If you spend a portion of your day exercising for weight loss, you want to be confident that you are spending the right amount of time doing it. In order for exercise to be effective, a delicate balance between frequency, heart rate, exercise type and amount of time are required. Maximum weight loss requires a balanced diet, so speak with your doctor regarding healthy eating habits to further your weight loss goals.
Target Heart Rate
Your exercise target heart rate, or THR, is the guideline to set your exercise intensity. An exercise intensity level should be one that stimulates your heart, lungs and circulatory system to respond with improved function. This rate will also use fat as fuel for your exercise session to burn calories and induce weight loss. Your THR is determined by subtracting your age from 220 and then multiplying the result by .65 and .85. For maximum weight loss, aim to stay within this range and as your endurance improves, aim for the higher end of your range.
Time
The American College of Sports Medicine, ACSM, released their physical activity guidelines for weight loss in 2009. The ACSM reports that 150 to 250 minutes of weekly exercise has been shown to prevent weight gain. For weight loss, the ACSM recommends doing more than 250 minutes of weekly exercise. If you are a beginner, the American Council on Exercise, ACE, suggests starting with five to 10 continuous exercise minutes and eventually increasing to 20 to 30 continuous minutes.
Frequency
Daily aerobic exercise is recommended and you can reach your 250 minute goal through 30 to 40 minutes of daily physical activity. If you do 60 minutes every day, you will reach a total of 420 minutes per week. Your THR should be maintained throughout your workout to burn the highest amount of calories.
Type
The type of exercise that will raise your heart rate into your training zone is aerobic activity. This includes exercises such as walking, jogging, rebounding, swimming, skating, dancing, kickboxing and cycling. You should be able to sustain an activity for your desired amount of time without needing a rest.
Measure
After the first five minutes of your workout, find your pulse on the side of your neck, or the thumb underside of your wrist and count the beat for 10 seconds and then multiply the result by six. Your heart rate should be within your THR range. If it is below the range, increase your intensity and if it is above, decrease your workout intensity.
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