If you want to lose weight, exercise is an important tool for success. Planning regular exercise doesn't just help you burn calories during the workout session. You burn more calories over the entire day. The types of activity you choose, however, have a large effect on your weight loss. Selecting the right activities will help you burn more calories and accomplish your weight loss goals.
Metabolism Boost
Even after your strength training session has ended, you're still burning calories. Your metabolism can increase by 25 percent 15 hours after your strength training session, according to "Fitness Magazine." Focus on strengthening your major muscle groups, such as the legs, abdominal muscles, arms, chest and back. At the gym, use weight machines and dumbbells. At home, you can use your own body weight, like with push-ups, squats and pulls-ups. During your strength training exercises, slow down the movements. This forces your muscles to work harder and burn more calories. Complete three strength training sessions weekly for weight loss.
Interval Training
Burn more calories by combining strength training sessions with cardiovascular activity. If you include high bursts of cardio with strength training movements, you can increase the number of calories burned by up to 25 percent, according to "Fitness Magazine." Plan 30 to 60 minutes of aerobic activity daily. Alternate three minutes of cardiovascular activity, like jumping rope or stepping up and down on a bench with strength training moves.
High Intensity Activities
Selecting cardiovascular activity with the highest calorie burning potential is important to weight loss. For example, running burns 986 calories an hour for a 160-lb. person. The higher the body weight, the more calories you burn per hour. For example, a person weighing 200 lbs. burns 1,229 calories an hour, according to the Mayo Clinic. The stair treadmill is another good option, burning 657 calories an hour. Talk with your doctor before staring any new exercise to ensure safety.
Workout Tips
What you eat before your workout matters, too. For added energy, eat a snack about an hour before working out. If you eat right before your workout session, you might feel sluggish or get stomach cramping, according to the Mayo Clinic. The type of snack you choose is important, too. Good choices include low-fat yogurt, granola bars or protein bars.
References
- Fitness Magazine: Get It Now: A Supercharged Metabolism
- Mayo Clinic: 5 Tips to Maximize Your Workouts
- Mayo Clinic: Strength Training
- Mayo Clinic: Exercise for Weight Loss
- Mayo Clinic: Weight Loss: 6 Strategies for Success
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: How Much Physical Activity Do You Need?
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