Health Tips

How to Burn Fat With Cardio

August 29, 2009
By J White

The simplest way to lose weight is to burn fat with cardio. Diet is of course important, but by burning fat with cardio, you can see results in as little as two or three days.

There are certain things that you need to keep in mind before, during and after your cardio workout to make it safe and more effective.

The first and probably most overlooked is to stretch. Before you start to jog, get on a stair-master, or treadmill, it’s important to warm up your muscles. Going from sedentary to active in a matter of moments can cause you to easily sprain or tear a muscle. By taking 3 to 5 minutes to stretch your legs and back can save you from a lot of pain in the end. And by the way, make sure that you don’t bounce.

Once you begin, start off slow. This also helps to warm up your muscles. After about 2 to 3 minutes, increase your intensity enough to get in your fat burning zone. This will depend on your weight, age and level of fitness. Once you’re in that zone, try to maintain it for at least 20 minutes. 30 to 45 minutes is even better.

After you’ve finished, you need to cool down. Continue to move around and allow yourself to catch your breath. This helps to remove lactic acid from your muscles. After you’ve cooled down, perform some post-exercise stretching. Your muscles have been performing a repetitive motion for a while, so you want to make sure that they don’t tear or have spasms because of some sudden movement. Stretching also helps in the removal of lactic acid and other by-products of exercise.

Keep these tips in mind and not only will you be able to burn fat with cardio, you’ll reduce your risk of injury and help to speed up your recovery afterwards.

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