What are the best exercises for burning fat ?

There are too many exercises for burning fat to cover in this space. But the majority of calorie burning exercises fall under the category of cardio.

Cardio as its name implies is any exercise routine that focuses on working your heart. Of course all physical activities work the heart, but cardio uses repetitive steady movements of legs and arms to maintain the elevated heart rate over the workout duration.

Cardio offers a bunch of benefits, it improves heart, lung and circulatory health, it improves digestion and elevates the mood, there is even a name for the good feeling one gets after a good run “the runners high”. Such a good mood plays a role in building the exercise habit.

The weak point in cardio is the lack of muscle building; which means you should include muscle building exercises if you want the best calorie burn.

Now let's get down to the more details of exercises for burning fat. First a general note about the calorie burning routine including frequency, intensity and duration

Frequency

It is better to do cardio 2 or more times per week.

Intensity

Cardio should be performed at an intensity that gets the heart rate to 50-85 % of maximum heart rate. To calculate your maximum heart rate , subtract your age from 220, if you are 40 your max heart rate is 180.

Duration

30 minutes on average .Some high intensity systems, can use shorter durations.

There is a vast selection of cardio options, varying on the simplicity-complexity scale as well as ease –difficulty scale. And I recommend that you choose a cardio workout that you enjoy. This is an important point in your success. Read on, try different options according to your circumstances and aptitude but by the end of the day, as Nike says just do it.

Running naturally comes on the top of the list of exercises for burning fat; It is a natural activity that needs no previous training, we learned to run shortly after we learned to crawl and take our first steps and you can do it anywhere. You don’t need special equipment other than a good pair of shock absorbing running shoes.

Running works every muscle in your body and I mean every muscle, not just your legs, you need in addition your core muscles and you will be moving your shoulder girdle muscles. The more muscles you work the greater the calorie burn.

And there is one more reason, Matthew McConaughey’s six pack abs! , those stunning abs did not come from thousands of crunches or sit ups , but according to Matthew’s tweets , he runs regularly in addition to using light weights for his resistance workouts.

But before jumping out of the door, you need some preparation

• Before you run you must walk, start by brisk walking for 5 minutes, build up to 30 minutes, then start running for 5 minutes alternating with walking for one minute , gradually increase the run portion until you reach 30 minutes of continuous running.
• Watch your form, stay relaxed , keep your chest up and avoid leaning forward.
• And for a comfortable run, invest in high quality running shoes.

Get the full benefits of outdoor run in the comfort and safety of your home .As a bonus you will not miss your favorite show while you run.

Even if you don’t like running or cannot run because of joint problems, you still can walk briskly and get most of the benefits of running. But you will need to extend the duration

Bicycling gives the same advantages of running with the added advantage of being a low impact activity which is good for those with knee and back problems.

In addition bicycling can help you get a curvy body

One of the simplest exercises for burning fat. Start with 5 minutes at a slow pace then build speed and duration gradually.

Soft landing is important in all jumping and running activities, and make sure you use good shock-absorbent athletic shoes .

You can do this using a stepper or simply the stairs. It burns calories, conditions your heart and your leg muscles. For fun and variety use one of the many instructional DVDs on step aerobics.

Shadow boxing is a fun activity that burns tons of calories .Make sure to involve your total body; your shoulders, arms and your core muscles, the punch should come from your waist and legs not simply the shoulder. To avoid injury be careful not to snap your elbows.

This is a great workout. It works the whole body, it is low impact. Even during winter you can swim indoor; so many clubs offer covered heated pools .

This is another great sport .you can enjoy the outdoor version or the indoor machine version; rowing puts more emphasis on upper body although you will have a decent quadriceps workout in the process.

Why not combine the fun of listening to your favorite music with the joy of burning calories and sculpting a curvy body .Select a fast beat and start burning to the rhythm.

Hope by now your heart is already pumped up

For best results however, you should get up and get moving