Faster & Harder Is Better As Far As Burning Calories & Fat

There are a lot of myths surrounding fitness and health. One enduring one is that you will burn more fat if you exercise at a moderate pace. Exercise classes in the 80s actually slowed down the pace to burn more fat. Does this work or is it just nonsense?

Basically, it's just nonsense although there may be a small smidgen of truth. With weight loss, what matters is the number of calories you burn. If you exercise harder and faster you will burn more calories and hence burn more fat. If you spend 30 minutes running fast you'll burn more fat than if you spend 30 minutes jogging at a leisurely pace. Faster and harder is better as far as burning calories and hence fat.


It is however possible that you might burn more total fat if you exercise at a moderate or slow pace. The reason why should be obvious, but it often isn't. You may be able and willing to exercise longer at a slower pace and although you'll burn fat more slowly, you will burn fat longer.

For example, I can run at a fast pace for myself, 10 minutes per mile, for about 10-15 minutes. I cannot last longer and in fact after a few minutes I'm pretty uncomfortable and unhappy. However I can gladly run for an hour at a more moderate 12-14 minutes per mile pace, and burn more calories overall and therefore fat.
It's the overall calories burned that matters, not the pace. A faster pace burns calories faster, but you may not be able to keep it up long.

Harry Baldwin writes on many topics including fitness, health, and safety. See his lastest at Rubber Stair Treads and Carpet Stair Treads. Faster and harder is better as far as burning calories and hence fat.

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