Jelly Belly Be Gone

It’s tough to know exactly how much cardio an individual needs to effectively lose unwanted belly fat without knowing habits like:

• How many calories you eat
• How hard you exercise
• Your metabolism, age and gender
• Your fitness level
• Your body fat percentage and weight
• Your exercise schedule

The American Heart Association recommend about 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous intensity activity on most days of the week. That said, here are some tips for setting up an effective cardio program:

• If you’re a beginner, start with 3 to 4 days of the cardio exercise of your choice, working at a level you can handle.
• Add time each week to work your way up to 30 to 45 minutes of continuous exercise.
• As you get stronger, try some high intensity training with periodic rests, once a week to help boost endurance and burn more calories.
• Work your way up to 5 to 6 days of cardio and try to vary what you do and how hard you work.

This sample cardio schedule may help you set up your own program. Bottom line, cardio will help you lose unwanted fat. But it is most effective when combined with strength training and a healthy, low-calorie diet.