Ten Minute Fat Burning Cardio Workout

It’s sometimes hard to find time to exercise, but it isn't difficult to squeeze a few minutes of activity into even the busiest schedule. Working out for just 10 minutes is doable for most people. To be effective though, you will need to exercise at a vigorous pace to make the most of every minute. A10-minute, fat-burning cardio workout that utilizes high-intensity interval training, or HIIT, will jumpstart your body’s fat-burning process.

Basics of HIIT
While a 10-minute cardio workout doesn’t seem like much, HIIT promotes fat loss in a short period of time. It involves alternating short low-to-moderate intense intervals done at about 30 to 50 percent of your maximum effort; vigorous intervals are performed at 70 to 90 percent of your max effort. This 10-minute workout is flexible in that you can use any cardio exercise you desire, including treadmill exercise, elliptical training, cycling, jogging or running in-place. A benefit of HIIT is that it promotes excess-post exercise oxygen consumption, or EPOC, which means your body will continue to burn calories hours after the workout is completed.

Before and After
Due to the vigorous nature of this workout, it’s important to properly warm up and cool down. Spend about two or three minutes doing some light cardio before starting the workout, followed by some light stretching. Cool down after the workout for an additional two or three minutes, then do a final stretch. It’s important to gradually bring your heart rate down following the workout by properly cooling down. Failing to do so could lead to lightheadedness or even fainting.

The Workout
Start the workout with a 25-second fast interval done at near maximum speed followed by a 35-second rest period performed at moderate pace. Repeat this fast-and-slow interval pattern a total of 10 times, which completes your 10-minute workout. Adjust the intensity of the workout to suit your current fitness level, but make sure to challenge yourself for maximum fat-burning results. If you feel faint or completely out of breath during the workout, it’s a sign you may need to lower your intensity level a bit. If the workout seems easy, increase your intensity level.

Tips
Use any of a number of free interval training apps to easily keep track of your intervals, or you can simply use a stopwatch. Drink plenty of water before, during and after your workout since you’ll be sweating quite a bit. Vary your workouts every week to prevent boredom, such as trying jogging instead of cycling. Push yourself to make the most of your 10-minute workout, but at the same time be safe and wary of signs you’re overdoing it. Check with your doctor before starting this workout if you’re a beginner or have any existing cardiovascular or obesity-related diseases.

How to Optimize Your Cardio to Burn Fat Faster

Cardio, such as running, biking or swimming, ranks as one of the most important ways to keep yourself fit and healthy, reports the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Unfortunately, many people lead busy lives and have schedules that don't leave much time for exercise. With a few workout tips and lifestyle changes, you can optimize your cardio workout so you burn fat faster, lose weight quicker and get more benefits out of your exercise in less time.

Things You'll Need

• Water
• Timer

Warm up by doing five minutes of your chosen form of cardio, such as running, but at a slow and gentle speed. Warming up before you exercise reduces your risks of injuries, increases the delivery of oxygen to your muscles, reduces lactic buildup — this can help you exercise longer without feeling tired — and raises your body's core temperature so you burn off more calories and fat.

Drink 20 oz. of water three hours before you start cardio, another 8 oz. half an hour before you start exercising, and 10 oz. every 20 minutes while exercising. Maintaining proper hydration enhances your workout performance, so you can work your body harder and burn more fat. Additionally, drinking cold water increases your body's metabolism rate and can help you burn fat faster throughout the day.

Set a timer. For optimal health, the average adult should do cardio for 30 minutes every day. A study by Duke University discovered that people who do this much daily cardio reduced their overall weight and lost fat from around their abdomen — a specific type of fat linked with higher risks of cancer and diabetes — while those who didn't do this much cardio actually gained abdominal fat.

Avoid eating before doing cardio, preferably exercising in the morning before you've grabbed breakfast. This is a common practice among cyclists who want to keep fat off. A study in the "Journal of Applied Physiology" reported that fasted cardio helps burn fat more effectively, while a study published in the "British Journal of Nutrition" found that fasted morning cardio burns 20 percent more fat than cardio done after breakfast.

Add interval training, which speeds up your overall metabolism and burns off more fat in the same amount of time as a traditional 30-minute set of steady-state exercise. This works with any type of cardio, such as cycling or stair-climbing. All you have to do is alternate between ultra-fast forms of your chosen type of cardio, followed by periods of slower cardio. For example, the American College of Sports Medicine recommends trying 60 seconds of walking followed by 60 seconds of sprinting, and flipping back and forth between the two for approximately half an hour.