Fitness & Training Tips

by Krystal Crawford

It's important to incorporate exercise whenever we can with some individuals might want to enhance performance as well as burn fat. Below are five useful tips and tricks to exercising that may help to burn stubborn fat and promote better well-being.

1. Exercise in the Morning on an Empty Stomach

When burning fat is the goal, it's best to exercise first thing in the morning on an empty stomach. To prevent dehydration, drink a large glass of water with a touch of salt or a high-quality electrolyte supplement drink mix. Morning exercise burns 200% more body fat than exercising at any other time of day because there isn’t glycogen (stored carbohydrates) in the liver to burn, so the body has to go directly into the fat stores to utilize energy necessary to complete the task.

2. Cardio Exercise After Weight Training

It takes approximately 20-30 minutes of exercise to drain the glucose immediately available for energy, making this a critical and only time to start to burn more body fat. Glycogen stores are depleted quickly when weight training exercises are done before cardio, which means experiencing fat loss sooner. Lifting weights first encourage the mindset of having tons of energy to focus on correct posture, reducing the chance of injury.

3. Add Variety to Your Exercise Regime

When one type of exercise is done consistently, muscles become used to it and don’t work as hard because the workouts are easier, causing fewer calories burned. Changing exercise regime frequently will allow the muscles to work harder, increased heart rate, and increased calories burned.

4. Change the Exercise Duration

It's important to change the duration of exercise to prevent the body from adjusting to the constant level of activity. When the body adapts to a specific kind of exercise, it’s easier for the muscles to perform that exercise, eventually leading to reduced resistance training and increased muscle loss.

5. Reduce Cortisol

High levels of cortisol can interfere with losing weight, increasing the risk for a variety of health issues. It’s also important to know that cortisol and testosterone interfere with each other; the more aerobic work is done, the more cortisol is released, and less testosterone is available to help build muscle. Aside from cutting back on excessive and intense exercise, getting an adequate amount of sleep is a simple way to lower cortisol.