The Best Ways To Exercise & Lose Weight Quickly

The quickest way to lose weight with exercise is by doing aerobic activities--such as running, swimming or cycling--that work large muscle groups continuously for an extended period. The amount of weight you will lose depends on your size and how vigorously you exercise. For instance, a 154 lb. person who walks 3.5 mph will burn about 280 calories an hour, but the same person will burn twice that by jogging 5 mph for the same length of time. According to experts at the University of Massachusetts, you need to cut down or burn up 3,500 calories to lose 1 lb. a week, and the best way to accomplish that is to reduce the calories you consume and increase the calories you burn. The fastest, most efficient way to burn these calories is through high-intensity exercise.

Double Return on Your Investment

Vigorous exercise, such as running, not only helps you lose weight quickly but also will lower cholesterol and improve your body's ability to deliver oxygen and energy to working muscles. According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, this type of cardiovascular exercise strengthens your heart, prevents many diseases, elevates your mood and improves your circulatory system. Experts from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warn people not to try to lose weight too quickly. Losing more than a pound or two a week increases the likelihood you will gain the weight back.

Exercise is Breathing Hard

According to the American College of Sports Medicine, the simplest way to know if you are exercising hard enough is by how hard you are breathing. If you can talk easily, you need to exercise harder. If you can converse but your sentences are clipped because you're breathing hard, you are exercising at the correct intensity. If it's hard to say anything, you might be exercising too hard. Figure out your maximum heart rate (220 minus your age) and exercise at 60 to 90 percent of that number.

A Well-rounded Exercise Program

In addition to aerobic exercise, experts at the American College of Sports Medicine also recommend everyone add strength training--such as weight-lifting or push-ups--to their workout regimen at least twice a week. Strength training doesn't typically provide the kind of sustained aerobic exercise that other activities provide. But lifting weights will burn more than 400 calories an hour, and according to the American Council on Exercise, it will keep your calorie-burning metabolic rate elevated long after you're done lifting. This helps you lose weight quickly. ACE experts also recommend simple stretches before or after exercise to maintain your flexibility.

Adding Even More Calorie Burning

According to the American Council on Exercise, it's easy to add other calorie-burning activities to your daily life. Take the stairs instead of the elevator. Park farther away than you need to and walk. If you don't have time to do a sustained 30- or 60-minute workout, "accumulate" your exercise in 10-minute increments throughout the day. It all adds up and helps you lose weight quickly.