Most successful weight-loss efforts involve cutting calories and increasing exercise. Two main types of exercises are aerobic exercise, which develops cardiovascular fitness, and weightlifting, which develops strength. Incorporating both types of exercise into your weight-loss program can help you achieve a maximum calorie burn so that you can lose more weight faster.
Calories & Weight Loss
Losing weight is a simple mathematical equation: Burn more calories than you take in, and you will lose weight. One pound equals 3,500 calories, so creating a calorie deficit of 500 calories a day results in a loss of 1 pound a week.
Aerobics & Weight Loss
The Cleveland Clinic website defines aerobic exercise as an activity that works large muscles performed for a long period of time.There should be three parts to aerobic exercise: a warmup, a conditioning period lasting 30 to 45 minutes in which you elevate your heart rate, and a cool-down to help lower your heart rate. Common aerobic activities include running, biking, swimming or aerobic dancing. The number of calories you burn during aerobic exercise depends on your starting weight, the duration of exercise and your exercise intensity.
Weight Training & Weight Loss
Weight training is a key component of weight loss. It involves using gym machines, resistance bands or free weights to build muscle. According to the Mayo Clinic website, weight training can help you burn fat, build muscle and burn more calories even when your body is at rest. As you age, your body naturally loses muscle mass; unless you take action, your ratio of fat to muscle mass increases automatically. Strength training helps keep and build muscle mass, reducing your body's percentage of fat.
Impact of Exercise on Weight Loss
You can estimate the number of calories you burn through exercise and use it to predict your weight loss. According to the Mayo Clinic website, a 160-pound person will burn 219 calories per hour of weightlifting, 365 calories per hour of low-impact aerobics and 511 calories per hour of high-impact aerobics. In this example, a 160-pound person who lifts weights for two hours a week and jogs for three hours a week will burn a total of 1,971 calories, resulting in a half-pound weight loss per week.
Physical Activity Guidelines
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention, or CDC, has physical activity guidelines for kids, adults and seniors. According to the CDC, adults and seniors should combine muscle-strengthening activities such as lifting weights or resistance bands with aerobic activity. They recommend twice-weekly muscle-strengthening workouts combined with either 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity such as brisk walking or 75 minutes of vigorous aerobic activity such as jogging.
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