I found this in the February/March 2006 issue of “Light & Tasty”
What is the best kind of exercise to burn fat? I’ve heard that vigorous exercise burns sugar but not fat. Does that mean I should avoid strenuous workouts if I want to burn fat?
—P.M., Columbus, IndianaDuring a workout, your body uses up excess sugar first. This is because the body burns carbohydrates before turning its attention to any stored fat.
The longer your exercise sessions last, the more chances your body has to tackle stored fat and the more calories you burn overall.
Easy to moderate, prolonged exercise is key because the average person can work out at a moderate pace for longer than if he or she exercised vigorously. In other words, most people are more likely to walk for a longer period of time than they are to jog.
Strenuous exercise can help you shed pounds if you use a special technique called interval training. This type of workout relies on a session of easy activity that’s accompanied by short bursts of vigorous exercise. For instance, consider breaking up your daily walk with a few short bursts of jogging.
Because the high-energy jogging shouldn’t cause excessive fatigue, you should still be able to complete the route of your daily walk. As such, you will burn more calories than if you jogged a short distance.
No matter what form of exercise you enjoy, keep in mind that you’ll generally shed fat and pounds if you consistently burn more calories than you consume.
12:16 pm
Walk and jog. That’s what I try to do when I use to go to the track. I don’t know if I can use the high school track here but plan on trying. Better on the knees for the short bursts of energy.
1:17 pm
That is awesome and very helpful. I already do this type of exercising. I try to do fast, slow, fast at 3 minute intervals for at least 30 minutes. Thanks!
3:09 pm
Great info, thanks for sharing. I haven’t done any jogging for years – like maybe 8 or 9 years ago – when I was in school but its definately something to consider. Thanks.
Take Care
Ivoryfrog x
6:04 pm
The last paragraph says it all, I think. As my doctor says, the secret is simple: eat less, move more.
7:14 pm
The exercise that works best is the one you’ll actually stick to… It’s a good article; I think a lot of people think you have to practically kill yourself when working out to get anywhere. But it’s really that old Slow And Steady Wins The Race thing.
11:54 am
I do know that if you are brisk walking you should be able to carry on a conversation, or else you are working too hard. Thank you for all of this great info!
3:28 pm
I heard from a friend who is a personal trainer that keeping your heart rate at a certain level will burn more calories – for instance at age 28 (I am female) my heart rate should be about 125 – meaning I am at only doing a brisk walk. I use to run – but this friend said keeping my heart rate at about 125 was better for fat burn. Is that right?
12:26 pm
For me, a couple of the best things to do are, drink water and eat more fiber. These coupled with exercise are about as good as anything I’ve found so far.