Weight Loss College
The best form of exercise for weight loss is a combination of aerobic exercise and strength training. Doing one or the other will help a great deal. But when you combine the two correctly, it’s much easier to meet your weight loss goals.
First of all, strength training can be done by almost anyone. Even people with enormous amounts of weight to lose who would have trouble doing things like running or even walking very far can do some form of strength training.
When a person is very out of shape and unused to doing things like walking, strength training is necessary for them to move up to aerobic exercise. Someone with bad knees or problems standing can sit in a chair and do basic strength training that will help them eventually become able to do more.
Strength training doesn’t just mean dumbbells and bicep curls. You can use a variety of things like the elastic bands that are common in exercise today. These are wonderful because even just playing with them helps build your strength.
Anyone starting an exercise program for weight loss can benefit from using these types of tools. Even the most out of shape person can sit in a chair and do arm exercises with these bands. Standing on the end of the band and pulling it up simulates a bicep curl. Simply holding it with both hands and pulling arms outward tones your arms and your chest.
You won’t build the muscles up like your body builder. It will actually make them smaller because active muscle tissue takes up less room than inactive tissue. So you’ll build your strength while toning your body. And toned muscles burn fat more efficiently.
By doing strength training, will not only increase your endurance and your ability to do aerobic exercise, but you’ll make your body burn fat faster. It’s unwise to do strength training every day, because your muscles need a day of rest to really benefit from the strength training. Aim for 15 to 30 minutes of strength training every other day.
The aerobic part of your exercise plan for weight loss should include at least a couple different activities. Doing the same thing every time is better than nothing. But circuit training, which is nothing more than changing your activities, will help you achieve more weight loss faster. It’ll also help keep you from getting bored.
An excellent way to start exercising, especially if you haven’t been exercising for a long time, is to simply take a walk. Start out slowly and don’t push yourself too hard at first, because you don’t want to injure yourself or burn out too quickly. There’s no need to start out on your very first day with a power walk that makes you gasp for air.
Do something that you enjoy like walking or swimming at a pace that doesn’t push you too hard in the beginning. The best form of exercise for weight loss is one that you’ll do consistently, so it’s important to choose something you enjoy.
This article is for informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, nor should it be interpreted or substituted as medical advice. Prior to making changes to your physical exercise routine and your diet, you should always consult your personal physician. Better safe than sorry.
