Is Cardio Necessary For Fat Loss?

Is cardio necessary for fat loss? Does fat loss occur without doing cardio?

The answer is no, cardio is not necessary to lose fat.

Why?

Because fat loss is reached by creating a calorie deficit. This is done by consuming less calories than your body needs. The calories we consume is the left side on the balance. How much we burn is on the other side. We can create a deficit with or without cardio. An example:

A 90kg man needs 3000 calories to maintain his weight. He wants to lose fat and must therefore create a calorie deficit.

Method A: he creates a calorie deficit of 500 by eating 500 less calories

Method B: he creates a calorie deficit of 500 by eating 300 calories less and doing 200 calories worth of extra cardio

*There are many more 'methods' and combinations to eventually create the calorie deficit.

Cardio does burn calories

Adding cardio can be a way to create a (larger) deficit on the 'calories out' side. The benefit of adding cardio is that we create more overall cardiovascular health and through burning extra calories we can perhaps balance out by eating a bit more.

By eating a bit more we assure ourselves a more sufficient macronutrient intake and because we eat a bit more we tend to be less hungry on the fat loss plan. 

The downsides of doing cardio

Depending on the type and duration, cardio can add extra physical stress and risk of injury. If you try to maintain energy and focus on your weight lifting program, cardio can be a detriment. Especially high paced cardio such as intensive sports or HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training).

The solution and recommendation

If you wish to do extra cardio and it fits in your lifestyle, go for it! However, if you sense that it takes away more than it gets you, try the following:

Add extra daily steps in your routine in the form of walking. This is an easy way to burn extra calories. The amount of calories burned is lower than intensive cardio but walking does not add that much physical stress and is easily combined with other activities that are good for your (mental) health, such as going for a walk with your pet or friend(s). You can knockout tasks such as grocery shopping together with extra walking. Adding walks is also a good way for your body to digest meals.

An extra 1000 steps per day can burn 30-55 calories extra depending on your height and weight.

Curious on how moving more can get you more results on your fat loss plan? Click here to discover how to tailor your activity and nutrition!