How to Sweat to Lose Stomach Fat

The stomach can be a stubborn area to lose fat. Although you cannot spot-reduce fat, according to ExRx.net, a structured exercise routine and healthy diet will lead to weight loss all over your body, including your belly.

Sweating itself does not necessarily equate to weight loss; you could sweat in a sauna or on a hot day but lose primarily water weight. However, sweat produced during physical activity and moderate- to high-intensity workouts indicates you are working hard and burning off calories for fat-loss.

Increase the intensity of your workouts. Three to four moderate-intensity workouts per week will get your sweat on by elevating the heart and breathing rate, but still allow you to carry on a light conversation. The Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans recommends doing 150 to 300 minutes of moderately intense cardio weekly.

Or, if you prefer, perform 75 to 150 minutes of vigorous cardio. High-intensity workouts are done at efforts in which you cannot carry on a conversation, which revs up the body's metabolism and core temperature, leaving most people dripping in sweat. Aim to do two vigorous workouts per week with a day of recovery in between.

Read more: The 3 Secrets to Losing Belly Fat

Increase the duration of your workouts. Longer workouts mean you will burn more calories and more stored fat all over the body including stomach fat. Schedule five 45-minute cardiovascular workouts, such as running, biking or swimming into your weekly workout plan and increase workouts up to 60 minutes as you get fitter.

Read more: How to Lose Belly Fat With These 7 Cardio Workouts

Lift weights to tone up muscle and drop excess pounds, advises the American Council on Exercise. Muscle has a higher metabolic rate than fat which means you can burn more calories even while at rest. A sweaty strength-training session fires up the metabolism, builds lean muscle and decreases fat stores.

Aim to do a circuit-training session two to three times per week in which you do eight to 10 exercises, targeting the upper, lower-body and core back to back, with little rest in between to get your heart rate up and subsequently start sweating. Repeat the circuit three times.

Add high-intensity interval training, or HIIT, into your weekly workout program to sweat off unwanted pounds. According to American Council on Exercise, a high-intensity interval training workout not only burns more calories than a traditional moderately intense workout, but it increases the excess post-exercise oxygen consumption — EPOC — which means more calories are burned after you've finished your workout.

HIIT workouts involve alternating harder, all-out efforts with lighter recovery periods. A sample workout would be to sprint hard for 30 seconds followed by one minute of easy jogging; repeat eight to 10 times and include a five- to 10-minute warm-up and cool down. Do this type of workout twice a week with a day of rest or moderate-paced cardio between sessions.