8 Cardio Workouts For Fat Loss

Before having an insight into the best cardio workouts, you should also know that cardio is the third most important variable during your weight loss journey.

The first and the second most important variables in the weight loss journey are eating less to create a calorie deficit and weight training to amplify^[1] your metabolism and muscle loss.

So, if you are doing cardio but eating in a calorie surplus, then you may not see any weight loss. Due to this, it becomes crucial for you to perform cardio along with adhering to both these variables as well.

Now let’s have an insight into the best cardio workouts that you could follow at your home or even at the gym to lose weight.

1. Inclined Walking

   Walking in general has several benefits. On the other hand, inclined walking could be an ideal form of cardio workout for all people who like running^[2] but want to limit the amount of impact it may have on their bodies.

   As the name itself suggests, under this type of cardio workout, you may walk on an inclined floor that could help to burn as many calories as are burnt in running.

   At the same time, it may even improve your muscle endurance. When you walk on an inclined surface, it compels you to amplify your leg drive and lift your legs higher.

   Also, it may even evade overreaching with your stride. By performing this exercise for approximately one hour, you might burn anywhere from 224 to 310 calories.

2. Jump Rope

   Your major aim behind adding jump rope to your cardio workout session could be to strengthen your calf muscles and ameliorate the elasticity of the surrounding connective tissues and tendons.

   At the same time, the jump rope might even strengthen your arms muscles and the muscles of the abdomen.

   According to this 2021 study^[3], people may generally perform jump rope exercises for approximately 15 minutes as part of their daily moderate-intensity workout.

   Before performing jump rope, you need to go through the general instructions. First of all, you may lightly grip the handle of the jump rope and keep your elbows close to the torso.

   At the same time, relax your shoulders and gently bend your knees. You may need to make sure to keep a smooth arc curve when the rope passes overhead and rotate it from your wrist.

   Moreover, to truncate the impact on your ankles and knees, you could try jumping low.

3. Weight Training

   Weight training or resistance training could be an essential component^[4] of your weight loss journey. The reason behind this might be because, during weight training, the weight you lose could predominantly be the body fat and not the muscle.

   Weight training could even help you to build up muscle and enhance your metabolism. This means though you can eat more during weight training, you may even be able to lose weight.

   And if you didn’t already know, with just one hour of weight training, you could burn approximately 360 to 504 calories.

4. Swimming

   Another one of the greatest cardio workouts for weight loss on our list is swimming. While you swim, you are essentially combating gravity so that you remain afloat.

   This is done by your muscles, which may work extra hard to just help you get out of the water. Research^[5] suggests that you could burn approximately 14 calories in just one minute of fast swimming.

   The second you tread into the water, your body gets into a total body workout situation due to swimming. However, the type of stroke you make could make a major difference in the calories you burn.

   Due to this, if you are swimming as part of your cardio workout, then you may make sure to incorporate different types of strokes in your schedule.

   To take an example here, you should know that a breaststroke might burn fewer calories as compared to a butterfly stroke.

   However, if you are a newbie in the field, then you may swim as fast as possible and go down the length of the pool and back. Later on, you could swim slower for the same distance.

   Or you might even simply just swim in the water to burn calories and do a few laps with intervals in between. Then repeat the process. But if you are an advanced player in swimming, then you could swim at a high level for as long as possible.

5. Boxing

   If you do not enjoy workouts like inclined walking or simply running on a treadmill, then you could try out boxing.

   Boxing is an interactive cardio workout that may provide you with myriad benefits^[6] like helping you to burn calories, enhancing your back and shoulder endurance, and truncating the negative impact on your lower body.

   Apart from this, boxing could also be a great form of self-defense training and it could help you to burn approximately 600 to 800 calories with just one hour of high-intensity boxing training.

6. Cycling

   With the stationary bikes being quite a splurge in the gyms nowadays, you could even include cycling in your cardio workout if you are working out at home.

   However, while you cycle, make sure to amplify intensity^[7] in the initial few minutes and then slow it down for a minute or so. Then you could repeat these intervals for as long as you can.

   An average 180-pound man could burn anywhere near 1150 calories per hour with vigorous indoor cycling. On the other hand, in case you focus on a moderate ride, then you could burn half the amount of calories which may be equal to 675 calories per hour.

7. Squat Jumps

   As the name itself suggests, a squat jump is a combination of squats and jumps. This exercise could include the same movements of a squat along with a jump.

   Due to this, when you perform squat jumps as part of your cardio workout schedule, it could help to target your hamstrings, thighs, and buttocks.

   As you must already know, squats could help to amplify the flexibility^[8] of your hip, ankle, and knee joints. So to perform squats, all you need to do is to stand with your feet apart and keep your arms along the sides of the body.

   Then swing your arms backward and start doing squats until you form a 90-degree angle with your knee. Once done, swing your arms forward and jump. You can further repeat this process.

8. Rowing Machine

   If you are looking for the best cardio workouts for weight loss that you can do at your gym, then working on a rowing machine could be one.

   Since the rowing machine does not involve any weight it may be impact-free and proffer you a full-body workout. All you have to do is strap your feet to the platform and sit calmly in the seat.

   Then you need to pull the knees in and bend the legs. You can grip the oars by keeping your arms straight and pushing against the platform.

   While you push against the platform, you should make sure that you move your arms back and your body up. Studies^[9] say that it can help in significant fat loss and also have a positive effect on your body composition.