Up the intensity of your workout
It is well known that low intensity exercises use a higher proportion of fat as energy, but this isn’t the quick route to burning fat. If you do a 20 minute, low intensity exercise for example, you will burn around 80 additional calories – but even if around 90 per cent of them are calories from fat, you’d still be better off doing a 20 minute high intensity interval session which will quadruple the number of overall calories burned. Also, high intensity training improves your fitness and your metabolic rate.
Increase the frequency
In addition to increasing the intensity of your workouts, you should also be doing them more often. Short, sharp workouts can be extremely effective so aim for four to five sessions each week to see results. Be sure to warm up for a minimum of five minutes to prepare your body for the exercises, and cool down for at least two minutes after.
Don’t focus on specific areas
It’s a misconception that working on one specific area of your body will achieve results. In order to burn fat, you need to work out your body as a whole – some areas of your body are easier to burn fat on than others, such as your stomach fat being easier to shift than your hips or thighs.
Opt for resistance training exercises
Although women prefer to choose cardiovascular exercises, there are many benefits to resistance training. You can increase your lean muscle rate, which will have a great impact on your figure, as well as burning additional calories. If weights aren’t your thing, you can always try Pilates or yoga which combines strengthening poses with power moves.
Eat a balanced diet but don’t skip meals
Fad diets may seem like a quick fix, but they don’t work and actually slow down your metabolism. Instead, aim to eat fresh, healthy meals three times a day, with healthy snacks such as fruit, vegetables and nuts to get as many nutrients as possible.