Losing weight is a commonly desired fitness goal, but is difficult for many people to achieve. Whether it be for improved general health, heightened confidence, or increased energy, each weight loss journey stems from a specific place and requires unique elements. Diet is obviously crucial, but exercise is often over simplified or ignored in the effort to achieve the goal. Regardless of limitations or motivation challenges you may face, it is key to place an emphasis on exercise; and diversified exercise at that.
How to effectively balance exercise for weight loss
No weight loss goal can be achieved with a tunnel vision approach. Consider building your plan with a balanced amount of each of the following three types of exercise:
Cardiovascular exercise
Cardiovascular health is not only key to general wellness and longevity. It is necessary for you to further your exercise capacity. To promote fat loss, you should include a minimum of 2-3 hours of moderate cardio or 90 minutes of intense cardio per week. Moderate workouts include brisk walking, cycling, and elliptical. Intense cardio activities include running, circuit training, and boxing.
The type of cardiovascular exercise you choose to mix into the plan should be based on your ability and goals. Further the intensity of your workouts as you progress, but be weary of taking on too much too soon to avoid injury.
Strength training
A common misconception in fitness is that cardio and strength training are counterintuitive. Not only can a person be both strong and good at running, someone seeking weight loss needs to work at both. Building lean muscle mass helps increase resting metabolic rate. If you can burn more calories while you rest, you will naturally lose more weight.
Strength training isn’t limited to lifting weights. Depending on your access to a gym, you can improve strength with minimal equipment and even by just doing bodyweight exercises at home.
High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT)
HIIT is a popular and efficient circuit-style workout. Sessions are comprised of bodyweight exercises such as jump squats, burpees, pushups, and mountain climbers. Sets of 10-20 reps of each movement are separated by short periods of rest (10-15 seconds) and are repeated 3-4 times.
HIIT is a combination of strength and cardio exercise, which will increase calories burned during the workout and improve your metabolism afterwards.
Balancing these three types of exercise throughout the week will help you maximize potential weight loss in your fitness journey. While they are all intertwined and offer similar results, you will be best served by diversifying your exercise regimen. Not only will your body be kept guessing, but you will find it easier to stay engaged and motivated!
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