Cardio vs Fat burning zone: What do they mean?

I've recently been asked about what cardio zone vs fat burning zone means on the treadmill or elliptical. We all need to do cardio regardless of our fitness goal in order to keep the heart and cardiovascular system healthy (hence the name "cardio")

What does fat burning zone mean? This is where the heart rate is around 60% of your maximum heart rate. This is the number that the exercise machine calculate when determining your optimal pace. When doing a fat burning program, roughly 70% of the calories burned are from your body fat.

In cardio exercise mode, your heart rate is kept around 70 - 85% of your maximum heart rate. Within this range, 40-50% of the calories burned are from your body fat. But because you're exercising more vigorously, you typically burn more calories in less time. Also, this type of exercise is more challenging for your heart so it builds a healthier cardiovascular system over time.

For beginners, who are starting to become active, I recommend that you start in the fat burning zone and then move up to the cardio zone as you become more physically fit.