Weight loss begins with avoiding high-calorie foods and adopting a nutritious diet, although your results will be minimal if you continue a sedentary lifestyle. Regular activity increases your ability to lose weight. Experts typically recommend cardiovascular exercise --- or aerobic workouts that increase your heart function --- as the preferred fitness method to burn calories and lower your risk for serious health conditions. Obtain your doctor's approval before starting any exercise plan, especially if you have a heart condition.
Function
Although people with excess weight carry a higher risk for diabetes and heart disease, consistent aerobic activity can effectively reduce fat and improve your outlook by burning more calories than other exercise methods. Aerobic exercise requires the major muscles in your body to work continuously and use higher levels of oxygen, which forces your lungs and heart to work harder. People who perform cardiovascular exercise for 30 to 60 minutes up to five days weekly typically feel better and have less anxiety, but also benefit from overall enhanced body function.
The Best Workout
While cardiovascular exercise helps people of all ages achieve significant weight loss, no aerobic workout is suited to every health condition. Walking is the safest and most convenient option for most people and requires no special equipment. Beginners should start slowly but aim to eventually walk at a brisk or intense pace. Trainers often suggest taking longer steps to increase speed, as well as swiveling your hips and moving your arms at a fast pace with your elbows bent. Harvard Medical School reports that people who walk up stairs --- even at a slower place --- burn calories up to three times faster than people who walk briskly on a flat surface.
High-Intensity Aerobics
Ski machines, as well as elliptical machines and stair climbers, offer a vigorous cardiovascular challenge for people who maintain good fitness, although beginners may struggle to complete a sustained workout on the machines. Interval workouts, or combining two minutes of slower activity with 30 seconds of fast running or sprinting, allow you to achieve the maximum benefits of a cardiovascular regimen in just three weekly sessions of between 10 and 15 minutes.
Additional Cardio Solutions
People with orthopedic concerns like arthritis may benefit from weight loss workouts that feature bicycling. Doctors often recommend riding a regular bicycle or a stationary bicycle as an alternative to walking that results in less stress on the ankles and knees. Bicycling is also ideal for people who are obese, or more than 50 lbs. over their ideal body weight. While swimming is a popular cardiovascular activity that reduces joint stress, you'll likely lose less weight than with land-based workouts, since water has a cooling effect on the body.
References
- Merck Manuals.com: Choosing the Right Exercise
- Harvard Medical School: Walking: Your Steps To Health
- MayoClinic.com: Aerobic Exercise: Top 10 Reasons To Get Physical
- Fitness.gov: Exercise and Weight Control
- Merck Manuals.com: Starting an Exercise Program
- Cleveland Clinic: What Is The Best Type of Aerobic Exercise?
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