According to the Mayo Clinic, if you want to lose weight, include exercise in your plan. Because you burn calories during exercise, it will speed up your weight loss efforts by helping create the calorie deficit needed to lose weight.
Calorie Deficit
You need to create a 3,500-calorie deficit to lose one pound of body fat, according to the Mayo Clinic. You can create this deficit with a combination of cutting calories and burning calories. Though you can lose weight with diet alone, exercise will speed up the weight loss process and provide other benefits as well.
Not only will you burn calories, but exercise also can improve your mood, according to the Mayo Clinic. This can help with weight loss if you tend to eat emotionally or eat when tired.
Aerobic Exercise
You should incorporate aerobic exercise, often referred to as “cardio” exercise, into your weight loss plan. Burn those “extra” calories that you may have trouble cutting out in your diet. According to the Mayo Clinic, everyone should aim to get at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity cardiovascular exercise, such as brisk walking or swimming, every day. However, for weight loss, you may need to set a goal of more than 30 minutes per day.
A 160-pound person can burn 277 calories in one hour of walking at 3.5 mph or 584 calories in one hour of jogging at 5 mph. Remember that the more intense the activity, the more calories you burn. Other examples of aerobic activity include water aerobics, cycling, playing tennis and using an elliptical machine.
Resistance Training
Contrary to many people’s fear that resistance training will make you gain weight and get bigger, it can actually help you lose weight and become more “compact.” According to the University of New Mexico, “resistance training programs can increase fat-free mass and decrease the percentage of body fat.” You can incorporate resistance training by using weight machines, free weights, your own body weight or resistance bands.
You should aim to do resistance training at least twice per week, according to the Mayo Clinic. You can use a variety of resistance training methods, and if you cannot make it to the gym, use your own body weight. You can do push-ups, pull-ups, squats and a variety of other body weight exercises. The more muscle mass you gain, the more efficiently your body can burn calories.
Core Training
Your core muscles include those muscles found in the middle of your body, otherwise known as your trunk. By doing exercises that use your abdominal muscles, lower back muscles or pelvic muscles, you will strengthen your core. According to the Mayo Clinic, you can lose weight faster because you can more effectively work your upper and lower body muscles. Exercises such as abdominal crunches and planks will work core muscles.
Lifestyle
If you want to accelerate weight loss, find simple ways to make your lifestyle more active. Wash your car by hand instead of driving it through a car wash or take stairs instead of an elevator. Find creative and fun ways to have a more active lifestyle.
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