Exercise is one of the most popular methods used by people seeking to lose extra weight, next to diets. It burns calories, which is important for weight loss.
Exercise has been shown to provide numerous other advantages besides just aiding in weight loss, such as enhancing mood, strengthening bones, and a decreased chance of many chronic diseases.
The top 6 exercises for losing weight are shown below.
1. Running or jogging :
Running and jogging are excellent exercises for weight loss. A jogging pace is often between 4-6 mph (6.4-9.7 km/h), whereas a running pace is quicker than 6 mph (9.7 km/h), despite the similarities in appearance. According to Harvard Health, a person weighing 155 pounds (70 kg) will burn about 298 calories per 30 minutes of jogging at a speed of 5 mph (8 km/h) or 372 calories per 30 minutes of running at a speed of 6 mph (9.7 km/h) (5).
Additionally, research has shown that jogging and running can aid in the burning of dangerous visceral fat, also referred to as belly fat. Your internal organs are encircled by this sort of fat, which has been related to numerous chronic illnesses like diabetes and heart disease (7Trusted Source, 8Trusted Source, 9Trusted Source).
Running and jogging are both excellent activities that you can do anywhere and that you can easily fit into your weekly regimen. Aim to jog for 20 to 30 minutes, three to four times a week, to start. Try running on softer terrain like grass if you feel that jogging or running outside is difficult on your joints. Additionally, a lot of treadmills come with built-in padding, which might be less stressful on your joints.
Summary : Running and jogging are excellent weight-loss exercises that you can easily fit into your weekly schedule. They can aid in belly fat reduction, which is linked to a number of chronic conditions.
2. Walking :
One of the finest activities for losing weight is walking, and for good reason. Beginners can start exercising without feeling overwhelmed or having to buy equipment because to how convenient and simple it is. Additionally, because it is a lower-impact workout, your joints are not overworked.
A 155-pound (70-kg) person is thought to burn about 167 calories in 30 minutes of moderate walking at a speed of 4 mph (6.4 km/h), according to Harvard Health (5). Walking for 50 to 70 minutes three times per week for a 12-week period reduced body fat and waist circumference by an average of 1.5% and 1.1 inches (2.8 cm), respectively, in 20 obese women (6Trusted Source).
You may easily incorporate walking into your regular schedule. Try walking during your lunch break, using the stairs at work, or taking extra walks with your dog to increase the number of steps you take each day. Aim to go for a 30-minute walk three to four times a week to get started. As you get fitter, you can gradually increase the length or frequency of your walks.
Walking is an excellent exercise for beginners because it doesn’t require any equipment, can be done anywhere, and is low-impact on your joints. Make an effort to take more walks as part of your daily activities.
3. Bodybuilding :
People who want to lose weight frequently choose to lift weights. According to Harvard Health, weight exercise for 30 minutes is thought to burn about 112 calories for a 155-pound (70-kg) person (5). Additionally, lifting weights can increase your resting metabolic rate (RMR), which measures how many calories your body burns when at rest.
One 6-month study found that performing strength-based workouts for just 11 minutes, three times per week, led in an average 7.4% improvement in metabolic rate. That increase in this study was comparable to burning an extra 125 calories each day (13Trusted Source).
Another study discovered that men’s metabolic rates increased by 9% after 24 weeks of weight training, or an additional 140 calories per day. Women’s metabolic rates rose by about 4%, or 50 extra calories per day (14Trusted Source).
Additionally, compared to aerobic exercise, multiple studies have shown that your body continues to burn calories for many hours after a weight-training session (15Trusted Source, 16Trusted Source, 17Trusted Source).
Summary By burning calories both during and after your workout, weight training can assist in weight loss. Additionally, it might assist you in gaining muscle mass, which increases your resting metabolic rate, or the amount of calories your body burns while at rest.
4. Cycling Cycling is a well-liked workout that increases fitness and can aid in weight loss :
Although cycling is typically done outside, there are stationary bikes at many gyms and fitness centres that let you cycle within. According to Harvard Health, a 155-pound (70-kg) individual can burn 298 calories in 30 minutes while riding a bicycle at a moderate pace of 12–13.9 mph (19–22.4 km/h) or on a stationary bike for the same amount of time (5).
Cycling is fantastic for losing weight, but studies have also shown that regular cyclists are more physically fit overall, have higher insulin sensitivity, and have a lower risk of heart disease, cancer, and death than non-cyclists (10Trusted Source, 11Trusted Source).
All fitness levels, from novices to athletes, can benefit from cycling. Additionally, since it doesn’t involve any weight-bearing and has a low impact, it won’t put too much strain on your joints.
