The 8 best exercises to lose weight

Walking is one of the best exercises to lose weight – and for good reason.

It's a simple and convenient way for beginners to start exercising without feeling overwhelmed or needing to acquire equipment. In addition, it is a low-impact exercise, which means it does not strain your joints.

According to Harvard Health, it is estimated that a person weighing 70 kg (155 pounds) burns about 167 calories per 30 minutes of walking at a moderate pace of 6.4 km / h (4 mph) (5).

A 12-week study of 20 obese women showed that walking 50 to 70 minutes 3 times a week reduced body fat and waist circumference by 2.8 cm (1.5% on average), respectively (6).

It's easy to adjust to the daily routine. To add more steps to your day, try walking during your lunch break, take the stairs to work or take your dog for additional walks.

For starters, try walking 30 minutes 3-4 times a week. You can gradually increase the duration or frequency of your walks as you become more fit.

summary Walking is a great exercise for beginners because it can be done anywhere, does not require equipment, and puts minimal stress on the joints. Try to incorporate more walks into your daily activities.

Jogging and running are great exercises to help you lose weight.

Although they seem similar, the main difference is that a jogging rate is usually between 4 and 6 mph (6.4 and 9.7 km / h), while a cadence of race is above 6 mph (9.7 km / h).

Harvard Health estimates that a person weighing 70 kg (155 pounds) burns about 298 calories per 30 minutes of jogging at a rate of 8 km / h, or 372 calories per 30 minutes of running. (9.7 km / h) pace (5).

In addition, studies have shown that jogging and running can help burn harmful visceral fat, commonly known as belly fat. This type of fat envelops your internal organs and has been associated with various chronic diseases such as heart disease and diabetes (7, 8, 9).

Jogging and running are great exercises that can be done anywhere and are easy to incorporate into your weekly routine. To begin, try jogging for 20 to 30 minutes, 3 to 4 times a week.

If you find that jogging or running outside harms your joints, try running on softer surfaces like grass. In addition, many treadmills have built-in cushioning, which can be easier for your joints.

summary Jogging and running are excellent weight loss exercises that are easy to integrate into your weekly routine. They can also help burn belly fat, which is linked to many chronic diseases.

Cycling is a popular exercise that improves your fitness and can help you lose weight.

Although cycling is traditionally practiced outdoors, many gyms and fitness centers have stationary bikes that allow you to cycle while staying indoors.

Harvard Health estimates that a person weighing 70 kg (155 pounds) burns about 260 calories per 30 minutes of stationary cycling at a moderate pace, or 298 calories per 30 minutes of cycling at a moderate pace of 12 to 13.9 mi / h. (19-22.4 km / h) (5).

Not only is cycling great for weight loss, but studies have shown that regular cyclists have better physical condition, increased insulin sensitivity, and lower risk of heart disease, cancer and death compared to those who do not. who did not cycle regularly (ten, 11).

Cycling is ideal for people of all levels, from beginners to athletes. In addition, it is a non-carrier and low impact exercise that avoids causing a lot of stress to your joints.

summary Cycling is great for people of all fitness levels and can be done outdoors on a bike or indoors on a stationary bike. It has been associated with various health benefits, including increased sensitivity to insulin and reduced risk of certain chronic diseases.

Weight training is a popular choice for people looking to lose weight.

According to Harvard Health, it is estimated that a person weighing 70 kg (155 pounds) burns about 112 calories per 30-minute bodybuilding session (5).

In addition, bodybuilding can help you develop strength and promote muscle growth, which can increase your resting metabolic rate (CMA) or the number of calories your body burns at rest (12).

A six-month study showed that just 11 minutes of strength training 3 times a week resulted in a 7.4% increase in metabolic rate on average. In this study, this increase equates to burning an additional 125 calories per day (13).

Another study showed that 24 weeks of weight training resulted in a 9% increase in metabolic rate in men, which was equivalent to burning about 140 more calories per day. In women, the increase in metabolic rate was nearly 4%, or 50 calories more per day (14).

In addition, many studies have shown that your body continues to burn calories several hours after a weight training, compared to an aerobics exercise (15, 16, 17).

summary Weight training can help you lose weight by burning calories during and after your workout. It can also help you build muscle, which increases your resting metabolic rate – the number of calories your body burns at rest.

Interval training, more commonly known as high intensity interval training (HIIT), is a broad term that refers to short periods of intense exercise alternating with periods of recovery.

As a general rule, a HIIT workout lasts 10 to 30 minutes and can burn a lot of calories.

A study of 9 active men found that IHIT burned 25 to 30% more calories per minute than other types of exercise, including bodybuilding, cycling and treadmill running (18).

This means that HIIT can help you burn more calories while spending less time doing exercise.

In addition, many studies have shown that IHI is particularly effective at burning belly fat, which is linked to many chronic diseases (19, 20, 21).

HIIT is easy to integrate into your exercise program. All you need to do is choose a type of exercise, such as running, jumping or cycling, as well as your exercise and rest times.

