My favorite fat loss exercise is short and painful. I love sprinting on a field or having a t-shirt drenching session on a stationary bike. I have written about HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) in the past and though I still believe that the duration and the high intensity is the best for me, I do not believe that it is the BEST fat loss exercise. That honor belongs alone to the exercise which is most sustainable and effective.
Walking.
In HBO’s “The Sopranos” there is a character named Vito. Vito is a mobster who is nearly obese and stays that way until the final season. The actor lost over 50 pounds (unless it was a fat suit but that defeats my point) and in the show they showed him getting photographed but some kind of weight watchers “Fit Club”. Eventually he explains that he lost the weight because he walked two miles every morning. Like so many things in that show it is directly applicable to real life. Walking will absolutely help you burn fat no matter your situation.
People forget how efficient our bodies are. Humans have been on this planet for quite a while and each generation has been genetically improving itself since the beginning. If there is one thing our bodies know to do well it is to expend and store energy. If you want to lose fat fast then a HIIT protocol is what you need, but, for general fat reduction, there is no better proven method than to walk. Movement has always been what our bodies understand. Our bodies have no idea where resistance comes from whether it is weights or running. All our bodies know is to adapt to changing conditions. If you give your body a situation where burning fat is the inevitable result, then that is what you will get.
My recommendation is simple. In the morning, before breakfast, walk for one hour. With an empty belly you will be in a fasted state and in a genuine fat burning zone. People so often overthink losing weight but it is really this simple. No, you’re not going to look have a six pack anytime soon but in eventually (with a reasonable diet) you will see the pounds fall off you like leaves from a tree.
Besides efficiency, there is a second reason why I love walking so much. Walking is sustainable. Walking is something that most people can do for most of their lives. Were I to train a morbidly obese person, HIIT would likely be off the table and so walking the most logical first step. Walking is sustainable also because it is easy on the joints. The reason I can’t sprint every day is because I would begin to risk an injury not only when I am running but also from a long term perspective. One of the reasons I have replaced sprinting with stationary bike HIIT workouts is the same. It is easier on my body and (with hope) I can perform it safely for a very long time. Walking is safe, sustainable, and effective.
There is one final point about walking I will make. Another side of the efficiency is that while you are walking you can also grow your mind. I am sure there are many people who enjoy listening to an audio book while they walk or jog. This is a fantastic way to develop your mind and your body at the same time. Listening to an audiobook or even having headphones in during a sprint is impossible for me. Yet another reason why walking (though still not my favorite) is the BEST fat lost exercise anyone can do.
SWF 
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