Is Cardio necessary for losing stomach fat?

Many people hear the word “cardio” and their stomachs churn at the same time their motivation to lose weight plummets. Cardio, or aerobic, training is essential to any weight loss program. But you will be delighted to know that the idea of cardio that you picture in your head may not be what is required in order to lose stubborn stomach fat and show off your six pack abs.

No one questions the idea that cardio exercise is required to achieve a healthy body and ideal figure. But if this is true, then how come there are so many thin people out there who haven’t broken a sweat exercising in years? This observation might lead some to believe that cardio is not needed in order to lose body fat. Truthfully, cardio is a great what to burn calories, tone, and get your body into shape. It does not matter what your body type is. Unless a medical professional advises otherwise, most forms of cardio exercise are healthy for any person.

Many people think cardio involves mindlessly grinding away on a treadmill or stationary bike. This is a very narrow and traditional way of viewing cardio. It would certainly be very discouraging if these were the only forms of cardio exercise allowed! Cardio (also referred to as aerobic) exercise is any exercise that causes the cardiovascular system (your heart and lungs) to work hard at absorbing and transporting oxygen for an extended period of time.

So as long as you are keeping your heart rate up for more than twenty minutes, you are getting cardio exercise. This opens up the definition of cardio greatly. Outdoor activities like hiking, biking and skiing count. Even household chores, as long as you keep moving, can be considered light cardio. Some people even combine weight training into their workout so that they can achieve both cardio and strength exercise in one workout. The best way to do this is to incorporate light weight lifting movements into your workout, only one at a time, and to make sure more than one part of your body is moving at a time. For example, if you usually do some above the head lifts with hand weights, incorporate squats at the same time in order to keep your body moving and your heart rate pumping.