What are some moderate cardio exercises?

Question

Hey! I'm a 17-year-old female, and I've just recently been told that I've reached a plateau when it comes to my diet and exercising. I was always wondering why my body just suddenly stopped losing weight, and I was told that it was because my body simply adjusted to my same old routine which prevented me from losing any fat.

So it was suggested that I start mixing up my daily exercises instead of doing the same old stuff. Problem is, I have no idea what else I can do other than what I've already BEEN doing.

My routine consists of jogging and walking, and it worked for a short while. And I'd do sit-ups, some crunches and some other toning exercises to help tone. I lost 18 lbs doing just that. But then I started swimming after I realized that my body stopped losing its weight. Unfortunately though, I really don't think that did anything other than tone my body and make me look bigger/fitter (I still have that flab).

So when it comes down to mixing up my work-outs, I'm at a stand still. What other exercises can I do to burn more calories and confuse my body? Ride a bike? Roller blade? Run faster? Lift Weights? I really just want to burn those fat calories, but not look bulky with hard muscle. Just a lean, feminine, s**y looking bod lol.

Answer 1

There's no reason you can't still incorporate the jogging and walking into your workouts. Just don't do them every day for the same amount of time. Alternate with some other things like what you listed.

To optimize your fat loss, you really should be lifting weights. Women don't bulk up very easily, and if you do find yourself getting a little more muscular than you'd like, you can always tone it down. Weight lifting burns more calories in the long run than cardio because it builds muscle, which in turn burns calories faster. So, my advice would be alternate between a jog/walk workout on one day and then weight-lifting session the next day.

Always remember, though, that you should be doing things that you enjoy. If you hate doing it, you won't stick with it. So, vary up your routines, try new activities, and have fun with it.

Answer 2

May be the reason you can't lose weight is because you've been doing too much cardio?

Excessive cardio of say 2-3 hrs per session, 7 days a week, will strip off your precious muscles which are actually the ones that elevate your metabolism to higher levels, to help you burn off excess fat.

(Note: 1 lb of muscle you pack into your body, you get to burn up to an extra 50 calories per day; in a week, you'll burn off 350 calories just like that.....sitting pretty and doing nothing........)

If you want to know further about excessive cardio,it's here: http://www.perfect-body-toning.com/exces...

Cut down your exercise time to 1 hr per session (doing cardio + toning exercises), 3-4 times or 4-5 times per week. This is more than enough to get your metabolism going.

Well, mix up the exercises - walking, jogging, swimming.

Try interval training - say walk for 5 mins, slow down a while for 1-2 mins, then jog hard for 5 mins and then slow down 1-2 min, then run fast for 5 mins, then slow dwon 1-2 mins. Repeat the cycle until you're done 30 mins.

Combine this with weight training, to promote more lean muscle growth, to speed up your basal metabolic rate (BMR), to help you burn off excess fat efficiently.

Answer 3

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