Want to lose fat? We all know what to do. Exercising –we’re all aware of how effective exercising is for losing fat (your diet always has the upper hand of course). There’s no hard and fast rule to dieting for fat loss, you just have to be in a calorie deficit. Likewise, there’s no particular exercise that can help you lose fat from the region of your choice – whether your goal is to lose belly fat or arm fat.
Hence, is it safe to establish that there is no particular way of exercising to lose fat? Well, yes but there’s a particular heart rate zone that can help speed up your fat loss.
Confused? Let us make this easy for you. Just keep reading the blog
Brushing up the basics: What is a fat-burning zone?
A fat-burning zone is a specific heart rate range wherein your body prioritises burning fat from the fat stores for fuel, rather than carbs. This heart rate zone is typically 70-80% of your maximum heart rate. But some studies claim a broader range, which is 60-80%.
Maximum heart rate is the maximum limit of what your cardiovascular system can handle when you are performing a physical activity. You shouldn’t push yourself beyond that. The maximum heart rate, and consequently, the fat-burning heart rate depends on your age. Simply subtract your age from 220 to calculate your maximum heart rate.
Suppose, you are 30 years old. Your maximum heart rate according to your age should be 220-30 = 190. The fat-burning heart rate should be between 70% of 190 and 80% of 190 = 133-152. 133-152 is your fat-burning range. Aim to work out between this heart rate to maximise fat loss. Â
Remember, the heart rate increases with exercise intensity. The higher the intensity, the higher your heart rate. The body typically uses carbs to fuel you with energy when you are exercising in the other zone. But in this zone, it resorts to fat storage. Ensure that you stay in this zone for a minimum of 30 minutes for maximum effectiveness.
The science behind
Let’s understand how the body provides energy for basic functioning or when exercising. The body utlises fat and glycogen for energy after converting them into glucose, water, and carbon dioxide. This cannot happen without the involvement of oxygen. As your body demands more energy when you are exercising, your heart pumps faster to transport more oxygen to your muscles to break down glycogen.
When you are performing high-intensity workouts, your body exhausts glycogen storage as it provides less energy as compared to fats. Then it resorts to fat storage. Hence, as the heart rate increases, the fat loss increases with it. Interestingly, your body still continues to burn calories after you stop exercising.
How do you measure fat-burning heart rates?
You can use fitness trackers and watches to measure and monitor your fat-burning zones. An alternate way to check if you’re in your fat-burning zone is to see if you are able to speak easily when you are exercising. If you’re comfortable speaking, you’re not in the zone and you need to push yourself harder.
Remember to listen to your body and not push yourself
There is no denying that the higher the heart rate, the more will be the fat burning. However, this doesn’t mean you should push yourself more than what your heart can handle. Yes, you must target fat-burning zones but not exceed the target heart rate. Doing so puts you at risk of heart attacks and cardiac arrests. In addition, your diet matters too. Pushing yourself harder in a workout is no excuse to binge on unhealthy snacks and foods. Your diet matters too, more than exercise. Do not consume more than what you are burning to lose fat.
