Cardiovascular exercise can really benefit your fat burning if you know how to do it effectively. Below are some answers to typical questions pertaining to this subject.

Will cardiovascular exercise help me lose weight?

What is the most effective way to burn fat when participating in cardiovascular exercise?

How many times a week should I train for cardio?

How long should my cardio sessions last?

What type of cardio exercise should I do?

Will walking everyday help me get into better shape?

What is my target heart rate?

I have been walking and running for the past couple months. Why do I not look different?

Is it better to do cardio for long or short distances?

What if I am always out of breath when I do cardio?

Is it true that you burn more fat calories when you walk as opposed to running?

I'm overweight; will cardio be bad on my joints?

A: Yes. Cardiovascular exercise is very effective for weight loss. Any type of cardio training that is progressive in nature will have a tremendous impact speeding up your metabolism not only during the activity but for many hours afterward. Ultimately, weight loss from cardio comes from burning calories. There are 3500 calories in 1 pound of fat. If you can create a deficit, burning more calories then you consume, you will lose weight. To give you an idea, you use 1 quart of oxygen in 5 minutes of walking so you burn about 5 calories. If you run this amount doubles to 2 quarts so you expend 10 calories. So, in about 1 hour of walking you burn 300 calories, and running would equate 600 calories expended.
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 Q: What is the most effective way to burn fat when participating in cardiovascular exercise?

A: This question has always been controversial. Typically, your body initially burns sugar (glucose), fat (fatty acids), then muscle (muscle glycogen). However, your body is constantly burning these fuels at the same. The percentage of each increases depending on food intake, activity and rest. People in good shape will burn fat sooner then individuals with a higher body fat percentage. To maximize fat burning for cardio exercise you can try a couple things.

When you first wake up in the morning your blood sugar levels are low. Your fasting state from sleep has burned most of it off. When you perform any type of cardio first thing in the morning on an empty stomach, the first fuel source your body taps into is fat. This enables you to burn 300% more fat than doing exercise after food consumption. It's also effective to do your cardio workouts in the morning because you can really give your body a good boost. You will most likely be replenishing your body fuel source needs (glycogen) because your metabolism will be at an elevated state. You won't be storing calories as fat.

Another alternative to burning large amounts of fat are high intensity workouts. Although it has been known that when you do long sustained cardio exercise at a low intensity you burn a higher amount of fat calories. You burn more total calories in a quicker amount of time when you do short high intensity cardio routines. You have a greater increase in oxygen consumption, and also make significant gains with your aerobic work capacity. This in essence speeds up your fat burning process. Doing intense cardio sessions are very effective in stimulating metabolic rate and fat burning, but they are also more difficult to maintain. Just choose what works best for you.

Another way to expend your fat is waiting 3 hours after you eat something. It generally takes 3 hours for your body to digest food. Your blood sugar levels will be below normal so when you perform cardio you will burn fat at a more productive state.
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 Q: How many times a week should I train for cardio?

A: This depends on your goals. If you want to burn a whole lot of fat you can do cardio everyday. However, for people first starting a cardio program this would not be a good idea. Generally, a good frequency to start off at is 2-3 times a week. Once you become more advanced it would be possible to increase this number. Just realize that your body works at the efficiency you put it through.

Your body is designed to either burn or store fat. It's always recommended that you try to stay active even if you don't want to do cardio.
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 Q: How long should my cardio sessions last?

A: No longer than an hour. This question is similar to strength training duration. It's not necessary to work beyond an hour because you will put too much burden on your body. Two hours a day is possible. But, you should get sufficient nourishment, rest and recovery in between and you must spread your work outs apart. For instance, you could do one session in the morning and the other at night. Performing cardio twice a day however is only recommended for people competing in body building or a marathon, both of which are at the extreme end of exercising.
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 Q: What type of cardio exercise should I do?

A: Some people who are beginners prefer to do low intensity aerobic activities such as; walking, jogging, rollerblading, hiking, biking, skiing, or swimming. Others who have more experience prefer to do more high intensity cardio routines such running, spinning, wind sprints, jump roping, intense aerobics classes, or cross country exercise that involves uneven ground.

