To lose weight, your workout must consist of some key components. Cardiovascular exercise will help you burn many calories, and resistance training will build and strengthen your muscles. By exercising several days a week, more calories will be burned at a faster rate--helping you to reach the weight you desire.
Frequency of Exercise
You must work out several days a week for weight loss results. The American College of Sports Medicine, or ACSM, recommends at least three days of physical activity per week. If you can only reach the minimum, work out on non-consecutive days such as Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. For maximum results, you should work out four or more days per week with at least one day of rest.
Cardiovascular Exercise
Cardiovascular exercise will burn the majority of your calories. You can choose any type of activity that will keep your heart rate above 55 percent of your maximum heart rate for at least 20 minutes. However, the ACSM says it may take 60 to 90 minutes of physical activity to achieve or maintain weight loss. While running, swimming, or cycling will burn calories, so will dancing, skiing, skating, or hiking. Choosing an activity you enjoy will make it easier to work out for longer periods of time. The longer you exercise the more calories you will burn.
Resistance Training
Resistance training can be done with, or without, weights. You can use items such as: resistance bands, dumbbells, barbells, medicine balls, weighted vests or kettle bells. If you opt to work out without weights, you can use calisthenics. The Army Study Guide describes calisthenics as a form of muscular strength and endurance training that uses your own body weight to develop and maintain muscular fitness. Push-ups, sit-ups, pull-ups or lunges are examples of calisthenic exercises. Resistance training allows the body to burn calories during the workout while you exercise, and after the workout when the muscles repair themselves.
Varying the Routine
Your body will never have a chance to adapt to your routine if you vary the exercises, intensity, the days you exercise, length of the workout or repetitions. For example, if you run on the treadmill, try the track instead. Swimmers might try hiking or dancers may try skating. Varying your routine gives the same muscle groups a different workout, or activates muscle groups you may not usually use. This will help avoid a plateau and keep you on track with your weight loss goals.
Interval Training
Interval training should be incorporated into your work out. To interval train means alternating between low and high intensities throughout the exercise. For example, walk two minutes and run for one minute for a total of 30 minutes. You can bike on a hard gear for two miles and switch to an easy gear for one mile. Interval training can be done with any exercise for any amount of time you choose. Alternating intensities can burn just as many calories, if not more, during the exercise than staying at the same pace.
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