Exercise is a critical part of weight loss. Physical activity can increase weight loss when paired with a diet and it also assists in weight maintenance. Exercise helps reduce the loss of lean body mass when dieting. In addition, it reduces abdominal fat and also reduces mortality.
Exercise For Weight Loss
The American College of Sports Medicine outlines specific guidelines that an exercise program aimed at weight loss should contain. Ideally, your exercise program will burn at least 2,000 calories per week. This is achieved with a combination of aerobic and resistance exercises. Training should take place five to seven days per week for a duration of 45 to 60 minutes per session.
Interval Training
Interval training is a form of aerobic exercise that mixes moderate intensity exercise with bursts of high intensity exercise. For example, if you are using a treadmill, you might walk at four mph for five minutes, then increase to a jogging pace of five mph for five minutes. The idea behind interval training is to increase your caloric burn during your workout. By using intervals of high intensity work, calorie use is increased and you are able to exercise for a longer period of time because you get a break from the high intensity work.
Resistance Training
Resistance training is more important than you may think for weight loss. Using a technique known as overload, you challenge your muscles through progressive resistance, so much that they must adapt to the training stimulus. It's stressful to your body, so a rest of at least 24 hours between sessions is critical. While the physical act of weight lifting doesn't burn many calories, the physical adaptations to resistance exercises are beneficial. Resistance training increases your percentage of lean body mass. Lean body mass has a direct influence on your metabolic rate because muscle uses more energy for its metabolic processes. When you have more muscle you burn more calories no matter what you're doing, even watching TV. The American College of Sports Medicine recommends participating in resistance exercise three days per week. Exercises should hit all of the large muscles and include the leg press, abdominal crunch, back extension, chest press, bicep curl, and tricep extension.
Circuit Training
Circuit training combines aerobic and resistance exercise into one intense session. Mixing a set of resistance exercises with a period of moderate to moderately high aerobic work results in high calorie burn and weight loss. To do this kind of exercise program, you must set up a course of resistance exercises and one cardio exercise. Perform a set of resistance exercise, and then do your cardio exercise for 40 to 60 seconds; repeat this sequence for your workout totaling at least 30 minutes of exercise.
References
- "Annals of Internal Medicine"; Evidence for Success of Exercise in Weight Loss and Control; Steven N. Blair; 2004
- "American College of Sports Medicine's Guidelines for Exercise Testing and Prescription"; Mitchell H. Whaley, Peter H. Brubaker, Robert M. Otto; 2006
- Mayo Clinic.com: Interval Training
- BodyBuilding.com: Fat-Loss Circuit Training
- "Exercise Testing and Prescription"; David C. Nieman; 2007
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