Burning one pound of fat requires creating a caloric deficit of 3,500 calories. Therefore, it’s important to have a long-term outlook when embarking on a weight loss exercise program. Concentrating on the day-to-day aspect of the program, instead of trying to lose weight as fast as possible, will keep your motivation up as you work out. An effective program consists of both consistent cardiovascular workouts and weight training.
Weight Loss Exercise Program
Step 1
Calculate your body mass index, more commonly referred to as your BMI. Your BMI is a quick way to analyze whether your body fat percentage is at a healthy level. It compares the relationship between your body weight and your height. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention offers a free online BMI calculator, which takes only a minute to complete.
Step 2
Complete high-calorie burning cardiovascular exercise for at least two and a half hours per week. The Mayo Clinic states that the exercise activities that burn the most calories per unit of time include running, tai chi, rollerblading, jumping rope and stair climbing. While these exercises are the most efficient, it’s important to consider what activities you enjoy as well, as you’re more likely to complete them on a daily basis. The Department of Health and Human Services recommends at least two hours and 30 minutes of moderate aerobic activity per week, but completing more than that will result in more significant results.
Step 3
Complete a strength-training workout twice a week. Although weight training is not listed as one of the highest calorie-burning exercise activities by Mayo Clinic, it offers long-term benefits. The muscle mass that you put on from consistent weight training will result in a faster resting metabolism, which means that you’ll burn more total calories throughout the day, even while you’re at rest. Lift weights twice a week, completing eight to 10 exercises at two to three sets of eight to 12 repetitions.
Step 4
Schedule your daily workout program. It’s beneficial to schedule ahead of time what you’re going to do on any given day. Making your workouts a priority is essential if you’re going to make it a part of your daily life. Plan out what and how many days you’ll complete your cardiovascular exercise to ensure that you get in as many minutes as needed. While it’s not a problem to schedule both strength training and cardiovascular exercise on the same day, just be sure that you allow your muscles at least 48 hours of rest in between weight training workouts.
Tips and Warnings
- While exercising can be an effective way to lose body fat, it’s important to understand the impact that your nutritional habits play on your weight loss efforts. Many find that they eat more as they embark on a new exercise program, which would cancel out any caloric deficit they create with their exercise sessions. Make sure you place emphasis on your eating habits, as it’s much easier to eat 300 less calories a day than it is to burn it through exercise.
- While BMI is a quick and easy way to determine your body weight health and to monitor improvements, it shouldn’t be considered as an accurate way to determine your body fat percentage. BMI fails to recognize what your body weight is made of. Therefore, two people of the same height could weigh the same amount, but one really has a healthy body fat percentage because they possess more muscles while their counterpart possesses more fat.
Things You'll Need
- Watch with timer
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