Losing weight is not easy. The most effective way to shed unwanted pounds is to combine eating fewer calories with exercising to burn more calories. While any amount of exercise is beneficial, there are ways of exercising to promote weight loss. Self-tests and monitors can be used to determine if an exercise is effective for weight loss. However, the first step is to talk with a health care provider to make sure the exercise is safe for you.
Step 1
Make sure the exercise is of moderate intensity. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, to lose weight, it is necessary to participate in moderately intense aerobic activity for 30 to 45 minutes every day. A moderate level of exercise is not so intense that you cannot say a few words. You should break a sweat and your breathing should be somewhat labored.
Step 2
Measure your heart rate during exercise and keep it within a specific range. Subtract your age from 220 and then multiply that answer by 0.70 and 0.85, which will give you a heart rate range. While exercising, take your pulse in your wrist or neck and count how many times it beats in a 10-second period. Multiply that answer by 6 and see if it falls within your heart rate range. If it is too low, pick up the pace; if it is too high, back off a bit so that exercise can be maintained for 30 to 45 minutes.
Step 3
Wear a heart rate monitor to make sure your exercise session is intense enough to cause weight loss. Purchase a monitor that you can program with your age, weight and gender; it should record your heart rate and the number of calories burned. Since 1 lb. is equal to 3,500 calories, exercise hard enough that you burn 500 to 1,000 calories each day to lose about 1 to 2 lb. per week.
Tips and Warnings
- If you are new to exercise, start off slowly with three 10-minute sessions each day and slowly work up to one 30- to 45-minute moderate-level workout. Going too hard, too fast can lead to injury.
- Always work within personal limits. If exercise leaves you very sore or exhausted, it is too much. If you are overweight or have diabetes or a heart condition, always get a physician's approval as to how high your heart rate can safely be raised.
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