We see serious trainers all the time at the gym who don a rubber-type belt and strap it around their midsection, in an effort to speed fat loss during their cardio workouts. Not so fast!
Remember, it’s the actual work that you do that burns calories, not the environment that you’re working in (for all intents and purposes). Otherwise, sitting in a sauna for extended periods would be the perfect ticket to fat loss. But, we all know that’s temporary water weight that needs to be replaced to reset your body’s equilibrium.
Don’t confuse the process of sweating – your body’s attempt to cool itself via evaporation – with successful fat loss, because environmental conditions play an important role. Dark clothing, training in humid environments or when the sun is at its hottest, and otherwise artificially increasing your sweat production will surely make you sweat more. But, that only increases body heat and your exposure to heat-related illnesses. In that sense, sweating is not the best indicator of how well you’re burning fat.
In fact, if you stay cool during your workout, you’ll burn the near-exact same number of calories and even be able to do longer workouts with far less concern of heat-related illnesses. Ditch that rubber belt or even that sweat suit that causes you to perspire more!
