Any quick weight-loss program that does not include physical activity should be avoided, report doctors at the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. Working out is an integral piece of a healthy weight-loss program. In addition to restricting caloric intake, exercise reduces the time it takes to lose the extra pounds. While some exercises are better for quick weight loss than others, it is important to choose workouts that can be continued for sustainable weight loss.
Sports
While golfing provides a full-body workout with the walking, swinging and bending involved, sports such as singles tennis, basketball and touch football burn up more calories. Doctors at WomensHealth.gov report that those who want to lose a substantial amount of weight quickly should lower their caloric intake and choose high-intensity sports. A 160-pound person can lose about 564 calories an hour playing a rousing game of singles tennis. Losing more than 5 percent of your body weight requires vigorous activity that will increase your heart rate and make it difficult to hold a conversation.
Running
Running is one of the most calorie intensive workouts for losing weight quickly, according to doctors at the Mayo Clinic. The faster you run, the more calories you burn. For example, a 160-pound person can burn 584 calories an hour by running at five miles per hour. Boost that speed to eight miles an hour and burn 986 calories. Since there are 3,500 calories in one pound, it's evident that the more calories you burn, the faster you will lose the calories. If that same person ran every day at five miles per hour, she could lose about 4,088 calories per week, or a little more than one pound. The faster runner burns 6,902 calories per week, much closer to two pounds per week, a healthy goal. To increase the amount of weight loss each week, increase the amount of time running.
Interval Training
Interval training performed every day can result in a two- to four-pound weight loss per week, according to personal trainers at Now Loss. Any kind of exercise can be modified to provide an interval-training workout to lose weight fast. Interval workouts combine high-intensity workouts with slower periods of exercise. The key to interval training is to not take a break. The intense exercise should last about 60 seconds and the easy exercises closer to 90 seconds. Workouts should last between 10 and 40 minutes and leave you so exhausted that you don't feel like doing any other exercises for at least a couple hours. Interval workouts can be performed while walking or running, using a treadmill or elliptical trainer or moving between exercise machines, combining slow weight lifting with high-intensity aerobics.
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