Trim Your Belly With This Incline Cardio Workout, Fitness Expert Says
A key question that arises when you're trying to burn belly fat is, "which form of exercise is most effective for me?" According to Kelly Najjar, NBC-HWC, a personal trainer on Fyt, the biggest personal training service in the nation that makes expert-guided fitness convenient for everyone, the answer is actually quite simple: one that you'll stick with! "Both strength training and cardio burn calories, which is important in weight loss. However, there is more to cardio than simply burning calories that you don't want to miss," Najjar says. That's why we're here to spruce up your routine with an incline cardio workout that'll trim your midsection and get you into shape.
This plan comes with a caveat. You've likely heard that targeting one specific area of your body—aka spot reduction—is a myth. And it is! But, this workout can help you burn fat all over your body, including your belly. So keep reading to learn more, and next, don't miss 7 At-Home Exercises To Reduce Belly Fat in 30 Days.
The benefits of cardio for weight loss:
When trying to lose weight, it's common to rev up the amount of nutritious whole foods you consume, such as veggies, fruits, and seafood, Najjar says. "Imagine small medicine bottles covering the lining of your arteries. The vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and phytonutrients help your blood to flow easier through your body," she adds. "Doing cardio exercises causes a sheer force as the blood flows over the medicine bottles. As the bottles open, natural medicines are released to heal inflammation, elevate your mood, and more."
The benefits Najjar mentions, including lowering inflammation and boosting your mood, will have you craving more. Knowing you'll feel this good after performing cardio, you'll likely feel even more motivated to increase the amount of exercise you do. "In turn, you will burn additional calories, creating a larger calorie deficit and a greater weight loss," Najjar says. This is a totally positive chain of events.
The benefits of incline cardio for weight loss:
In order to speed up weight loss and give your hamstrings and glutes a solid tone, incorporating an incline treadmill routine into your fitness regimen is the way to go, according to Sunny Health & Fitness. Incline walking will raise your heart rate, which in turn will help your body torch a greater amount of calories while you're working up a sweat.
This incline cardio workout will help you burn fat all over:
Check out this incline treadmill workout to boost your blood flow and heart rate and sculpt lean muscle. You'll need a set of light hand weights on deck for this routine. Start walking at a comfortable pace on the treadmill, and raise the incline. You'll essentially be climbing a hill. You should complete a warm-up for five minutes.
"[Assume a] slow comfortable speed until you are used to each move," Najjar instructs. "You can increase and decrease the speed as needed for each move. Start by practicing the exercise without weights and incorporate the weights once you are comfortable with the movement."
Now, let's get into the meat of the workout!
- For two minutes, lift your knees up high with every step you take in order to "wake up" your core and quads. Utilize the muscles in your abs and thighs to raise your knees.
- For the next three minutes, assume a normal incline pace.
- For one minute, take hold of your hand weights, raising them up to the height of your shoulders, and press them above your head to complete a shoulder press.
- For the next three minutes, assume a normal incline pace.
- For one minute, grab the hand weights once again to perform as many bicep curls as you can in that timeframe.
- For the next three minutes, assume a normal incline pace.
- For two minutes on each side, turn your body to the right for side steps. Repeat on your left side. This will activate your inner and outer thigh muscles.
- For the next three minutes, assume a normal incline pace.
- For the final five minutes, lower the incline so it's flat, and cool down.
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