If you’re looking for ways of burning fat fast, you’ll love this article looking at the many fabulous benefits of fasted cardio.
Losing weight is a very difficult process, as is getting fit and improving your stamina, but what if you could do both of these things at the same time through exercise?
Well, if you perform cardio you can.
The main issue that people have with cardio is the fact that it takes so long, and indeed, after a while, you’ll find that the results you get from it will not be anywhere near as impressive as they were when you started. When this occurs, you might want to consider fasted cardio.
Fasted cardio is a topic that is sure to divide opinions, as some people consider it to be great, while others consider it to be a fad and a waste of time.
Incidentally, you’ll often find that those with a strongly negative opinion of fasted cardio are those who have never done it before.
Today we’re looking at the many benefits, so without further ado, let’s make a start, shall we?
What Is Fasted Cardio?
Before we can get to the good stuff and start looking at the many benefits, let us first take a look at precisely what fasted cardio is.
Fasted cardio is a term used to describe any form of cardiovascular exercise which is performed in a fasted state, I.E on an empty stomach.
It sounds complex, but the basic premise is that fasted cardio is cardio that is done on an empty stomach.
The key here is to remember that you really need to be in a fast state.
This isn’t like swimming where people say you shouldn’t swim until at least one hour after eating.
With fasted cardio, you need to have eaten your last meal at least 10 hours prior, if not longer.
Needless to say, the easiest way to achieve this is to do fasted cardio early in the morning before you eat your breakfast.
It should also be noted that fasted cardio should be done without any food in your system, but it is vital that you ensure you drink plenty of water before, during, and after your workout to avoid dehydration.
What Are The Health Benefits Of Fasted Cardio?
Now that we know roughly what fasted cardio is, let us now share some of the most prominent benefits with you right now.
1. Fasted Cardio Helps Save You Time
If you’re a busy person, or if you simply prefer to exercise early on in the day, one of the main reasons to consider fasted cardio is due to the fact that it can be done nice and early so you can get it out of the way.
When you do fasted cardio you wake up, you’ll drink your water, you’ll shower if you wish, and then you’ll throw on your workout gear and away you go.
Doing it early means it’s out of the way early and you don’t have to wait around for food to cook and digest before you can begin training.
2. Fasted Cardio Is Easy To Do
Another of the awesome benefits that we need to consider today is simply the fact that it is so easy and simple to do.
Fasted cardio can be done however you like, providing of course, that you do it in a fasting state.
If you know how to do any variety of cardio, providing you can do it on an empty stomach, you’re pretty much all set.
3. Fasted Cardio Burns Fat
Perhaps one of the most prominent benefits, though, is simply the fact that it is so effective for weight loss.
The main premise behind fasted cardio is that, by doing the cardio on an empty stomach, your body will tap into your body fat reserves for energy to get it through your workout, rather than glucose energy from the foods you would normally consume.
Therefore, by doing fasted cardio you are basically fuelling your workout with your own body fat stores, making it a great way to exercise and lose weight.
4. Fasted Cardio Boosts The Metabolism
Another way in which fasted cardio is great for fat loss is thanks to the fact that it has also been found to boost metabolism.
Fasted cardio has been found to kick start the metabolism, meaning that you will not only burn more fat while exercising, but you will also have more energy and you’ll even burn more calories while in a rested state.
For people looking to lose weight, this is yet another win for fasted cardio.
5. Fasted Cardio Can Be Done Anywhere
It’s all well and good doing the majority of your training at a gym, but what do you do if you can’t gain access to the gym, or you can’t afford it?
Right now, more people are being forced to exercise outside of a gym than ever before, which is where fasted cardio comes into the mix.
Fasted cardio is great because you don’t need a gym to do it.
Sure, you can do it on a treadmill or cardio machine if you like, but if not, you can go jogging, cycling, walking, swimming, or anything else, on an empty stomach.
6. Fasted Cardio Speed Up Your Weight Loss
Okay, we know that cardio burns fat, so why would people choose to do fasted cardio in place of regular cardio?
Well, the main reason is that fasted cardio will enhance the rate at which you burn fat.
Because you’re using your body fat reserves much quicker, a fasted cardio workout will burn more calories/fat than a standard cardio workout, so you will basically get more from your workout.
7. Fasted Cardio Enhances Cognitive Health
There’s a lot of science to it, but the long and short of fasted cardio with regards to brain health is that fasted cardio helps to enhance cognitive health by reducing the rate at which brain tissue and cells degenerate.
Fasted cardio can therefore improve cognitive health and function, thereby enhancing memory, increasing reaction times, promoting mental clarity, and even helping to prevent degenerate brain diseases and issues later on in life.
