Exercising regularly can help you lose weight and can also improve your overall health and help you live a longer life. If you're just beginning a workout regimen, start slow and build up to your workout goal. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends consulting a doctor before starting a new workout program, especially if you're a man over 40, a woman over 50 or have a chronic illness, such as diabetes or cardiovascular disease.
Amount of Exercise
According to 2007 guidelines developed by the American College of Sports Medicine and the American Heart Association, healthy adults under 65 years old need to engage in approximately 60 to 90 minutes of moderately intense cardiovascular activity five days a week and do eight to 10 strength-training exercises twice a week in order to lose weight and maintain weight loss. Exercise hard enough to break a sweat and raise your heart rate but not so hard that you can't still carry on a conversation. If you get bored with a full hour's routine or have a busy schedule, you can break up your workouts into shorter bursts throughout the day to fulfill your daily 60 to 90 minutes. Mix up your routine by incorporating numerous activities throughout the week, such as jogging, tennis, pilates and swimming. Invite family or friends along with you for camaraderie and encouragement.
Muscle Building
To burn more calories during your workouts, incorporate muscle building into your workout routine. This approach may even help you lose a little extra weight when you're not actively working out. "Even at rest, muscle is burning more calories than fat," notes Chuck Corbin, Ph.D., exercise and wellness professor at Arizona State University. To build muscles and burn more calories in the process, Corbin recommends strength-training exercises with dumbbells, resistance bands or weight machines.
Location
You don't have to shell out a lot of money on a gym membership to workout and lose weight. Mehmet Oz, a cardiologist and television talk show host, advises against going to a gym to work out, because people often make excuses to delay their gym trips. "The smart path I think is to figure out a program you can do in your own home," says Oz. Instead of trekking down to the local gym, set up a spot in your home where you can comfortably exercise, whether it's in the yard, a spare bedroom or even in the garage. Set up an exercise mat and a television or computer to display workout videos. Line up your dumbbells, resistance bands or other equipment. Seeing this workout area in your home every day can serve as a reminder and a motivator to keep up the good work and continue on your path to weight loss.
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