The Best Cardio & Exercise Way to Lose Weight

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| By Kimberly Nunley

Photo Credit run image by Byron Moore from Fotolia.com

To burn one pound of fat, you need to create a caloric deficit of 3,500 calories. Cardiovascular exercise is an efficient way to burn a significant amount of calories and therefore should be part of any strategy for those who want to lose weight. There are certain cardiovascular activities that are more effective than others because they burn more calories per unit of time. Dropping 500 calories a day would be a healthy pace of losing a pound per week. To help with motivation, add variety to your workout programs.

Step 1

Do cardio workouts five or six days per week. To effectively lose weight, you need to burn a significant amount of calories during the week.

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Step 2

Warm up with 10 minutes of jumping rope. Jumping rope is listed by the Mayo Clinic as one of the most efficient cardiovascular activities, burning 730 calories per hour in a 160-lb. individual. It's difficult to maintain for long periods, so incorporate it as a warmup. If you're unable to complete 10 minutes in the beginning, jump rope in short bouts and build your endurance.

Step 3

Complete 45 to 60 minutes of cardiovascular exercise. Choose from efficient activities such as running, which burns 986 calories per hour in a 160-lb. individual, or rollerblading, which burns 913 calories per hour. Purchase a good pair of running shoes and use a watch timer to keep track of your total exercise time.

Step 4

Exercise at the appropriate intensity. Make sure your heart rate is within the target training zone, which is 70 to 80 percent of your maximum heart rate. An easy way to determine whether your heart rate is at the right intensity is to imagine you have someone exercising next to you. You should be able to talk to the person, but it should be difficult to hold a conversation.

Step 5

Fit in short bursts of less-intense cardiovascular activity throughout your day. The more physical activity you can get in your day, the more calories you will burn. Take short breaks during your workday and fit in 10-minute walks. The multiple short exercise bouts will add up over the week to build on your overall caloric