Although reducing your calorie intake and basing your diet on healthy foods is important for fat loss, exercise is also an essential component in any weight loss plan. Regular exercise can also help you gain muscle strength and improve your cardiovascular health. Before starting any exercise or weight loss plan, consult a health care provider to make sure your plan is safe.
Cardiovascular Exercise
Cardiovascular exercise burns a significant amount of calories, making it ideal for burning fat anywhere on your body. Jumping rope, jogging, water aerobics, cycling and aerobic dance are among the most effective exercises for burning calories. Ski machines, rowing machines and elliptical trainers are also good choices for burning calories. To reduce stress on your joints, vary your workout with weight-bearing exercise, such as jogging and dance, and non-weight-bearing exercises, such as swimming and cycling.
Frequency and Intensity
To lose fat, you'll need 200 to 300 minutes of cardiovascular exercise weekly, advise experts from the American College of Sports Medicine. When you're starting out, exercise for 10 to 15 minutes at a time and add a few minutes every week. Once you're able, work out for at least 30 minutes each session for optimal fat burning. Workouts should be of at least moderate intensity, meaning they raise your heart rate and make you break a sweat.
Strength Training
Strength training builds muscles. Adding muscle mass helps you burn fat by increasing your metabolic rate, the rate at which you burn calories, by up to 15 percent, according to experts from Tufts University. You can build muscle and boost your metabolism by lifting weights, using weight machines or performing body weight exercises such as pushups and situps two to three times weekly. Work all major muscle groups, including your legs, arms, abdomen, chest and back.
Considerations
To stay motivated, choose activities you enjoy and that fit easily into your daily schedule. When you start cardiovascular exercise or strength training, you may gain 3 or 4 lbs. due to water retention. After several weeks, you may also gain weight from increased muscle mass, even though you may be losing fat. As you lose fat, your waist, hips and thighs become smaller because, pound for pound, muscle takes up less space than fat.
References
- Brigham Young University: Sample Exercises and Calorie Expenditure
- Harvard University: Calories Burned in 30 Minutes for People of Three Different Weights
- Hospital for Special Surgery: Exercise Tips for Fat Loss
- University of Michigan; Timing is Everything: Why the Duration and Order of Your Exercise Matters; Sahand Rahnama; Oct. 17, 2005
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: How Much Physical Activity do Adults Need?
- Tufts University: Benefits of Strength Training
Member Comments