How To Use Cardio Intervals To Lose Belly Fat

Exercise should be part of everyone's lifestyle to prevent disease, improve sleep, strengthen muscles and bones, improve brain health, and boost mood. If your goal is to shrink your midsection, you'll have to pick up the pace at the gym and be mindful of your diet. Cardio is king when it comes to maximizing belly fat loss. The more calories you torch during your cardio workouts, the more fat you burn. That's where interval training comes into play. We spoke with an expert who shares exactly how to use cardio intervals to melt belly fat.

What Are Cardio Intervals?

fit woman running outdoors, best running shoes concept — Shutterstock

"Cardio intervals are a great tactic for burning belly fat because they allow you to be specific with your approach," explains Michael Thorsten, certified personal trainer and club leader at Life Time Beachwood. "Yes, all exercise burns some fat, but certain exercise done at a certain intensity will allow you to burn much, much, more. This is the magic of cardio intervals; it allows you to target body fat in this intentional way."

Cardio intervals that switch between low and moderate intensity will burn the most body and belly fat. This alternation of intensities also helps control cortisol and stress levels, which can be a major roadblock between you and losing belly fat.

5 Total-Body Workouts To Melt Your 'Apron Belly'

What Form of Cardio Works Best in Interval Training for Belly Fat Loss?

two older adults doing indoor cycling at the gym — Shutterstock

"When picking the type of cardio you are doing, there is no activity or modality that is more effective than others," Thorsten stresses. "The magic of intervals is all created by the change in your heart rate. We need to see your heart rate go up for a period of time and then see it come back down. This can be accomplished by running, biking, swimming, anything!"

Choose a cardio activity that doesn't cause discomfort and the one you will most likely stick with.

People Swear 'Zone 2 Walking' Is the Secret to Weight Loss: 'Simple & Effective'

How Long To Perform Cardio Intervals To See Results

man running outdoors, concept of daily workout to improve endurance — Shutterstock

When your goal is fat loss, every minute you work out counts. After all, the more you exercise, the greater the number of fat calories you'll burn.

"You must monitor the stress being put on your body with this activity. More stress equals more cortisol, [which] equals less fat loss," Thorsten tells us. "It is also important to consider that if we are focused on losing belly fat, we cannot just be doing these cardio intervals. We must leave some time throughout the week for strength training."

Here's How Long Your Treadmill Workout Should Be To Shrink Belly Fat

For these reasons, Thorsten recommends performing two to three cardio interval sessions each week. Keep in mind that these workouts shouldn't leave you feeling fatigued. Twenty to 30-minute workouts typically get the job done when completed at a low to moderate intensity.

"Combined with proper nutrition, one can expect to see meaningful results in as little as a month," Thorsten explains. "That being said, any time we change up the activity regimen, I always ask clients to try to stick to a new habit for 12 weeks to measure its effectiveness."