Best Exercise For Belly Fat at Home (+ Awesome Printable) 👈

Is there a specific time of day that’s best for cardio exercises for losing belly fat?

The best time of day to do cardio exercises for losing belly fat is as follows.

If you’re a morning person, do your workout as soon as possible after you wake up. Your goal is to get your workout done before 11am.

If you’re a night owl, do your workout right before dinner. So for example, if dinner is at 6:30pm, do your workout around 5:30pm

If you are neither a morning person nor a night owl, do your workout around 1:30pm

These are the best times for you to workout because they are based on your biology (chronotype).

If your schedule does not allow you to exercise during the time that is biologically best for you, try to identify things you can deprioritize.

For example, maybe you’re a morning person and book club is at 9am. You might want to consider deprioritizing book club so you can exercise.

Perhaps there is another book club that meets over lunch. That kind of thing.

If there truly is no hope to exercise at your ideal time, then pick a time that is close to your ideal time even if it is not perfect and stick to it.

You will have the most energy, highest motivation, adherence and consistency when you use this approach to exercise timing.

How long does it take to see results from cardio exercises if I want to lose belly fat?

The time it takes to see results from cardio exercises in regards to belly fat loss varies from person to person as it depends on several factors such as age, gender, body composition, diet, and the intensity and duration of the workout. However, consistent cardio exercises coupled with a healthy diet can help reduce belly fat within a few weeks to a few months.

I like to give the general guideline of – give yourself 4 weeks to start to see physical changes. If you are doing my workouts, you will feel a difference immediately on day 1. This is the feedback I have received from thousands of women. But to start to SEE the changes, and have other people notice, you need at least 4 weeks minimum.

Cardio exercises such as jumping jacks, high knees, squat jacks, running, cycling, swimming, and brisk walking are effective in burning calories and reducing body fat, including belly fat. To achieve significant results, try to exercise for 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week.

If that feels out of reach, start wherever you’re at and build up to the recommendation above. It is perfectly normal to start with just a 10 minute workout 3 days a week.

Quick Note – on Intensity of Belly Fat Workouts

There is a misconception that the intensity of the workout is the most important thing. Yes, intensity plays a role. But your consistency is far more important. The person that does a low impact workout everyday is going to see more progress in 1 year than the person that did the hardest workout ever for only 2 months and then fell off.

So forget about high-intensity interval training (HIIT) if it is not for you. Listen to your body and give it what it needs and can handle.

Diet is also an essential factor in losing belly fat. It is important to create a calorie deficit by consuming fewer calories than you burn through exercise and daily activities. Consuming a well-balanced diet that includes plenty of fruits, vegetables, lean protein, and whole grains can also help support belly fat loss.

FYI there are many other awesome benefits of cardio exercises. Cardio exercises provide other health benefits such as improving heart health, reducing the risk of chronic diseases, and boosting mental health. They’re an awesome bunch! 🙂

In summary, the time it takes to see results from cardio exercises in regards to belly fat loss depends on several factors. However, consistent cardio exercise coupled with a healthy diet can produce amazing results. And as a rule of thumb, give yourself a least 4 weeks to start to see results.

Can you combine cardio with other types of exercises to target belly fat more effectively?

Yes, it’s a wonderful idea to combine cardio with other types of exercises.

Specifically, you also want to be doing certain resistance and isometric exercises as well.

For example

1. Planks –

This is an isometric exercise that targets the core muscles, including the abs, obliques, and back muscles. Planks help you develop strength in your core. And massively increase the results you get out of your other exercises.

2. Crunches –

For those that don’t naturally have the “abs gene”, we actually have to do situps and crunches to develop those muscies.

When you hear someone say they got abs by cleaning up their diet alone, just know you are listening to someone that genetically doesn’t store a lot of fat on their belly like the rest of us.

3. Squats –

Surprised to see this on here? Dont be. Squats target the glutes, hamstrings, and quads, which are some of the biggest muscles in our bodies.

When these big muscles are strong and developed, they increase our metabolism. Which means we burn more calories just by existing.

Don’t sleep on squats even if your main goal is to get rid of excess belly fat.

4. Deadlifts –

Same logic as squats. This exercise targets the back muscles, glutes, and hamstrings. These are also massive muscles in the body.

Combine these kinds of exercises with cardio + correct eating and you’ll be on your way to your dream belly.

Can doing cardio exercises alone be enough to get rid of stubborn belly fat?

Stubborn belly fat is often associated with visceral fat, which is the fat that surrounds the organs in the abdominal area.

It is considered to be one of the most dangerous types of fat as it can increase the risk of chronic diseases like heart disease, diabetes, and more.

While cardio exercises can help burn calories and reduce overall body fat, they are not specifically targeted towards visceral fat.

So, relying solely on cardio exercises may not be 100% effective in reducing stubborn belly fat.

To achieve significant results, a combination of cardio and strength training exercises, along with a healthy diet, is recommended.

Strength training exercises, such as squats and lunges can help build muscle mass and increase metabolism, leading to a higher rate of calorie burn even at rest. Many studies have shown that a combination of exercise and diet is more effective in reducing visceral fat than exercise alone.

Also, a healthy diet that is rich in protein, fiber, and healthy fats, and low in processed and sugary foods, can also aid in reducing belly fat. Consuming fewer calories than the body needs can create a calorie deficit, leading to weight loss and a reduction in belly fat.

To summarize, while cardio exercises are great for burning calories, losing weight, overall fitness and health, they may not be enough to get rid of stubborn belly fat.

A combination of cardio, strength training, and a healthy diet is recommended to achieve significant results in reducing belly fat.

What are some common mistakes people make when trying to lose belly fat through cardio exercises?

When it comes to losing belly fat through cardio exercises, there are a few common mistakes that are easy to avoid. People that make these mistakes end up slowing down their progress so they’re really good to be aware of. Here are a few examples of mistakes to avoid:

1. Relying solely on cardio:

While cardio exercises can be effective for burning calories and melting away fat, they should not be the only type of exercise in your routine. Resistance exercises which target your core muscles are also important. You also want to be doing multi-purpose exercises like planks.

2. Overdoing it:

Some people make the mistake of thinking that the more cardio they do, the more fat they will lose. The thing is, too much cardio can actually backfire and cause burnout, rapid adaptation, and injuries. It’s important to find a balance between cardio and resistance exercises that allows you to make steady progress without wasted effort.

3. Relying on steady-state cardio:

Steady-state cardio like cycling at a consistent pace, can be effective for burning calories, but it is best to also have other forms of cardio in your routine. For example, i regularly include tabata cardio workouts in my program for this reason. It combines short bursts of intense exercise with periods of rest – similar to HIIT but less awful, more fun, and highly effective.

4. Nutrition Debt:

Nutrition debt is the mindset of “i’ll eat this now and burn it off later”. I don’t know if you’ve tried this before but it’s very hard to burn off anything we eat. It’s honestly easier and best to eat nutritious foods from the start. Eating a balanced, nutritious diet that is rich in protein, fiber, and healthy fats can support your weight loss efforts and help you to shed belly fat more quickly.

5. Focusing only on abs:

Core exercises like planks and crunches are PHENOMENAL for sculting and toning the abs. But they cannot – by themselves – remove belly fat. These exercises must be combined with cardio and resisance training to really see some fantastic results.

To sum up, cardio exercises can be an effective way to lose belly fat, but try to avoid these mistakes if you can.

It’s okay to be imperfect at this. Afterall, to err is human. Do your best to incorporate resistance training, variety, and healthy eating – and you’ll be on your way!