Exercise can help you maintain a healthy weight or lose excess pounds when you pair it with a healthy, low-calorie diet. Some forms of exercise incinerate calories faster than others can, meaning they give you an extra nudge in reaching your weight loss goal. However, use caution when choosing an exercise plan because simply focusing on "instant" weight loss might lead you to make changes you can't sustain for life.
Aerobic Exercise
Aerobic exercises cause you to use large muscle groups in rhythmic movements for an extended period. Of all types of exercise, aerobic exercise requires you to use the greatest amount of energy and thus helps you lose weight fastest. Examples of aerobic exercise include biking, swimming, jogging, dancing and brisk walking. Generally, moderate-intensity exercise is better than vigorous-intensity exercise for weight loss because you increase your risk of burnout if you work too hard, according to the Mayo Clinic.
How Much
Most adults should get a minimum of 20 consecutive minutes of exercise three times per week to maintain a healthy weight. However, you would likely need to increase your weekly minimum to 45 or 60 minutes a day five or more days a week for more substantial weight loss. If 20 minutes seems overwhelming at first, start at a steady pace and work your way up as you adapt to the new demands of a workout routine. For example, do two five-minute walks in your first week and increase each walk to seven or 10 minutes the next week.
Interval Training
Aerobic interval training involves alternating between lighter activity and more intense activity during the same session. A major perk of interval training is that picking up the pace burns more calories, but you are less likely to burn out because you don't have to stay at a single rapid pace. Interval training also boosts your aerobic capacity, which allows you to extend your workouts if you want. You can use interval training in just about any form of aerobic exercise. For example, if you're a jogger, you can warm up by walking for a few minutes, pick up the pace to jogging and alternate between jogging and running every two minutes.
Tips
Do muscle-strengthening exercises at least 30 minutes two days per week to boost your body's fat-burning capacity and reduce your risk of injury during aerobic exercise, recommends the President's Council on Fitness, Sports and Nutrition. Examples of strengthening exercises are body-weight exercises such as crunches and squats, resistance band exercises and free-weight exercises such as bicep curls.
References
- Mayo Clinic: Weight Loss -- Six Strategies for Success
- Mayo Clinic: Interval Training -- Can it Boost Your Calorie-Burning Power?
- MedlinePlus: Exercise and Weight Loss
- President's Council on Fitness, Sports and Nutrition: Exercise and Weight Control
- Mayo Clinic: Exercise Intensity -- Why it Matters and How It's Measured
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