Weight Loss Exercise Programs
When designing their weight loss exercise programs, people want to know the best exercise for weight loss. Surprisingly, the exercise that burns the most calories is not always the best exercise for weight loss. Sure, it’s important to burn calories, and we’ll tell you which exercises burn the most calories in just a moment. But it’s also important to burn fat.
The best weight loss exercises are slow, aerobic, long duration exercises. They also involve most of the major muscle groups. These are the exercises that will burn fat. They include exercises like walking, jogging, running, cycling, swimming, and elliptical trainer workouts. These exercises burn more fat than exercises that involve short spurts of activity followed by periods of rest, such as volleyball, tennis, racquetball, basketball, Frisbee, and golf. Those exercises will burn calories and can be included in weight loss exercise programs. They just don’t burn fat like the other exercises we listed do.
The key to burning fat is to exercise for a longer period of time. For the first 20 – 30 minutes of a work out, your body burns carbohydrates. Now, those are calories, so that will help you lose weight. But after 20 – 30 minutes, your body starts to burn fat. That will help you lose pounds and inches quickly.
In addition to the slow, aerobic, long duration types of exercise, strength training or weight lifting should be added to weight loss exercise programs. This will build muscle, and muscle burns more calories than fat. Muscle will burn more calories all the time, even when you are sleeping, not just while you are exercising.
It is also a good idea to choose several activities to vary your routine. After a while, your body becomes accustomed to a specific type of exercise, and as your muscles adapt, your body will use fewer calories. Good weight loss exercise programs include variety. That helps prevent boredom, as well.
Calories Burned
Here is a list of exercise activities and the average calories burned. Calories are given for one hour of activity – remember, to burn fat, you need to be able to exercise for a period of time greater than 30 minutes. Calories are given for a person who weighs 130 pounds and 155 pounds. Someone who weighs less will burn fewer calories; someone who weighs more will burn more calories. Choose from these activities to decide the best exercise for weight loss for you.
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Bicycling, moderate effort: 472 or 563 calories |
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Canoeing, moderate effort: 413 or 493 calories |
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Circuit training, general: 472 or 563 calories |
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Cycling, stationary bike: 413 or 493 calories |
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Dancing, general: 266 or 313 calories |
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Elliptical trainer: 620 or 770 calories |
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Hiking: 354 or 422 calories |
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Jogging: 413 or 493 calories |
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Rowing machine, moderate effort: 502 or 598 calories |
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Running, 10 mph: 944 or 1126 calories |
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Stair climber: 354 or 422 calories |
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Swimming, moderate effort: 472 or 563 calories |
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Walking, moderate pace: 207 or 246 calories |
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Walking, brisk pace: 236 or 281 calories |
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Weight lifting, moderate effort: 177 or 211 calories |
Remember, the best exercise for weight loss will be the ones you can sustain for more than half an hour. However, if you are just starting out, don’t worry if you can’t reach that goal right away. Aim for 20 minutes of activity at least three days per week. Increase the length of time you work out as you become accustomed to the exercise and increase to five days per week.
More than weight loss exercise programs on our benefits of exercise page