Weight Loss Training Tips

You can control your weight by balancing the calories you eat with the amount of calories you burn through physical activity, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. Regular exercise can also help you reduce your risk of developing some types of cancer, heart disease, osteoporosis and depression. Including exercises of all types into your workout routine, in addition to eating fewer calories than your body requires, can help promote and sustain your weight-loss efforts.

Aerobic Exercise

Aerobic exercise, including brisk walking, cycling, running and swimming, is a popular way to burn calories to help control your weight. The amount of calories you burn during each exercise session is determined by your weight and the intensity and duration of your workout. The American College of Sports Medicine recommends working your way up to 60 or more minutes of moderate-intensity exercise on at least five days each week to help you reach and maintain your weight-loss goal.

Strength Training

Strength training exercises, including lifting weights, using resistance bands or exercises that use your body weight as resistance, should also be a part of your weight-loss training program. Strength training can help you build lean muscle, which requires more energy to sustain than fat. As you build more muscle, your metabolism increases, meaning you can burn more calories even when you are not working out. You should do strength-training exercises for your major muscle groups at least two times per week.

Interval Training

Adding interval training to your aerobic workout can be an effective way to spice up your workout and burn more calories. Interval training can be done by adding short bursts of higher-intensity activity followed by lighter periods of activity. Because the intensity of your workout increases, even for a few minutes at a time, you can burn more calories in less time than working out at your steady, normal pace. An example of interval training could include walking at your normal pace for a minute or two and then increasing your pace for a minute or two and alternating back and forth.

Considerations

Dr. Donald Hensrud, Mayo Clinic preventative medicine specialist, reports that although physical activity plays a role in weight control, changes to your dietary habits can more effectively promote weight loss. Eating fewer calories than your body needs and including regular physical activity into your lifestyle are proven ways to reach your goal weight. Consulting with a registered dietitian or and exercise specialist may be helpful as you develop a weight-loss strategy that meets your specific goals.