Try Internal Training 3 Times a Week

Cardio melts calories, but to keep seeing results, ramp up your intensity, too. Canadian researchers found that when women, who are on a quest to lose unwanted fat, did 10 sets alternating a 4-minute burst of intense cycling followed by 2 minutes of easy pedaling, they burned up to 66 percent more fat during subsequent aerobic workouts. Interval training can trigger a boost in metabolism so you burn more fat during low and moderate-intensity activity, and even when your body is at rest.

You can apply this principle to any workout, whether you're power walking, jogging, or using an elliptical machine: Alternate between a moderate effort that makes you slightly breathless and a vigorous pace that makes speaking more than a couple of words difficult. In a 30-minute interval workout, you'll burn 20 percent more calories than if you maintained a steady pace—and you'll keep burning more fat afterward.