subject: Did You Know These Top Fat Burning Sports? [print this page] Did You Know These Top Fat Burning Sports?
One important step to good health is to eliminate excess fat. Fat is necessary for many bodily functions, but too much fat can put unnecessary stress on the heart. One way to reduce excess body fat is to participate in fat burning activities and make these new activities part of one's lifestyle. Five of the best fat burning sports are weight training, rowing, cycling, swimming and cross country skiing. These sports are particularly effective because they require a person to use almost all the muscles in their bodies and exercise science has long proven that building muscle eliminates fat.
One of the best exercises for burning excess fat is swimming. Swimming has been called the most complete exercise by many fitness experts. The power of swimming is that it employs all the muscles of the body without putting excessive stress on the joints. Working in the water in one of the most effective forms of resistance exercise there is. No matter what stroke a swimmer uses they must use all the muscles in the arms, legs, stomach, chest and even the neck. Regular swimming or even doing other forms of exercise in the water is an excellent way to burn fat.
Cross country skiing is generally acknowledged by fitness professionals as another top fat burning, muscle building and cardiovascular improving sport. All the muscles in the arms, legs and midsection are required to be engaged when one goes cross country skiing. The constant motion of the arms and legs not only burn fat, but they build the arms, legs, midriff and the chest. The back muscles too get a vigorous workout. While constantly moving the arms and legs play a role, the additional weight of the skis adds an element of weight training to the sport.
Yet another efficient fat burning sport in cycling. Riding a bicycle is fun but it requires a lot of strength and the coordinated action of most of the muscles in the body. While it may appear the legs do all of the work, the upper body gets a vigorous workout as well.
When it comes to a complete workout very few sports can top rowing. Regular rowing can easily burn pounds of fat each week. The motion of the arms and legs engages muscles one rarely uses in other sports. The arms, chest, back, stomach and legs get a fat melting workout.
One proven way to burn fat is to develop your muscles. Nothing builds lean muscle and burns fat better than weight training. Ten pounds of new muscle can burn off 50 to 60 pounds of fat in a year. Weight training releases pleasurable endorphins and builds a solid foundation for any sport.
