Losing weight and keeping it off means making changes that will last a lifetime. Quick fixes and fad diets may cause some initial weight loss, but once old habits return, so does the weight. An important component of a successful weight loss program is exercise to burn calories off. The amount of exercise needed each week for weight loss depends on the intensity and type of exercise you do. Before starting to exercise, consult with a physician to ensure the safety of the program.
Identification
To lose weight is it necessary to burn off more calories you consume, no matter what type of diet you're on or what type of exercise you do. The goal is to lose weight slowly and safely by cutting back on calorie intake and getting regular physical activity. Even small amounts of weight loss count and can help to reduce the risk of many chronic diseases. Since 1 lb. is equal to 3,500 calories, to lose 1 lb. per week, you need to exercise enough to burn off 500 calories each day.
Guidelines
Burning off 500 calories per day takes a heavy amount of exercise, especially if you're not making changes to your diet. At the very least, it takes about 30 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity every day, combined with strength training workouts on two to three days a week. Since everyone responds differently to exercise, some may need even more aerobic activity to shed extra pounds. A moderate level of activity causes sweating and an increase in heart rate and breathing to the point where you cannot sing or carry on a conversation while exercising.
Aerobic Activity
Aerobic activities, such as walking, biking, swimming and dancing, burn the most calories and the higher the intensity, the more calories you burn. For example a 160 lb. person walking at a pace of 2 miles per hour, can burn about 180 calories in a 60-minute walk. Heavier individuals will burn more and lighter individuals will burn fewer calories. MayoClinic.com suggests increasing the pace to 3.5 mph, to burn 275 calories. Performing the same walk in the water increases caloric expenditure to 290 per hour. Turn it into a hike with hills to boost the number of calories burned to 435 per hour. Make it an interval type workout by adding in short periods of sprinting or jogging and the calorie count goes even higher. To really know how many calories you are burning, consider wearing a heart rate monitor that can be programmed with personal information, so it calculates your exact caloric expenditure.
Strength Training
Strength training exercises that work each major muscle group to fatigue can also help with weight loss. An hour of lifting weights may only burn 200 to 300 calories, but it helps in other ways. Muscle requires more calories to survive than fat. By weight lifting to improve strength, which does not mean bulking up, you can increase metabolism, so your body burns more calories at rest. To improve muscle strength, you need to use weights heavy enough to fatigue the muscle on the 10th or 12th repetition.
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