This characteristic is the tendency for the body to continue burning fat well after the initial exercise is complete. If you add this amount of fat loss to the fat loss you achieve during the exercise itself, then the overall fat loss is greater than that of the low intensity workout which may itself last as much as three times longer. This is because after the low intensity workout the body doesn’t continue to consume fuel for anywhere near as long.

The high intensity short duration workout causes the body’s fat burning metabolism to spike, kick starting it into high gear. This short term shock causes the body to work extra hard and crucially requires that calories are expended for several hours afterwords in order to recover.

It is true that the during the exercise the primary fuel source will be carbohydrate, but overall the amount of calories burned off during, and crucially, following the session will be higher than that of the more traditional low intensity workout. After having ignited the fat burning metabolism, the body continues to use up fuel even when you are resting. This is just not the case with low intensity exercise as the fat burning metabolism never gets that initial spike.

There is another benefit of following this advice too. What would you rather do, work quite hard for 15 to 20 minutes or work slightly less hard for 40 to 45 minutes? I don’t know about you, but my time is precious and if I can achieve better results in a shorter amount of time by working a bit harder, then that’s what I will do.

Also, there is the possibility that exercising for longer gives you more chance of sustaining an injury and a low intensity exercise regime does not promote muscle development. We know from some of our previous myths that having a decent amount of lean muscle fibre enables your body to be more efficient at burning off fat. So, in short, work hard with high intensity workouts for 15 to 20 minutes at a time using interval based cardio exercises and you will lose fat at a much increased rate.

This is “Myth #6″ in our “12 Myths of weight loss” series. To read the previous Myths, click on the following links -
Fat Loss Myth $5 – A Fat Burning Diet Requires No Exercise
Fat Loss Myth #4 – Lose the Carbs, Lose the Fat?
Fat Loss Myth #3 – Lose Fat by Eating Less Fat?
Fat Loss Myth #2 – Lose Fat by Eating Less?
Fat Loss Myth #1 – Drop the Calories, Drop the Fat?

HITT stands for “high intensity interval training” and it works exactly the way it sounds like it does. It involves working out at very high intensity levels in intervals ranging from light to moderate, as opposed to continuously the way you do with traditional cardio routines. HITT first came about as a way to combat an irksome problem when it comes to calorie burning and fat loss. When you work out too regularly at the same intensity, your body actually begins to get used to things, and once this happens, you don’t burn as many calories as you otherwise might. HITT helps mix things up so that you get the most out of your workout every single time. The downside to HITT is that the level of intensity makes it something that is not necessarily a suitable choice for those with heart issues or other cardiovascular concerns.

On the other end of the spectrum, you have low impact cardio. Low impact cardio is a good choice for those who are new to exercising, people who are pregnant or excessively overweight, or those who simply dislike more strenuous high impact exercise and find they can’t stick with it. It is also ideal for people who have chronic issues that affect the joints, bones, or connective tissue, (such as arthritis or osteoporosis) because it does not involve all the jarring and jostling that traditional cardio exercises like jogging or running do. Like other forms of cardio, low impact cardio also is key when it comes to helping you lose weight, burn off extra calories, and get in better shape.

So which one is the better choice? It honestly depends on what your needs, preferences, and limitations are. If you’re looking to lose the maximum amount of fat possible through your cardio routine, and don’t have any physical limitations that would make you a better candidate for low impact, then HITT would be best as it optimizes fat loss and has a greater level of post workout calorie burn. However, if your joints or bones are a concern, or you’re a beginner, then it would be preferable to begin with low impact cardio and go from there. You can also combine and alternate the two to really maximize your routine.