Belly fat, the bane of existence for a lot of people. Most people consider the stomach as the hardest part of the body to tone. Whether you want to achieve a 6-pack or just lose a bit of weight in the midsection, there is an exercise machine to lose belly fat that’s best for you and your abilities.
The best exercise machine to lose belly fat is the one you use often and regularly, because the calories that you burn must be greater than the calories you consume. Of the machines we evaluated, treadmills will help you burn belly fat most quickly, as long as you run a moderate to fast speed.
Targeting a specific body part for losing fat is a bit tricky. The good news is, there are proven methods to lose body fat, and usually the stomach sees some of the first signs of progress when implemented.
So, how can you lose belly fat if it is not possible to lose fat from just the belly?
We looked at different articles published by research bodies like Harvard Health and Yale Scientific to find out how our bodies burn fat.
We listed 5 different machines that can help you in losing fat, based on the data that we found. We compared the machines’ capabilities and average calories burned in moderate use on each to decide which machine is the best option for fat loss.
How do we actually burn fat?
According to Yale scientific magazine, fat loss is equivalent to the calories that you burn [1]. This means you will not lose fat in your body if you do not burn enough calories. 1 pound of fat is about 3500 calories.
How do we burn all those calories to lose fat?
Another study published in 2019 studied our bodies burning fat by including a low-calorie diet with regular exercise. The body then acts as a “fat-burning machine” when we burn more calories than what we eat.
By exercising and eating right, the body burns the energy that is stored in the fat [2].
So what kind of exercises should you do to lose fat?
Aerobic exercises like cycling, walking, and rowing can reduce body weight and mass [3]. High intensity interval training, or HIIT, can also be effective in burning fat because of the afterburn effect, which increases our metabolic rate.
According to Harvard Health, when our metabolism is high, we burn more calories even when we are at rest [4].
Let’s look at 5 different machines that can give you a cardio workout so you can start your belly fat loss journey.
Best exercise machines for losing belly fat
Know that we know how fat is lost, are exercise machines still effective in losing belly fat?
Yes, regular exercise, whether done with a machine or not, can help reduce fat, not just in your belly, but also in the whole body.
- Elliptical Trainer
The elliptical trainer is a machine that can help in reducing fat and it can also help in toning and strengthening your body.
You can use this machine to run, walk, and stair climb. It can be an alternative to running if you have joint pain. There are different settings that you can adjust on the elliptical which can give you the best result.
Depending on your weight, a 30-minute elliptical workout can burn around 270 calories. And as with the treadmill, if you do HIIT exercises on the elliptical machine, you will burn calories [4].
- Stationary bike
Many people do cycling as their primary exercise while some incorporate it into their workout routine. If you do not own a bike or would like to cycle indoors, a stationary bike is a good option for you.
A stationary bike has less impact on the joints than running or walking since you are doing the exercise while seated. It does not only strengthen the lower body, but it is also a great way to burn calories.
According to this study, indoor cycling paired with a healthy diet can help you lose weight and reduce blood pressure [6].
With the stationary bike, a 125-pound person can burn up to 210 calories in 30 minutes doing moderate stationary bike exercises. And doing a more intense workout can burn up to 255 calories [4].
- Rowing machine
The rowing machine is another piece of equipment that is easy on the joints. It is non-weight bearing and it targets the arms, chest, abs, quads, calves, and glutes. It does not only target the upper body, but it basically can be a full-body workout.
Since the rowing machine works the entire body, it helps with strengthening the muscle and burning calories and fat.
With the rowing machine, you can burn up to 210 calories in 30 minutes with moderate rowing and 255 calories if you do a more intense rowing exercise.
- Stair climber
If you don’t want to go up and down the stairs just to do a workout, a stair climber machine allows you to just climb upwards. There are different settings where you can adjust the speed and duration of your exercise with a stair climber.
While the stair climber mostly works your lower body, it can also help build muscle and lower body fat.
This machine might not be good for you if you have bad knees. It might cause discomfort and further damage to your knees if used incorrectly. But, it does strengthen the knees if used properly [7].
According to Harvard Health, a stair climber machine can burn 180 calories in 30 minutes for a 125-pound person.
- Treadmill
The treadmill is one of the machines you commonly see in the gym. Some home gym owners have one as it is a very convenient piece of equipment to have.
You can do a variety of things on a treadmill. You can walk, jog, and run at different speeds. You can also use the treadmill on an incline to mimic the feeling of running up a hill.
How does the treadmill help in burning belly fat?
By doing HIIT on a treadmill, you are increasing the intensity of your workout which means you are burning more calories.
Harvard suggests doing a treadmill HIIT exercise of a 1:3 ratio where you walk briskly or run for one minute and then rest for three minutes [5]. When you are more advanced, you can shorten your rest period for a more intense workout.
This study shows that exercising on the treadmill has a higher rate of fat oxidation than the elliptical or rowing exercises. Fat oxidation refers to the breakdown of fatty acids in our body.
According to Harvard Health, depending on your weight, running 5 mph can burn up to 240 calories in 30 minutes, and running a fast 10 mph can burn up to 453 calories [4].
Other exercise options
There are a lot of ways to burn calories and lose fat. You can do weight training, swimming, or even pilates.
The more intense your workouts are, the more calories your body will burn which will result in fat loss. If you keep up with regular exercise and include a healthy diet in your lifestyle, you will say goodbye to your belly fat sooner rather than later.
Conclusion
If we are looking at calories burned, running is by far the winner. Running on a treadmill can help you achieve your goal of losing not just belly fat, but overall fat in your body.
But, as always, the machine you use will always depend on your fitness goals. And if you really want to lose all that fat, you have to burn more calories than you eat. So no matter what machine you use, regular exercise and a healthy diet are key to losing fat.
Frequently Asked Questions
How can I lose tummy fat fast?
The fastest way to lose fat is to eat a healthy diet and pair it with regular exercise. You can also use gym machines to lose belly fat.
But, diet does not mean just eating oats and yogurt everyday or starving yourself. If you exercise regularly, you need to fuel your body with healthy food.
Avoid junk foods and drinks with a lot of sugar like soda.
How can you just lose belly fat?
Unfortunately, according to a lot of studies, it is not possible to just lose belly fat, or choose a specific body part where we want to lose fat.
Just doing crunches and sit-ups will not make you lose fat. Exercising burns calories in our body so, to burn belly fat, you have to do cardio exercises.
