When your goal is to lose body fat, it’s not necessary to focus on a high-intensity routine. In fact, a low-impact workout can torch more fat! So get ready for the absolute best low-impact workout that burns fat all over, as told by an expert.
William Sukala, MS, CSCS, a personal trainer, told Weight Watchers, “Low-impact, slower-paced exercise burns proportionally more fat than carbohydrate as a fuel source.” The caveat? You’ll also torch fewer calories all-around for each block of time you spend working out. Sukala pointed out, however, that performing high-intensity exercise will torch comparably less fat than carbs, but in the grand scheme of things, you’ll burn a greater number of calories. This means a bigger calorie deficit that’s replenished in time with reserved body fat. Regardless, you should establish a calorie deficit each day between your calorie intake and how many calories you’re torching (WebMD recommends sticking to a deficit of 500 calories on a daily basis to lose weight in a healthy manner.)
Eat This, Not That! reached out to Mike Bohl, MD, MPH, ALM, the Director of Medical Content and Education at Ro, a certified personal trainer, and a member of our Medical Expert Board, to learn the best low-impact workout that can burn fat all over your body, and that magical form of exercise is swimming.
The best low-impact workout that burns body fat all over is swimming.
Dr. Bohl explains, “Swimming comes with a ton of benefits. Notably, it strengthens the muscles and is also an extremely effective cardio workout that benefits your heart and circulation—basically, a two-for-one in the world of fitness. Swimming is also great for anyone who has pain, such as from arthritis, because the buoyancy of the water helps reduce weight and pressure on the joints.”
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The great thing about doing some laps is you can easily switch up your routine. In doing so, you will keep your workout fresh while strengthening various muscle groups. Dr. Bohl suggests, “All you need to do is change up the stroke you’re doing every few laps or even take a break and tread water for a few minutes.”
Every bit of swimming you can fit in is beneficial for losing weight. The greater the intensity and stroke, the greater your results will be. You can burn anywhere from 300 to 600 calories in an hour, according to Dr. Bohl.
He adds, “If you do have time to go swimming more often, that means that if you swim for an hour six days a week, you can lose a pound of fat every one to two weeks.” What does that mean? Everybody in the pool!
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Alexa Mellardo
Alexa is the Mind + Body Deputy Editor of Eat This, Not That!, overseeing the M+B channel and delivering compelling fitness, wellness, and self-care topics to readers. Read more about Alexa
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