What Is the Best Way to Exercise for Weight Loss?

What Is the Best Way to Exercise for Weight Loss?

Regular physical activity is another important lifestyle factor in weight management. Physical activity and exercise burn calories and keep the metabolism geared to using food for energy instead of storing it as fat. Making significant cuts in food intake in order to lose weight is a difficult strategy to maintain; increasing your physical activity is a much better approach. Regular physical activity also protects against weight gain and is essential for maintaining weight loss.

All physical activity will help you manage your weight. The first step in becoming more active is to incorporate more physical activity into your daily life. If you are currently sedentary, start by accumulating short bouts of moderate-intensity physical activity walking, gardening, doing housework, and so on for a total of 150 minutes or more per week. Even a small increase in activity level can help maintain your current weight or help you lose a moderate amount of weight. In fact, research suggests that fidgeting stretching,

If weight loss is your primary goal, the guidelines for planning a fitness program can vary depending on your weight, body composition, and current level of fitness. For example, there is some dispute among fitness experts about the best target heart rate (THR) zone to use when exercising for weight loss. Some experts recommend exercising at a moderate THR (55-69% of maximum heart rate) because the body burns fat at a slightly more efficient rate at this level of exertion. Others recommend exercising vigorously (70-90% of maximum heart rate) because exercise at this intensity burns more calories overall. According to some estimates, for example, a 30-minute workout at 8085% of maximum heart rate burns about 30% more calories overall than a 30-minute workout at 60-65% maximum heart rate but the lower-intensity workout burns roughly 20% more fat calories than the higher-intensity workout.

Regardless, if you are obese or your fitness level is very low, start with a lower-intensity workout (55% of maximum heart rate), and stick with it until your cardiorespiratory fitness level improves enough to support short bouts of higher-intensity exercise. This way, you will burn more fat, reduce the risk of injury and strain on your heart, and improve your chances of staying with your program. Even if your primary goal is to lose weight, you are also improving your cardiorespiratory fitness. Any amount of exercise, even at low to moderate intensity, will help you achieve both goals. But patience is required, especially if you need to lose a great deal of weight.

What Is the Best Way to Exercise for Weight Loss? Photo Gallery



For weight loss to occur, exercise at lower intensities has to be offset by longer and/or more frequent exercise sessions. Experts recommend 60-90 minutes of daily exercise for anyone who needs to lose weight or maintain weight loss. If you cannot fit such a large block of activity into your daily schedule, break your workouts into short segments as little as 10-15 minutes each. This approach is probably best for someone who has been sedentary because it allows the body to become accustomed to exercise at a gradual pace while preventing injury and avoiding strain on the heart.

Many research studies have shown that walking is an ideal form of exercise for losing weight and avoiding weight gain. A landmark 15-year study by the University of North Carolina at Charlotte showed that, over time, people who did not walk gained 18 pounds more than people who walked just 30 minutes per day. Those who regularly walked farther were better able to lose or maintain weight. Other studies found that people who walked 30 minutes five times per week lost an average of 5 pounds in 6-12 months, without dieting, watching what they ate, or exercising intensely. You can lose even more weight if you eat sensibly and walk farther and faster.

A 165-pound adult who walks at a speed of 3 miles per hour for 60 minutes a day, 5 days a week, can lose about one-half pound of body weight per week. Regular walking is the simplest and most effective health habit for controlling body weight and promoting health.

Even if you’re sedentary, a few months of walking can increase your fitness level to the point where more vigorous types of exercise and even greater health benefits are possible.

Fifteen-year longitudinal trends in walking patterns and their impact on weight change. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 89(1): 19-26; Levine, J. A., et al. 2008. The role of free-living daily walking in human weight gain and obesity. Diabetes 57(3): 548-554; Nelson, M. E., and S. C. Folta. 2009. Further evidence for the benefits of walking. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 89(1): 15-16; Physical Activity Guidelines Advisory Committee. 2008. Physical Activity Guidelines Advisory Committee Report, 2008. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. squirming, standing up, and so on may help prevent weight gain in some people. Short bouts of activity spread throughout the day can produce many of the same health benefits as continuous physical activity.

If you are overweight and want to lose weight, or if you are trying to maintain a lower weight following weight loss, a greater amount of physical activity can help. Researchers have found that people who lose weight and don’t regain it typically burn about 2800 calories per week in physical activity the equivalent of about one hour of brisk walking per day.

Exercise Once you become more active every day, begin a formal exercise program that includes cardiorespiratory endurance exercise, resistance training, and stretching exercises (see the box “What Is the Best Way to Exercise for Weight Loss?”). Moderate-intensity endurance exercise, if performed frequently for a relatively long duration, can burn a significant number of calories. Endurance training also increases the rate at which your body uses calories after your exercise session is over burning an additional 5-180 extra calories, depending on the intensity of exercise. Resistance training builds muscle mass, and more muscle translates into a higher metabolic rate. Resistance training can also help you maintain your muscle mass during a period of weight loss, helping you avoid the significant drop in RMR associated with weight loss.

Regular physical activity, maintained throughout life, makes weight management easier. The sooner you establish good habits, the better. The key to success is making exercise an integral part of a lifestyle you can enjoy now and will enjoy in the future.

Maybe You Like Them Too

Leave a Reply

19 + = 24