Exercise & Weight Loss Routines

When it comes to losing weight, many people rearrange their diet or adjust their eating habits to restrict caloric intake, but exercise routines that increase your caloric expenditure are just as important. A regular exercise routine not only supports your weight loss efforts, but it also increases your bone, muscle and cardiovascular health. The right exercise routine for you depends on your current level of fitness and your weight loss goals, but a sustainable lifestyle change rather than a short-term commitment is the most effective way to lose weight.

Function

A combination of reducing your caloric intake and increasing your caloric expenditure is the most efficient way to lose weight according to MayoClinic.com. Your resting metabolic rate determines the minimal amount of calories your body needs to perform basic bodily functions. Your resting metabolic rate allows you to estimate the number of calories you need each day to maintain your current weight. When your body doesn't have available calories from food to sustain your elevated heart rate and increased muscle performance during vigorous exercise, it relies on stored calories in your fat and muscles to support your body. Burning the stored calories results in weight loss.

Features

MedlinePlus, an extension of the National Institutes of Health, recommends that healthy adults engage in 30 minutes of moderate intensity exercise five times per week for weight maintenance or loss. Aerobic activities increase your heart rate to its target heart rate zone for a sustained period of time. Aerobic activities, including swimming, jogging or biking, are popular choices for beginner or advanced exercisers. MedlinePlus also recommends incorporating strength training into your fitness routine. Strength training activities, including weightlifting or Pilates classes, build your lean muscle mass to support your body during activity, but lean muscle mass also increases the efficiency of your metabolism so that you burn more calories even when you are at rest. The increase in metabolic efficiency supports weight loss.

Time Frame

Your current weight and the intensity level of your exercise routine impacts the speed of your weight loss, but healthy, sustainable weight loss is approximately 1 to 2 lbs. per week. To lose 1 lb. of fat, create a caloric deficit of 3,500 calories, the caloric equivalent to 1 lb. of fat. Different types of exercises burn different amounts of calories. A healthy 155 lb. adult will burn 260 calories during 30 minutes of moderate intensity stationary biking but 335 calories during 30 minutes of moderate intensity training on an elliptical machine, according to Harvard Health Publications.

Benefits

A 2003 study published in the "Journal of the American Medical Association" found that a 12-month diet and exercise routine resulted in consistent weight loss and increased cardiovascular health, regardless of whether the intensity of the exercise was high or moderate. Participants who engaged in high intensity and high duration exercise demonstrated the most significant weight loss, but participants with lower intensities or durations also lost weight and gained cardiovascular benefits. Regular exercise also reduces anxiety and depression, and regulates cholesterol and blood pressure.

Considerations

An exercise routine is most successful when combined with a balanced diet high in fruits, vegetables and lean proteins, and low in refined flours or unhealthy fats. Spot reduction is the idea that you can target specific areas for fat loss with specific exercises. Strength training exercises firm the muscles in a particular area of your body, but aerobic exercises that burn calories for weight loss cannot be specifically directed to a particular part of your body. Before beginning any exercise routine, talk to your doctor about your current level of fitness and your long-term weight loss goals to avoid injury and maintain good health.