To lose weight properly, you first need professional advice. In addition, you require a routine that includes strength and cardio exercises.
Regular physical activity and exercise helps build one of the most beneficial lifestyle habits . In this way, you can stay fit, healthy and in good spirits. However, when the intention is to improve body composition and combat being overweight, is it likely to lose weight practicing only cardio?
Most often, the main reason to start exercising is weight. Wanting to decrease a few sizes and feel healthy in the process is totally normal for people. Despite this, it becomes necessary to take into account various aspects of training , weight loss and planning to achieve goals.
Losing weight by practicing only cardio
Cardiovascular exercises are considered one of the main training tools . These offer a series of benefits to the body, among which fat burning stands out.
Therefore, losing weight practicing only cardio comes to be approached as an alternative to develop various workouts. It is even used sometimes as the only method of training during the week.
In order to maintain a healthy life, it is advisable to do a minimum of physical exercise on a regular basis, and cardiovascular exercises are a good option. However, if the goal is focused on losing weight, things change .
Cardiovascular exercises and weight loss
Cardiovascular exercises are made up of prolonged activities over time, with low or moderate intensities. Generally they are usually reflected in sports such as cycling, running , swimming and the like.
These cardiovascular activities use the body’s fat stores as the main fuel . Therefore, its regular practice favors increased metabolism and fat loss.
Weight loss can be favored with cardiovascular exercise , but the adaptation process emerges as an adverse effect on the goals.
Generally, the cardio routine has a minimum duration of 30 minutes; during this time, increased metabolism is favored. In people just starting out, this contributes to fat burning and weight loss.
However, after a certain amount of time, the adaptation process does its own thing . Thus, a 30-minute routine does not have the same effect and must be prolonged more and more.
This is recognized as “the aerobic exercise trap .” Each time the adaptation process reaches its aerobic threshold in the body, the benefits regarding fat burning will not be the same and the routine will have to increase its duration.
So, can you lose weight doing just cardio? Weight loss can be achieved through this training , but by itself, the effects will not be as good.
Work out strength exercises with cardio
Based on the above, the benefits of aerobic exercise with regard to weight loss cannot be denied . However, by itself it will not have the effects and results you want.
Right at the time that adaptation occurs, strength training must be included, in order to work in conjunction with cardio. In this way, the burning of calories will be increased and the body will not suffer an imbalance at the bone and muscle level.
Strength exercises contribute to the increase of muscle mass . The larger the muscles, the greater the metabolism and caloric expenditure. In addition to cardiovascular exercise, fat will be the most used as fuel with the combination of both.
Caloric expenditure, training and weight loss
Even if the goal is focused on weight loss, as mentioned at the beginning, you must differentiate the terms. The weight of the body is summarized in the body composition : water, muscles, bones, fat, organs, among others.
Instead, fat is a substance stored in the body as adipose tissue that is used as an energy reserve. Storing it in excess causes the body to take on a voluminous, flabby appearance and favors overweight and obesity .
Therefore, what you really want is not so much to lose weight yes or yes, but rather to lose fat . To achieve this, you need to include aerobic exercises, strength and reduce the consumption of calories through diet.
Remember that weight loss is linked to the calories you use during the day and those you consume in your meals. A balance between both aspects is necessary for the body to be healthy.
It is not recommended to lose weight practicing only cardio
If you only perform cardio exercises, you will not only lose fat , but the volume of your muscles may decrease. Also, the adaptation process will disrupt fat burning on a regular basis.
In that order of ideas, we advise you to carry out a process with professionals in which weight exercise is included along with aerobic exercise . Both the nutritionist and the coach must work together for weight loss to be healthy.