There are many different types of cardiovascular exercise for people with different levels of experience. You should never force your body to do something that exceeds your current fitness level. You should choose an activity that you enjoy and can stick to. Once you have grown more accustomed, then you can try something harder. As long as you're doing something, you'll be on your way to a better body and healthier lifestyle.
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 Q: Will walking everyday help me get into better shape?

A: Yes it will, but you must understand that you have to push yourself harder or longer each time you perform it. You also must combine healthy eating habits and resistance training for an overall benefit. Walking will get you in shape. But, if you continually do the same walking routine your body will in essence look the same.

If you walk on your treadmill every morning at a speed of 3.5, and your duration is 30 minutes. You should try to increase these numbers day by day. Even if this means going up one notch with your speed, or 30 more seconds with your duration. Your goal is to push yourself harder than the previous session.
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 Q: What is my target heart rate?

A: Target heart rate is an excellent gauge to monitor your heart rate while doing cardiovascular training. If gives you an idea of what heart rate you should have depending on the intensity of your exercise and your fitness level. If you are first starting an exercise program you should use this tool to avoid overexerting yourself. The Karvonen formula also known as maximal oxygen uptake is used to equate your target heart rate. The following example will help you figure out your target heart rate.

 Q: I have been walking and running for the past couple months. Why do I not look different?

A: There could be a couple reasons for this occurrence. First, you are not implementing an effective strength training program. When you perform aerobic exercise such as walking and running you primarily burn fat for fuel. However, you do not build muscle. When you combine cardiovascular exercise and strength training you will be able to transform your body.

Strength training brings out definition and gives your body a sculpted looking appearance . For example, if an individual's body is shaped like a pear, and all they do is cardio, they will just end up looking like a smaller version of the original pear. You must combine strength training to change your body.

Also, it is possible that you are not eating properly. In order to alter your body's appearance, you must stabilize your blood sugar levels, or in other words, eat small frequent meals every 2-3 hours. This helps you burn fat efficiently because you are speeding up your metabolism while avoiding to over eat. (Please see Nutrition Questions to get more information about this)

Another contributor to the lack of progress you are making may be the intensity of your cardiovascular workouts. Remember, you must push yourself harder then the previous time you exercised. If you can't do something harder, then you need to do something different. This will challenge your body, avoiding it not to adapt. Combine these 3 components and it should help you see positive changes!
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 Q: Is it better to do cardio for long or short distances?

A: Both are effective for getting in shape depending on your goals. Cardio exercise at long distances can help you burn a significant amount of calories. Performing it for short distances can also be effective. The intensity at which you do the exercises is key to getting the results you want. For instance, if you walk for one hour it's the same as running hard for 15 minutes. Everyone has different agendas when it comes cardio training. The bottom line is the harder you work yourself whether it is long or short, the better your results will be.
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 Q: What if I am always out of breath when I do cardio?

A: You should lower your intensity if this continually happens. When you are out of breath your body is being inefficient with the oxygen it is receiving. Consequently, oxygen goes into your lungs and your body spits it right back out. High intensity exercise that you are not used to doing, may lead to hyperventilation, dehydration and dizziness.

The best advice would be to perform cardio that your body can handle while sufficiently taking in oxygen at the same time. A good indicator of this is called the talk test. If you can talk while doing your aerobic exercise, and not be out of breath, this indicates an adequate intensity level.
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 Q: Is it true that you burn more fat calories when you walk as opposed to running?

A: Yes it is true. This goes back to an earlier question. You do burn more fat calories when you walk, and when you run, you burn more sugar calories. But, the big difference between the two is that you burn more total calories when you run. It doesn't matter if you are burning more fat calories.

When you do high intensity aerobics or running, you speed up your body's metabolic rate, helping you burn fat more efficiently. The reason for this is that when you eat you are replenishing your glycogen stores (stored muscle) as opposed to storing these calories as fat because your metabolism has been increased to such a dramatic rate.
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 Q: I'm overweight; will cardio be bad on my joints?

A: It is possible. You just have to be proactive about the situation. If you have bad joints from being overweight try to do an activity that is soft on the joints such as walking, swimming, slow jogging or outdoor recreational sports. You could also try an elliptical machine or other types of low impact cardio equipment that decreases the burden on the joints. You should try to avoid high intensity activities that are on hard surfaces.
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For more information regarding cardiovascular training check out our Free Fitness Articles section.