All fitness levels can benefit from cycling, which can be done on a stationary bike indoors or on a bicycle outside. It has been associated with a number of health advantages, such as improved insulin sensitivity and a lower chance of developing several chronic diseases.
5. Swimming :
A wonderful approach to shed pounds and tone up is through swimming. According to Harvard Health, swimming for 30 minutes can result in a 155-pound (70-kg) person burning about 233 calories.
It seems that way you swim affects how many calories you burn. A 155-pound (70-kg) person can tread water for three minutes and burn 372 calories while doing the breaststroke, 409 calories while doing the butterfly, and 298 calories while doing the backstroke (5).
Swimming for 60 minutes three times a week for a period of 12 weeks dramatically reduced body fat, increased flexibility, and decreased many heart disease risk factors, such as high total cholesterol and blood triglycerides. This was revealed in a 12-week research of 24 middle-aged women (22Trusted Source).
The low-impact aspect of swimming makes it gentler on your joints, which is another benefit. This makes it a fantastic solution for those who experience joint pain or injuries.
Summary : A fantastic low-impact workout for those trying to lose weight is swimming. Additionally, it might increase your flexibility and lessen danger factors for a number of disorders.
6. Yoga :
Yoga is a well-liked form of exercise and stress relief. Although it’s not typically viewed jogging as a weight reduction workout, it does burn a decent amount of calories and has many other advantages that can help with weight loss.
According to Harvard Health, 30 minutes of yoga can result in a 155-pound (70-kg) person burning about 149 calories (5). In a 12-week study of 60 obese women, it was discovered that those who practised yoga twice a week for 90 minutes reduced their waist circumference more than those in the control group, on average by 1.5 inches (3.8 cm).
The yoga group also noticed changes in their physical and mental health. Yoga can help you reject bad meals, manage overeating, and better understand your body’s hunger signals in addition to burning calories, according to studies.
Yoga classes are typically offered at gyms, but you may do yoga anywhere. This includes doing it from the convenience of your house because there are many instructional videos online.
In conclusion, yoga is a fantastic weight loss activity that can be performed almost anyplace. It helps you develop mindfulness, which might help you fight desires for food in addition to burning calories.
How much weight loss can you actually Expect ?
These Factors Depends On :
Initial weight : More obese people typically lose more weight than less obese people. Nevertheless, the proportion of body weight loss is comparable (31Trusted Source).
Age : Your RMR, or how many calories your body burns at rest, decreases as you get older since you tend to have more fat mass and less muscle mass. Losing weight may be more challenging with a reduced RMR.
Gender : Women typically have a higher ratio of fat to muscle than males, which may have an impact on RMR. As a result, even though they consume an equal number of calories, males often lose weight more quickly than women (32Trusted Source).
Diet : When you burn more calories than you take in, you lose weight.
So, in order to lose weight, you must have a calorie deficit (34Trusted Source).
Sleep : Lack of sleep may hinder your weight loss and possibly boost your desires for unhealthy meals, according to studies (35Trusted Source, 36Trusted Source).
Ailment conditions : Slower weight loss is possible in those with medical disorders including depression and hypothyroidism (31Trusted Source, 37Trusted Source, 38Trusted Source).
Genetics: Studies have indicated that weight loss has a genetic component, which\smay affect certain persons with obesity (31Trusted Source) (31Trusted Source).
Despite the fact that the majority of people desire to lose weight quickly, experts frequently advise doing so by dropping 1-3 pounds (0.5-1.36 kg), or roughly 1% of your body weight, per week (39Trusted Source).
Fast weight loss might have detrimental effects on one’s health. As an illustration, it may cause muscle loss and raise your risk of ailments such as gallstones, dehydration, exhaustion, malnutrition, migraines, irritability, constipation, hair loss, and irregular periods (40Trusted Source, 41Trusted Source).
Additionally, those who lose weight too quickly are more likely to gain it back.
It’s crucial to remember that losing weight is not a linear process, and it’s typical to see greater weight reduction when you first begin.
The amount of weight you might reasonably anticipate to shed through exercise depends on a variety of factors. The majority of medical professionals advise shedding 1-3 pounds (0.5-1.36 kg) every week, or roughly 1% of your body weight.
InShort :
Numerous exercises can aid in weight loss. Walking, jogging, running, cycling, swimming, weight training, yoga, and are all excellent options for burning calories. Nevertheless, numerous more exercises might support your efforts to lose weight.
The most crucial thing is to pick an activity you enjoy. This increases the likelihood that you’ll continue with it over the long run and see results.