Whether at the gym or at home, women can integrate workouts into their daily lives to help lose weight fast. However, not all exercise routines burn calories at the same rate. Women should choose an intense workout to deliver the maximum weight loss benefits. In addition, sustaining a workout habit over time can help women maintain their weight loss.
Types
The American Heart Association (AHA) outlines different types of workouts women can use to help attain and maintain a target weight. Cardiovascular exercise, done at a level that raises the heart rate and makes you sweat, may include moderate activities such as walking or dancing or more intense exercise like stair-climbing. Strengthening and resistance activities cover weight-lifting, squats, lunges, pull-ups and push-ups.
Features
Aim for a powerful cardiovascular workout that addresses major muscle groups. Try a circuit-style sequence, beginning with a warm up of jumping rope, high knee lifts and boxing and shuffling the feet. Go into plank position, hold for 10 seconds, and then do 30 seconds of push-ups. Repeat this cycle three times. Stand and do 30 side lunges, followed by front toe taps, alternating feet, for 30 seconds. Repeat this cycle three times. Use light hand weights to do lateral and front raises, 20 times each. Do 15 backward lunges, bringing your back knee toward the floor, on each leg, and repeat. Lay down and do 30 abdominal crunches and then abdominal side lifts with legs in the air, bringing your elbow toward the opposite knee. Do this set three more times.
Function
Exercising for weight loss means that women need to burn 3,500 calories to lose a single pound of fat. If women want to lose weight rapidly and consistently, they can set a daily target of burning 500 to 1,000 calories and lose up to two pounds per week.
Identification
A variety of cardiovascular activities burn high amounts of calories, among them high impact aerobics or backpacking at 511 calories per hour; touch football or jogging at 584 calories per hour; jumping rope or tae kwan do at 730 calories per hour and running an 8-minute mile at 986 calories per hour.
Misconceptions
The length of your workout does not always equate with the effectiveness of your workout. Health reporter Selene Yeager proposes interval training for an intense workout. While doing a half hour of vigorous cardiovascular exercise, such as climbing stairs or jogging, break your pace every few minutes by working to your maximum capacity. Maintain a sprint-level pace for 30 seconds and then slow down to recover.
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