To lose weight and burn fat, you must burn more calories than you take in. One of the most effective ways to lose fat is to create a calorie deficit by burning calories through regular exercise in combination with reducing the number of calories you eat every day. While cardiovascular exercise is a significant component of weight loss, it is only one part. You also need to modify your eating habits and engage in proper weight training.
Cardio Considerations
The cardio portion of your weight-loss plan is effective only if you are exercising within your target fat-burning heart rate zone a majority of the time. Low-intensity aerobic exercise causes your body to use fat as its main fuel source, but as you get closer to your point of exhaustion, your body uses a smaller and smaller percentage of fat and switches over to using carbohydrates as a fuel source. Increasing the intensity and speed of your cardio exercise helps you burn more total calories and encourages your body to use more fat for fuel.
Progression
Adjust as your body so it does not become accustomed to your regimen. According to CriticalBench.com, a technique called progressive cardio prevents adaptation before it occurs. It involves increasing your cardio workout intensity, time or frequency every week to promote improvement and prevent a plateau.
One example of progressive cardio is fast-paced walking or jogging on a treadmill four times per week for 20 minutes in week 1, then four times per week for 25 minutes in week 2, then five times per week for 25 minutes in week 3, then five times per week for 30 minutes in week 4, and so on.
Jumping Rope
Different levels of workouts cater to different fitness levels. If you have a high level of fitness, engage in high-intensity cardio to burn the most fat and calories. For those who are able, high-intensity training such as jumping rope is one of the simplest and most effective exercises for weight loss. Jumping rope at a less intense level for just 15 to 20 minutes per day can still help improve your cardiovascular endurance and enhance your performance in sports such as tennis, basketball, football and volleyball. Jumping rope also can have a positive effect on your hand-eye coordination, lateral movement and agility.
Swimming
Swimming helps to tone the entire body and provides a good cardio workout, since water provides 12 to 14 percent more resistance than air. The motions help you improve and maintain joint flexibility. An hour of swimming can burn 350 to 450 calories, which helps to speed fat loss and increase muscle mass to give your body a lean and defined appearance.
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