As quietly as its kept, you wouldn’t know that men and women obsess equally about their body woes. Guys tend take the less emotional route, opting instead for day-long journeys to the local gym, while women just kind of shy away from the entire process, content with self-doubt rather than donning a pair of sweat pants where the entire world can see her wobbly bits!
While retail therapy has been known as a great way to burn fat, we suggest a bit more umm….activity than this.
Well, we at TFLA realize that the fairer sex needs just as much information on losing weight and burning fat as the guys and we’ve compiled some of the best fat burning exercises for women. At the end of this article, you’ll have an arsenal of fat burning techniques to take you to your pre-baby, undergrad, or wedding dress weight!
Fat burning exercises alone will not help you lose weight. The reason many women don’t lose weight when they exercise is because they don’t alter their diets. Without a significant change in how you eat, the only thing these exercises will help you do is maintain your current weight, and improve your overall health!
Before we begin, let’s take stock of a few fat burning essentials. You’ll need proper exercise attire, including athletic shoes that provide support. Grab a bottle of water and a towel and you’re ready to go.
JOGGING/WALKING/RUNNING
I know, it sounds absolutely awful but jogging is an easy and cheap fat burning exercise. Everything you need is already at your fingertips; shoes, water, towel, and places to jog! The great thing about jogging is that is better on the knees than running, and it’s a great cardiovascular exercise that gets your heart pumping and gives your metabolism a swift kick in the pants!
Avoid injury by stretching for at least 10 minutes before you begin. This will also give you time to focus on breathing, which is essential to a proper workout. Stretch your hamstrings, arms, calves, and quadriceps. In addition to avoiding injury, this will give your muscles a warm up to the main event….a way to prepare them for the rigorous workout ahead.
Start slowly if you need to, walking for a week to gear up for jogging or running. If you feel comfortable starting out with a jog, start with about 30 minutes. Don’t try to be Superwoman and run 2 miles your first time out. As awesome as that sounds (and probably would be) it’ll just wipe you out so that you only get one day of exercise this week! Fat burning, like just about everything related to losing weight, requires consistency to be effective.
Like with most things, men and women find different ways to obsess over their weight & fat content. At least this isn’t how you respond to the need to drop a few pounds…phew!
DANCING
That’s right ladies, exercising and burning fat can be effective and fun. When was the last time you saw a dancer with too much fat? Exactly! In addition, dancing is a fun fat burning exercise you can do with your friends! Invite the girls for a night of salsa dancing and see how fun fat burning can be!
Whether you choose strip-aerobics, belly dancing, swing, hip hop, or disco, dancing is a fun and effective way to burn that extra fat. Sign up for a dance class if you dread doing an hour on the treadmill in front of what I’m pretty sure is a funhouse mirror!
Imagine how awesomely show-offable your abs would be after learning this!
Not quite ready to show your moves in public? Crank up your favorite playlist and do your best impression of Britney, Paula, or Madonna in your living room!
TENNIS
You don’t have to be a tennis pro to enjoy the fat burning benefits of tennis. Grab a spouse or grab a friend, get your racket and get thee to the nearest tennis court! Just keep the ball in play and the cardio will help you burn calories while swinging the racket will help tone those abs. That’s what I like to call a win-win!
You can take breaks for water as you need them, and you’ll have another reason to go shopping when your current tennis skirt gets too big!
JUMP ROPE
I remember when I was a kid (not that long ago) girls would jump rope for hours on end. Alone, together, in groups, they were always jumping rope. Turns out those girls were having fun and burning fat. The best thing about jumping rope to lose fat is that you can do it at home. Clear some space in the living room or take to the backyard for your daily workout.
If you don’t have a jump rope, “borrow” one from your kids! Just kidding, spend a few bucks on a weighted jump rope for a more efficient fat burning workout. Fifteen minutes of jumping rope can burn more than 200 calories, so imagine the possibilities if you jumped rope 30 minutes a day, 3 days a week? Admit it, you’re smiling already!
Exercising, while definitely an obligation, doesn’t have to be a chore. If you’re having fun with your physical activity, you’re more likely to keep it up. The best thing about these fun fat burning exercises for women, is that you can grab a partner and chat (but not too much) while you burn.
Stay consistent with your frequency, that’s the key to successful weight loss and fat burning, but feel free to try different things. Go jogging one week, and dancing the next and see what you like best.
Just remember that weight loss requires consistent exercise, a can-do attitude, and eating for weight loss!
For more information on weight loss and fat burning exercises, check out our review of the Fat Burning Furnace.
