Exercise and nutrition both play a very important role in the amount of fat stored in your body. Not all exercising will reduce your body fat equally. The type, duration and intensity of your routine will determine how effectively you lower your body fat percentage. To get rid of excess body fat, you need to participate in activities that burn a lot of calories. Running, biking, swimming and most sports will do this very well.  Use of a Heart Rate Monitor helps with your workouts. In addition to cardio, you also need to have a good strength training routine. Muscle burns more calories than fat so one of your top priorities needs to be building more muscle mass