly compared to exercising at a slow pace.
Best cardio exercises to lose weight
Different cardio exercises will burn different amounts of calories. Also, the intensity of your exercise will decide how many calories you burn within a specific period. Here is a guide that shows different types of cardio exercises, along with the amount of calorie you can burn:
- Walking at 3.5 mph can burn approximately 140 calories.
- Swimming for an hour with three to four breaks can burn 255 calories.
- Running at 5 mph can burn approximately 295 calories.
- Hiking for a couple of miles uphill can burn 185 calories.
- Dancing for an hour can burn 165 calories.
- Cycling at 10 mph or more can burn 295 calories.
If you plan to lose weight quickly, don’t forget to add cardio exercises to your routine and eat a low-calorie diet. That’s the best combination to burn calories faster.
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This content is sponsored by Jim Bevin.
Photo: Shutterstock