8. Fasted Cardio Can Improve The Immune System
Another awesome benefit of fasted cardio is the fact that it has been found to enhance and improve the immune system.
A lack of exercise can drain the immune system, leaving you susceptible to all manner of illnesses and diseases.
Fasted cardio when compared with regular cardio, was found to significantly increase immunity and strengthen the immune system, making it ideal when it comes to defending the body against illness and disease.
Right now, in the midst of a global pandemic, the importance of a strong immune system has never been greater.
9. Fasted Cardio Will Improve Your Physique
If you’re looking to improve your physique, some of the main aesthetic benefits will become obvious very quickly.
If you want to build yourself a lean, ripped, and defined physique fasted cardio is ideal.
10. Fasted Cardio Preserves Muscle Mass
In the lead-up to a photo shoot or bodybuilding contest, many bodybuilders such as Vivi Winkler will perform fasted cardio to help burn off the last remnants of fat, while preserving lean muscle mass.
Fasted cardio helps to strip away body fat, without tapping into muscle protein reserves and using muscle tissue as energy.
Providing you keep fasted cardio workouts relatively short, I.E less than an hour or so, you’ll find that you burn fat and that your muscle mass reserves remain intact.
11. Fasted Cardio Is Great For Mental Health
Not only does fasted cardio help to improve the overall health of the brain, but another benefit is that it is also great for improving mental health in general.
Fasted cardio, and any other form of exercise, can help to relieve stress, it can help to improve your mood through the production of endorphins, it can promote relaxation and a good night’s sleep, and a whole lot more besides.
12. Fasted Cardio Is Great For The Heart
Cardio exercise is great for the heart.
One of the main benefits is the fact that it promotes so many different health benefits for the heart.
Fasted cardio strengthens the walls of the heart, boosts circulation, can reduce blood pressure, and a whole lot more besides.
As heart disease is the biggest killer in the world, the more we can look after our hearts, the better.
13. Fasted Cardio Helps Regulate Blood Sugar Levels
Another of the fantastic benefits that we’re looking at today is the fact that fasted cardio is so great for regulating your blood sugar levels.
Type-2 diabetes is a condition that experts have been very worried about for some time now.
Caused by unstable blood sugar levels, it can be very dangerous.
Fasted cardio helps to reduce blood sugar levels and keep them stable, thereby helping to prevent and/or manage type-2 diabetes.
14. Fasted Cardio Improves Fitness And Stamina
If you’re looking to become a better athlete, or if you just want to get a little fitter, fasted cardio is ideal.
Fasted cardio is great for improving your fitness and stamina, so you will be able to run faster, you’ll be able to run for longer, and you’ll be able to exercise for longer before you begin to feel tired.
15. Fasted Cardio Can Be Adapted However You Like
If you’re not too keen on running, which seems to be most people’s go-to form of cardio, the great thing about fasted cardio is the fact that you don’t have to do it that way.
If you hate jogging or running in general, you can find an alternative form of cardio that you enjoy, and you can do it in a fasting state.
So, whether you want to go cycling, hiking, swimming, boxing, kickboxing, or anything else, if it is cardio, you can adapt accordingly and do it in a fasting state and achieve your goals.
16. Fasted Cardio Reduces Blood Pressure
Another reason to consider doing more fasted cardio is simply due to the fact that fasted cardio is so great for reducing blood pressure.
Hypertension, also known as high blood pressure, is responsible for hundreds of thousands of deaths every year, as it can lead to heart attacks, heart disease, organ failure, strokes, and plenty more on top of that.
Fasted cardio has been found to help significantly reduce blood pressure, which in turn means that it could potentially help to save your life one day.
17. Fasted Cardio Can Be Done With Company Or Alone
Sometimes it’s nice to exercise alone and work out by yourself, but other times it’s nice to exercise with friends, a partner, or family members.
The good thing about fasted cardio is the fact that you can do it alone or with the company.
Whichever form of cardio you decide to do, more often than not it can be done alone or with somebody else, so really, it’s a win-win situation for all involved.
18. Fasted Cardio Helps You Sleep
Fasted cardio is great for people that struggle to get to sleep at night.
To begin with, it’s a great way to burn off energy that can leave you feeling tired, but on top of that, it also promotes the production of hormones which can aid in getting to sleep and relaxing at night.
Final Thoughts:
So, that brings this look at the many benefits of fasted cardio to a close today.
If you’re sick and tired of regular cardio, or if you find that it isn’t working as well as you had hoped, why not perform an early workout in the morning on an empty stomach and in a fasted state?
Seriously, the results will speak for themselves and you’ll feel great in the process.
