The best weight loss workout is one you'll stick with, although a good one lives up to a few standards. A good weight loss workout will burn loads of calories and be something you can do comfortably for an extended period. If you want to lose weight, ACE Fitness says to engage in moderate exercise for 60 to 90 minutes every day, or at least most days of the week.
Locations and Intensity
A good weight loss workout can be yours in a number of locations. The gym has cardio machines that offer hefty calorie burning or you can work out at home, outdoors or in a pool. The more intense the workout is, the more calories it will burn, although high intensity does not necessarily mean high impact. If you have joint problems, back pain or are new to exercise, you can opt for a low-impact workout that still burns plenty of calories and keeps you on the weight loss road.
Low-Impact Options
Low-impact options at the gym include the elliptical machine, which Women Fitness says burns an average of 13 calories per minute, which calculates to 780 calories per hour, one of the highest low-impact options. Others include outdoor or stationary bicycling at a pace higher than 10 mph, which ACE Fitness says can burn 468 calories per hour if you weigh 160 lbs. An hour on the rowing machine can burn 511 calories per hour if you weigh 160, the same calorie count as an hour of swimming laps or cross country skiing, according to MayoClinic.com.
High-Impact Options
Running ranks high on the calorie-burning scale, burning up to 986 calories per hour if you weigh 160 and run at a pace of 8 mph, MayoClinic.com notes. Jogging at 5 mph can burn 584 calories in that same hour, while rollerblading can burn 913. The stair climber can burn off 657 calories per hour and jumping rope can burn an hourly 730 calories.
Considerations
Since jumping rope or doing any one activity for an hour straight can become tiresome or boring, you can combine two more activities or vary your workout with different speeds and intensity levels. Using interval training, which gives you short bursts of high-intensity and high-speed during your cycling or treadmill workout, for instance, offers a change of pace. Every pound is worth 3,500 calories, which means you need to burn off 3,500 calories above and beyond what your body normally needs in order to lose a single pound.
Member Comments