If you are given information about the best exercise for weight loss, would you go right ahead and do it?
With the many recommended exercise and work outs, it can be quite confusing to pick one that will help you lose weight.
Then, there is this huge debate about whether the best exercise to lose weight is cardio or strength training.
In the end, the truly best exercise for weight loss is the one you can stick to and do for the rest of your life.
Losing Weight with Exercise
Everybody knows that weight loss can only be achieved if your body can create a caloric deficit. When this happens, your body will turn to your stored fats for its energy requirements.
The intensity and type of exercise will depend on how much calories you need to burn.
If you can create a calorie deficit of 1,000 daily then you can successfully lose a pound or two a week.
You have to be able to combine lesser calorie intake and more calorie burning to achieve a caloric deficit.
Many people stop exercising for two reasons, injury and boredom. This suggests that you are either doing it wrong or you do not want to do it in the first place but because mass media told you it is the best, you tried it.
The way to a lasting exercise program is in knowing what you are doing it for. Losing weight is of course the general idea for staring an exercise program but you have to go a little deeper and know your body more.
What you want to develop is a calorie deficit, which means that you are burning more calories than you are taking in.
You do not need to do all those crazy high level exercises just do what you are most comfortable with.
Start with something simple like brisk walking or spending time on an exercise bike or an elliptical machine.
See also: How Much Should I Be Exercising To Lose Weight
Aerobic Exercise
Most scientists will agree that the best exercises to burn calories are aerobic exercises or cardio work outs.
Aerobic exercises are your best bet for burning more calories and losing weight. The popular aerobic exercises include jogging, swimming, cycling and brisk walking.
It is recommended that people engage in about 60 minutes of aerobic exercises three to four days a week in order to promote weight loss and be able to sustain it.
You have the option of doing all your exercise in one session in a day or spread it out to shorter sessions at different times of the day lasting for at least ten minutes.
It is just that when it comes to burning calories, cardiovascular exercises are way better especially if you vary its intensity.
You may want to try aerobic base-building workouts, which involves alternating between high and moderate intensity cardio exercises.
See also: Best Cardio Workouts For Abs
Strength Training To Lose Weight
Many studies have shown that strength training can build stronger muscles, further reduce weight and burn more calories.
The best thing about strength training is the after burn or when the body keeps on burning calories way after you have finished your session.
Your strength training may include resistance bands, free weights or weight machines.
While there has been a lot of noise made about building muscle mass to burn calories, strength training in itself does not burn enough calories for an effective weight loss.
The calorie burning from strength training happens after the exercise in what is called the after burn.
But this can only achieved through some serious lifting for an hour straight, which is what body-builders do.
Gaining a pound of muscle is equivalent to burning 10 extra calories a day which can be accomplished by chewing gum.
This does not mean though that strength training is not important because you will need it to prevent the flabs from developing when you begin losing weight.
You have to find a resistance level that is heavy enough to tire your muscles. You should alternate strength training exercises on your upper and lower body.
You should also try some targeted strain training focusing on certain muscle groups at a time. This is also good as it would not put too much strain on one portion of the body.
See also: Strength Training Exercises For Weight Loss
Cross-Training To Lose Weight Fast
Cross-training is also recommended for weight loss. You should mix up your work out by incorporating other activities such as cycling, swimming and others.
This will take the boredom out of your work out and will enable you to use different muscle groups.
You will also decrease your risk of developing injuries because you will not be doing the same thing daily, which can create wear patterns on the joints.
The main idea is to get the body moving so that it can burn calories. You can get really creative, like ditching the cart when you are golfing.
See also: Low Impact Vs High Impact Exercises
Dieting
Exercise is just one side of the coin, the other is eating healthy. Eating right and exercising are intimately connected.
Many people spend hours on the gym and use it as an excuse to eat what they want.
Sadly, food is everywhere today. You find candy bars in the most unlikely places like Home Depot. Book stores now serve coffee and cakes. Gas stations have groceries and mini restaurants.
To add to this is the humongous food portions served in restaurants today. So it will always be a test of will for overweight people.
This is one area where instant gratification will never work. Losing weight is a long and arduous process but the rewards will be well worth it.
Goals
You should establish goals to work on to give you a sense of accomplishment and to know how much weight you have lost.
Starting with simple exercises is always a good idea like 20 minutes of brisk walking three days a week and slowly build it up from there.
You can start with doing one strength training session a week and go to two or three later on. Your goals should be realistic so that you can stick to them.
Considerations
If you have lived a sedentary lifestyle, are new to exercising or have a medical condition, you must consult your doctor first with your plan on engaging in regular exercise.
If you get a go signal, do not try to hit the recommended types and length of exercise for your weight loss as this could lead to injuries.
You need to start small and slowly work your way to the more intense exercises as the weeks go by.
