How to burn fat fast!

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How often do you find exercise crossed of your to do list? Not because you’ve done it but because you’ve decided not to do it! Maybe you’re not sure what type of exercise to do, maybe you can’t face leaving the house or perhaps you just don’t have the time.

The number one reason cited for not exercising is lack of time. Well, I’ve got the smart solution for you. You don’t need any fancy equipment, you don’t need to be super fit to get started and more importantly you don’t need a huge chunk of time. You just have to be prepared for some good old fashioned working out in the comfort and security of your own home.

What you do need is 30 minutes three times a week and three exercises you can perform with good technique. This could be running on the spot, a box press up and a squat or lunges, the plank and a get up which simply means lying on the floor and getting up – over and over again!

The number one reason cited for not exercising is lack of time.

The Smart Solution: HIIT

HIIT or High Intensity Interval Training simply means exercising at an intensity that keeps your heart rate high and taking only short breaks between each work interval so that your heart rate doesn’t drop back down by too much.

Regular HIIT workouts will transform your body. The high intensity mix of cardio and resistance training impacts the levels of hormones being released and switches on your body’s ability to burn fat rather than store it. If you’re interested in the geeky hormones stuff like me read on. If not, skip down to The Routine and start burning fat fast!

The geeky hormone stuff

When you exercise at high intensity, the hormones adrenalin and cortisol are released and this causes lactic acid to build up in your muscles. A lactic acid build up in the muscles causes your ‘building and burning’ hormones testosterone and Human Growth Hormone to be released too.

It’s the combination of all these hormones: adrenalin, cortisol, testosterone and human growth hormone, being produced in the correct amount, that promotes an overall fat burning environment within your body.

High intensity activity is also known to have a short term impact on your ‘hunger hormones’, ghrelin and leptin. Ghrelin levels drop and leptin levels increase so you don’t get that hunger message so frequently after a HIIT session.

The Afterburn

By far, the best thing about HIIT is the excess post oxygen consumption better known as the afterburn effect.

When you work at a higher intensity, more of your energy is coming from your glycogen stores than your fat stores. But, when the exercise session finishes your body has to replace those glycogen stores that you’ve used and to do that it burns fat.

For some of you, that fat burning to replenish your glycogen stores will continue for an incredible 36 hours after your HIIT session ends.

That’s right 36 hours!

The Routine
  • Warm up – it’s really important not skip this and it doesn’t have to be complicated. Why not have a dance around the kitchen to your favourite tune, you just need to get your heart rate up and your body and mind prepared for exercise.
  • Choose your three exercises for example, running on the spot, a press up and a squat and perform each exercise for 30 seconds back to back.
  • Keep repeating that circuit of three exercises until you can’t possibly continue or your technique fails.
  • Rest and recover until you feel like you can start again.
  • Repeat the exercise and rest period sequence for up to a maximum of 20 minutes, depending on your current fitness level.
  • Finish with some stretching to cool down.

It may be that the first time you try this, you’re only be able to run on the spot for 30 seconds and do a couple of press ups before you need to rest. Over time your fitness levels will increase and you’ll soon be able to perform all three exercises a few times before you need to rest.

Other less intense forms of exercise will get you fit, keep you healthy and are excellent for your mental well being but if you want to balance out your hormones and burn fat fast then you need to exercise at a high intensity.

So, what are you waiting for? Choose your three exercises, get started with your HIIT routines and I guarantee you’ll be seeing results in as little as two weeks.

Share this blog with your friends so they can exercise the smart way too!

About the author

Julie Dennis is a weight loss specialist for women over 40 and through menopause. She is WATC's new fitness and health blogger. Follow Julie’s blog or visit: www.juliedennis.net.
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