Studies now agree that exercise is essential for weight loss, and for keeping weight down once the deal has been reached. As part of a healthy lifestyle, exercise has many benefits, and there are good reasons for maintaining an exercise regime even if you are not overweight.
There are many different types of exercise for weight loss, including aerobic exercise, strength training, and stamina, where the two types of exercise are combined in interval training.
AEROBICS: sometimes known as cardio exercise, this activity raises the heart rate, which causes the body to burn more energy. To work to the best of its powers, aerobic exercise must be performed at least five times a week, for around 20 minutes a time, to maximize the fuel-burning time.
There are many different ways to achieve aerobics with treadmills and stationary bikes, for example; running is perhaps the most commonly used form of aerobic training, although it does carry a higher risk of injury.
Strength Training
This improves and increases muscle mass and metabolism through exercise. Building muscle is a very necessary part of weight loss, as muscles burn calories faster than other types of cells in the body; they are a significant part of maintaining weight loss after a diet has ended.
Strength training is often done with weights or using resistance bands (strength training is often known as resistance training). Without weights or exercise machines, the body itself can be used as the resistance device, for example in squats, steps, push-ups, and other floor exercises.
Stamina
Often known as interval training, it is often used to improve the cardiac health of a person and to improve their strength and muscle mass.
Sports that combine aerobics and strength training include activities such as:
- Martial arts such as tae bo or kickboxing
- Hiking or hill climbing
- Swimming
- Boxing
- Basketball
- Baseball etc
Another way to combine the two types of exercise for weight loss is to use interval training, which combines aerobics and strength/weight training in the same exercise program.
For example, 8 seconds of high-intensity training on a bike, followed by 20 seconds of moderate-intensity, sit-ups or bicep curls. The body expends a lot of energy in the high-intensity sessions, and then recovers during the lower-intensity activity; this is considered useful in preventing injury, and the body also burns calories faster during interval sessions, so that 20 minutes of interval work can burn as much fat as 40 minutes of single intensity exercise.
There is some evidence to suggest that using both types of exercise for weight loss helps people to eat less; aerobic and strength training together cause people to consume less food, aerobics users only may stop eating fat, but they often replace this with other foods, and strength training only does not affect the diet at all so a combination of these well-known types of exercise for weight loss also results in the best changes in diet, too.
