Exercise is an effective means to lose weight. However, the success of an exercise program is highly dependent on the specificity of the program, adherence and duration of participation. Your program should be designed specifically based on your goals, physical capabilities and current health status. Keeping these principles in mind when preparing and participating in exercise can help maximize the potential benefits of your exercise program.
Goal Setting
Before beginning any exercise program, identify what you want to get out of the program. Think about things such as: how much weight you want to lose and how much time you want to dedicate to achieving this goal. This end goal should then be broken down into smaller goals that will allow you to meet incremental markers keeping you on course and interested. Your program shouldn't be so time consuming that it interrupts the normal activities of daily living, rather it should only occupy 60 minutes or less per day.
Education
Your exercise program should be specific to your total weight-loss goal. For example, you can emphasize maintaining fat-free mass by incorporating equal strength-training exercises and cardiovascular exercises while still being able to lose a modest amount of weight. However, if it is pure pounds that you want to drop regardless of tissue type and in a short period of time, you should think about a program that emphasizes aerobic exercise.
Issues like these are extremely important in the long-term success of your program, and what types of exercises you should choose. Ideally, you want a program that conserves fat-free mass while targeting your fat stores as a primary source of energy. Thus, it is best for you to incorporate in some capacity at least two days of strength training per week to maintain your muscle mass.
Aerobic
Your exercise program should include the minimum recommended weekly dosage of cardiovascular exercise as stated by the American College of Sports Medicine. They report you should be doing a minimum of 30 to 40 minutes of aerobic exercise three to five days a week in order to stimulate weight loss and management. Aerobic exercises you can choose from include running, walking, jogging, biking, rowing, hiking and stair climbing.
Non-Aerobic
In conjunction with your weekly cardiovascular exercise, it is essential to incorporate resistance training into your weekly program. This type of exercise will stimulate different body processes that will assist in eventual weight loss. The American College of Sports Medicine's minimal recommendation is two days of strength training per week that incorporates eight to ten whole-body exercises that focus on your large muscle groups. This type of program will aid you in building fat-free mass that will improve your metabolic rate and weight-loss potential.
Adherence
The only way you're going to see results based on exercise is by sticking to a program that is challenging, but not so stressful that it inhibits your ability to regularly participate. Your regular adherence to the program needs to be consistent on a long-term basis to best maximize healthy and maintainable weight loss. Don't expect to see large amounts of rapid weight loss from your exercise program; it should be gradual and in increments between 1 to 2 lbs. per week.
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