Exercises to Help Weight Loss

Exercises to Help Weight Loss
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Eating right is just one half of the weight-loss equation. For the most effective weight-loss results possible, you'll have to incorporate exercise into your daily routine. But just jumping on an elliptical machine or stair machine may not be for you. Finding effective forms of exercise that will help you lose weight is essential to successful long-term weight loss.

Walking and Running

Walking and running, or jogging, are among the most popular and easiest forms of exercise because they require little to no equipment and can be done outside in favorable weather or indoors on a treadmill. Walking or running for extended periods of time counts as cardiovascular exercise, the most effective way to burn calories and lose weight. A person can lose anywhere between 183 and 414 calories per hour by walking, depending on your weight and walking speed, according to MayoClinic.com. If you want to pick up the pace a little, you can increase your calorie burn to between 584 and 1,472 calories per hour by jogging or running up to 8 miles per hour.

Sports

Getting involved in sports is one of the most effective ways to burn calories to lose weight because it involves competitive activity you enjoy and will be more likely to participate in on a regular basis. Playing racquetball for an hour, for example, can help you burn between 511 and 763 calories. If tennis is more your game, you can expect to burn about the same amount. Playing volleyball will net you between 292 and 436 calories per hour on average.

Swimming

Swimming is another effective weight-loss exercise and provides significant advantages for people who joint problems. Swimming is lower-impact than most other exercises, and the variety of different activities you can do in the pool will make your workouts more varied. Water aerobics will vary in terms of calories burned, but if swimming laps is on your workout agenda, you're looking at burning between 511 and 763 calories per hour.

Weightlifting

For some people, lifting weights may seem counterintuitive to losing weight. But building muscle will actually make your weight-loss efforts more effective. That's because strength training helps preserve lean muscle tissue, which in turn helps stimulate your metabolism. The more muscle you have, the more effective your body will be at losing weight. Luckily, lifting weights also burns calories. Depending on the amount of weight you're lifting and your current weight, you could burn between 219 and 327 calories per hour with your strength-training routine.

References

Article reviewed by John Hagemann Last updated on: Mar 28, 2011

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