Although people who are overweight are more likely to suffer fatigue, high blood pressure and heart problems, a gym membership represents an effective path to fitness. Most gyms and fitness centers offer a variety of aerobic and strength-training activities designed to reduce your weight, strengthen your muscles and improve your overall quality of living. Recognize how much exercise you'll need at the gym in order to meet your weight-loss goals and ensure your long-term health.
Different Types of Gym Exercise
Gyms offer an ideal setting for both aerobic and strength-training workouts that aid weight loss in different ways. Aerobic activities like basketball and swimming require you to use your arms, legs and hips repeatedly and increase your heartbeat and rate of breathing. Trainers recommend aerobic workouts as the best way to burn the most calories. Strength training activities like weightlifting build your body and increase weight loss through reduced fat. Athletes who strength train also burn calories for longer time periods, since bodies with larger muscle use more energy.
Aerobic Timelines
Experts typically suggest performing aerobic activities for 30 to 60 minutes between four and six days every week. Popular gym workouts include swimming, elliptical machines, stair climbers, brisk walking, riding a stationary bike and aerobic dance classes. Start at a slow pace until your body feels ready for an increased challenge. Your trainer may eventually recommend interval cycling--or alternating light exercise with short periods of intensity--as a method to gain the most benefit from aerobic exercise in as few as two workouts weekly for up to 15 minutes. An interval workout often features 90 seconds of walking followed by 30 seconds of intense sprinting.
Strength Training Workouts
Most gyms offer a variety of weightlifting machines, along with free weights like barbells or dumbbells and even smaller-sized hand weights. You'll need to strength train for two to three days every week for 30 minutes in order to receive significant benefits. Many gyms also offer resistance tubes, which build muscle when pulled. Safe strength training requires blocking off up to 10 minutes prior to your workout for a light aerobic warm up, such as walking, followed by stretching once your muscles are warm. Reward your muscles for their efforts by taking a day of rest between workouts.
Realistic Expectations
Meet with your doctor before starting your exercise to discuss any potential concerns. Doctors typically recommend losing 1 to 2 lbs. weekly as a safe fitness goal, which requires burning between 500 and 1,000 calories more each day than you consume--although many people lose a greater amount of weight in the initial weeks of activity. While exercise is key to weight loss, your results will be minimal without a nutritious meal plan based around low-calorie options. Ensure each day includes four vegetable servings, three fruit servings and moderate amounts of whole grains and low-fat dairy. Limit your lean meat consumption to 3-oz. portions and avoid sugar and fried foods.
Member Comments