Many of the exercise programs you see on TV are infomercials designed to sell a product. Many gyms and fitness centers promise you the opportunity to get fit and lose weight for a monthly fee. But there's no need to spend money. Understanding how exercise helps you lose weight will help you create free workout programs for weight loss. Check with your doctor before making changes in your exercise or diet plan.
Basic Workout Routine
Whatever type of exercise you do, your weight-loss workout should include several minutes of warmup, your exercises, several minutes of cooling down and a good stretch afterward. To burn calories, work at the highest heart rate that will let you exercise without stopping during your workout. It's better to walk at a brisk pace for 30 minutes, for example, than to jog at a speed that will make you quit after a few minutes.
If you are in good enough shape to work at a vigorous pace for 30 minutes or longer, make sure you can talk while you're exercising. The American Heart Associations recommends that you exercise at a pace that lets you continue for 60 minutes or longer if your goal is weight loss.
TV Workout Programs
Many cable providers offer channels dedicated to health and fitness. If you can't do high-impact exercises, follow along with a yoga, Pilates or step aerobics program. If you want to add muscle toning to your calorie burning, choose a program that includes the use of light dumbbells and body-weight exercises. If you can jump up and down at a vigorous pace for 20 to 30 minutes, choose an aerobics program. A 160-lb. person can burn more than 180 calories during a 30-minute, low-impact workout, and more than 250 calories doing high-impact aerobics for 30 minutes, according to MayoClinic.com.
Leisure Workouts
Turn leisure activities such as bicycling, walking, skating or swimming into weight-loss workouts by modifying them. When you walk, cycle or skate, choose routes with hills. If you swim, add a sprint lap every five minutes. Add sprints to biking, walking and skating workouts if your route has enough uninterrupted, level terrain to let you sprint for 30 to 90 seconds. A 160-lb. person can burn almost 300 calories per hour biking at a leisure rate of 10 mph, more than 500 calories per hour swimming laps, and more than 275 calories per hour walking briskly.
Local Exercise Groups
You may be able to join a local exercise group. Some are private groups with members getting together for daily walks, bike rides, swimming or dog walking. Some park districts, health organizations and public senior centers sponsor free tai chi, yoga or other exercise classes.
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