Get More from Your Cardio

Strip away abdominal fat by switching around your cardio so you can run hard early. In a study published in the European Journal of Applied Physiology, eight men ran for 30 minutes on 2 separate days.

In the first session, the men ran at relatively high intensity (80% of their maximum heart rate) for 15 minutes, and then slowed to 60% for the final 15 minutes. In the other session, they ran the slower part first.

The study concluded that the men burned 5 to 10% more fat when they ran faster at the start of their workout. “And this is only a 30 minute workout, “says Jie Kang, Ph.D., the study’s lead researcher. “If you extrapolate that to a longer workout three to five times a week, things can add up.”

Here’s why it works: To burn fat, your body first breaks down fat tissue into fat molecules. The study found that this works better when exercising at relatively high intensity. Next, molecules go to your cells to be burned, which Kang says happens at relatively lower intensities.

The best part: You’ll feel as if you’re burning fat easier than ever!