Non-Equipment Cardio to Lose Belly Fat

Equipment isn't necessary to burn belly fat effectively. Your main goal should be to elevate your heart rate for a prolonged period by doing vigorous movement involving your upper and lower body. As you lose weight and get fit, add new components to your cardiovascular regimen to maximize how much fat you burn. If you have injuries or health problems, consult your doctor before implementing a cardio regimen.

Jogging
Jogging is a cardio workout that burns belly fat quickly. The faster you move, the more calories you burn. If you jog a 12-minute mile, you burn 470 to 745 calories per hour, depending upon how much you weigh. Run a 10-minute mile and you burn 590 to 935 calories in one hour. Shave one minute off your time and burn 645 to 1,020 calories per hour. Speed is not the only way to burn calories while running. You can also run up hill or upstairs and burn 880 to 1,390 calories per hour. Running and jumping hurdles burns 590 to 930 calories per hour.

Lower-Impact Exercise
If you require a lower-impact cardio workout, choose those that involve upper body as well as lower body movement so you burn more calories. For example, doing power yoga or low-impact dance demands arm movements, squats, bends, lateral movement, stretches and engagement from your core muscles. The wider and faster you move your arms, the higher you raise your heart rate. Swimming laps or jogging through water also elevates your heart rate but the water cushions your joints and tendons from the shock of impact.

Interval Training
Performing strength or speed intervals burns belly fat more quickly than doing a cardio workout at a steady rate. After warming up with light aerobic movement, do any cardiovascular exercise at a vigorous but sustainable pace. Every five minutes, engage in an intense bout of strengthening work or speed for 30 seconds. Options include doing deep squat jumps, sprinting, climbing stairs or doing a rapid set of pushups. Return to your cardio workout, but at a slower pace to recover. After 30 seconds, increase to your vigorous workout and repeat the cycle of strength or speed intervals.

Combination Workouts
Some workouts burn belly fat by spiking your heart rate but also building muscle. When you add muscle tissue, you shift your body's composition to increased lean tissue and decreased fat. Your body works harder to support the denser tissue, burning more calories around the clock, a process known as raising your resting metabolism. Combination workouts alternate between cardio activity and resistance exercises. For example, in boot camp and circuit training, you sprint and climb and quickly switch to doing crunches or pullups. You may do jumping jacks followed by a series of squats and lunges. Vigorous forms of yoga, such as hot yoga, power yoga and Ashtanga yoga also qualify as combination workouts.