Losing weight with cardio: which cardio training can help you lose weight

Are you a few kilos overweight and have you decided to lose weight? Great job! Cardio can help you with that. In this article, we'll tell you how you can lose weight with cardio and if there might be better ways.

Can you lose weight with cardio?

In the past, if you wanted to lose a few kilos, you were immediately sent to the treadmill. But nowadays, we know that weight loss primarily happens in the kitchen. Eating fewer calories yields much more than increased burning. However, everything you do with exercise is additional burning and, therefore, a nice bonus. Cardio is part of that!

Advantages of cardio

Engaging in cardio helps you burn extra calories. But you also get more energy from it, which can be beneficial during weight loss. It also clears your mind, which is nice during weight loss when you probably experience a bit more stress than usual.

A quick note on weight loss

Before we delve deeper into weight loss with cardio, it's essential to understand the basics. To lose weight, you need to create a calorie deficit, meaning you consume fewer calories in a day than you burn. So, it's mainly about eating healthier, but exercise contributes to more burning and also helps. You can calculate your personal calorie needs here.

Read also: Our 9 Best Weight Loss Tips

Burning Fat with Cardio

Losing weight is primarily about burning fat, and it's important to maintain the right intensity. You burn more fat during exertion at 60 to 70 percent of your maximum heart rate than when you exert yourself to the maximum. If you can't hold a conversation during the exertion, you know you're pushing too hard.

Which form of cardio is most effective?

Just like choosing the right diet, the best way to lose weight with cardio is the form you can stick to—usually a form of cardio you enjoy. Brisk walking (read also: losing weight with walking), running with a podcast, jumping rope, rowing machine, or a HIIT workout—they are all good methods, as long as you maintain the right intensity.

Which cardio is best for belly fat?

Doing a specific exercise to lose fat in a particular area? Unfortunately, that's not possible. Much research has been done on this (2, 3, 4), but the conclusion is always that fat disappears everywhere in the body, not in specific places. It's not possible to lose belly fat with a specific form of cardio. However, you can target muscle building.

Cardio schedule for weight loss

We consider losing half a kilo per week to be healthy weight loss. You achieve this with a calorie deficit of 500 kcal. Our advice is to burn 250 kcal with cardio and adjust your diet to eat 250 kcal less. You can use this schedule.

• Monday: Half an hour brisk walking (260 kcal)

• Tuesday: 10 minutes jumping rope (87 kcal) + 10 minutes rowing machine (87 kcal) + 10 minutes elliptical trainer (87 kcal)

• Wednesday: Half an hour brisk walking (260 kcal)

• Thursday: Half an hour elliptical trainer (260 kcal)

• Friday: Half an hour brisk walking (260 kcal)

• Saturday: 10 minutes jumping rope (87 kcal) + 10 minutes HIIT workout (87 kcal) + 10 minutes elliptical trainer (87 kcal)

• Sunday: Half an hour brisk walking (260 kcal)

Tip: Use Orangefit Diet

If you do 30 minutes of cardio every day and reduce your calorie intake by 250 kcal, you will lose half a kilo per week. A smart way to achieve the latter is by replacing one meal a day with Orangefit Diet. An average meal contains 500 calories, while Orangefit Diet only has 250.

Our weight loss shakes are packed with good nutrients and proteins. Plus, they provide a feeling of fullness, which is handy during weight loss! Earlier this year, the Consumer Association rated our shake as the No. 1 in the meal replacement shakes test.

Losing weight with cardio or strength training?

If you want to lose weight by increasing your physical activity, it's actually better to choose strength training. It ensures better preservation of muscle mass, and you burn more calories—about 630 calories per hour, compared to 520 calories with cardio.

Read more: How to Lose Weight with Strength Training