Get Fit with Ayla

by Ayla Riggle

Ayla Riggle is an Everett resident and owner of Thrive Fitness, providing customized fitness programs for all fitness levels.  Certified by the American Council on Exercise as a Personal Fitness trainer, she provides personal training in home, at Anytime Fitness in Lake Stevens and outdoor fitness boot camps. For more information on Ayla and her services, visit www.thrivefitness.info.

Firing up fat-burning furnaces with cardio is an energizing way to achieve a healthy body, mind and life. There seems to be a lot of cardio confusion, and I'm here to clear that up and direct the way towards doing the most effective cardio, and stop wasting time with stuff that doesn't work.

In order to burn fat, the body must be in a caloric deficit. A combination of cardio, clean eating and weight training will accomplish this. I will cover the latter two in part two and three of this fat loss series.



Cardio, a key for fat loss

Cardio, also known as aerobics, is any form of exercise that elevates the heart rate for a prolonged period of time. Fat is like a fire, it needs oxygen to fuel and burn it. When cardio is performed, like running, you are consuming more oxygen, therefore burning more fat. To get the most out of cardio, it's important to do the right type, intensity and amount.

Best types of cardio for fat loss

The two types of fat-burning cardio are steady state and interval training. Steady state is cardio exercise performed for 30-60 minutes at a consistent training zone of 55-85 percent of your max heart rate.

Interval can be performed for 20-30 minutes, at intensities ranging from 85 percent and higher of maximum heart rate during the "work interval," followed up with "recovery intervals" that bring the heart rate down. Interval training is not for the faint of heart and should be tried after developing a base of cardio fitness. Because it is more taxing on the body, it increases excess post-exercise oxygen consumption (EPOC), therefore revving the metabolism for hours following the workout.

With steady state, you burn more calories than interval during the exercise, because it's performed longer, but the body EPOC isn't as high, and the metabolism is only slightly elevated after it is performed. Both forms are effective. I recommend trying a combination of both each week.

Intensity of cardio for fat loss

To maximize the body's fat-burning abilities, it's important to determine a target heart rate training zone. To determine training zone, subtract your age from 220 and multiply the number by the desired intensity. Make sure to gauge how you are feeling in addition to what a heart rate monitor says. Example on determining training zone: A 25-year-old plans on doing steady state cardio at 65 percent of her max heart rate:

220-25=195x65%=150bpm (beats per minute) heart rate.



Putting it all together

Developing a fat loss plan incorporating cardio, clean eating and weight training is simple when you know your stuff. Use the tips on type, intensity and amount of cardio listed and you will be on your way to reaching your goals. Check back for part 2, covering fat loss weight training, and part 3, covering fat loss eating basics. If you have any questions, I'm always listening.