According to exercise physiologists at Duke University, we have some powerful evidence for the best type of exercise to lose that infamous belly fat. Researchers completed a head-to-head comparison of aerobic exercise vs. resistance exercise vs. a combo of the two, and found that the fastest and most beneficial exercise route for burning belly fat was moving the body with aerobic activity.

In this evaluation, 196 sedentary and overweight study subjects were placed on one of the three exercise regimens. Those in the aerobic-training group experienced a number of health benefits including: a significant reduction in belly and liver fat (the deadly types), improved insulin sensitivity, and reductions in triglyceride and liver enzyme levels. These benefits were not observed in the resistance-training group.

Results were comparable for the aerobic and the combination group, which lead the investigators to conclude that when it comes to burning belly fat, aerobic activity is the most efficient and effective way to go. In this study, aerobic activity burned 67% more calories than resistance exercise. (American Journal of Physiology August 2011)

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