For example, pedal as hard as you can on a bike for 30 seconds, then pedal at a slow pace for 1 to 2 minutes. Repeat this pattern for 10 to 30 minutes.

summary Interval training is an effective weight loss strategy that can be applied to many types of exercises including running, jumping, biking and more. The integration of interval training into your routine can help you burn more calories in less time.

Swimming is a fun way to lose weight and get in shape.

Harvard Health estimates that a person weighing 70 kg (155 pounds) burns about 233 calories per half hour of swimming.

The way you swim seems to affect the number of calories you burn. Every 30 minutes, a person weighing 70 kg (155 pounds) burns 298 calories while doing the back, 372 calories by breaststroke, 409 calories by making a butterfly and 372 calories by feeding water (5).

A 12-week study of 24 middle-aged women showed that swimming 60 minutes three times a week significantly reduced body fat, improved flexibility, and reduced several risk factors for heart disease, including high rates of heart failure. total cholesterol and triglycerides in the blood (22).

Another benefit of swimming is its low-impact nature, which means it is easier on your joints. This makes it a great option for people with joint injuries or pain.

summary Swimming is an excellent low-impact exercise for people looking to lose weight. In addition, it can help improve your flexibility and reduce risk factors for various diseases.

Yoga is a popular way to exercise and reduce stress.

Although it is not commonly considered a weight loss exercise, it burns a good amount of calories and offers many additional health benefits that can promote weight loss.

Harvard Health estimates that a person weighing 70 kg (155 pounds) burns about 149 calories per 30 minutes of yoga (5).

A 12-week study of 60 obese women found that those who participated in two 90-minute yoga sessions a week had larger waist circumferences than the control group-3.8 cm (1, 5 inches) on average (23).

In addition, the yoga group has improved their mental and physical well-being (23).

In addition to burning calories, studies have shown that yoga can teach mindfulness, which can help you resist unhealthy foods, control overeating and better understand your body's hunger signals (24, 25).

Most gyms offer yoga classes, but you can practice yoga anywhere. This includes in the comfort of your own home because there are many online tutorials.

summary Yoga is an excellent weight loss exercise that can be practiced almost anywhere. Not only does it burn calories, but it also teaches you alertness to help you resist cravings.

Pilates is a great exercise for beginners that can help you lose weight.

According to a study sponsored by the American Council on Exercise, a person weighing about 64 kg will burn 108 calories during a 30 minute beginner Pilates class and 168 calories for an advanced class of the same duration (26).

Although Pilates does not burn as many calories as aerobics exercises like running, many people find it enjoyable, which makes it easier to track over time (27).

An 8-week study conducted with 37 middle-aged women found that performing Pilates exercises for 90 minutes 3 times a week significantly reduced waist circumference and abdominal waist circumference. hips, compared to a control group that did not perform any exercise during the same period (28).

In addition to weight loss, Pilates reduces lower back pain and improves strength, balance, flexibility, endurance and fitness level (27, 29, 30).

If you want to try Pilates, try to incorporate it into your weekly routine. You can do Pilates at home or in one of the many gyms offering Pilates classes.

To further increase weight loss with Pilates, pair it with a healthy diet or other types of exercise, such as weight training or cardio.

summary Pilates is an excellent exercise for beginners that can help you lose weight while improving other aspects of your fitness, such as strength, balance, flexibility and endurance.

The amount of weight you can lose from exercise depends on many factors.

These included:

• Starting weight. People who weigh more tend to lose more weight than those who weigh less. Nevertheless, the percentage of body weight lost is similar (31).
• Age. Older people tend to have more body fat and less muscle, which reduces your CMA or the number of calories your body burns at rest. A lower CMA may make it more difficult to lose weight (32, 33).
• Sex. Women tend to have a higher fat / muscle ratio than men, which can affect their CMAs. As a result, men tend to lose weight faster than women, even if they consume the same number of calories (32).
• Diet. Weight loss occurs when you burn more calories than you consume. Thus, a caloric deficit is essential to lose weight (34).
• Sleep. Studies have shown that a lack of sleep can slow down the rate at which you lose weight and even increase your urge to eat unhealthy foods (35, 36).
• Medical conditions People with diseases such as depression and hypothyroidism can lose weight more slowly (31, 37, 38).
• Genetic. Studies have shown that weight loss has a genetic component that may affect some people with obesity (31).

Although most people want to lose weight fast, experts often recommend losing 1 to 3 pounds (0.5 to 1.36 kg), or about 1% of your body weight, per week (39).

Losing weight too quickly can have negative health consequences. For example, it can lead to muscle loss and increase the risk of diseases such as gallstones, dehydration, fatigue, malnutrition, headaches, irritability, constipation, hair loss and irregular menstruation (40, 41).

In addition, people who lose weight too quickly are more likely to take it back (42).

It is important to keep in mind that weight loss is not a linear process and it is common to lose weight faster at the very beginning.

summary Many factors affect the weight that you can reasonably hope to lose with exercise. Most experts recommend losing 1 to 3 pounds (0.5 to 1.36 kg) a week, or about 1% of your body weight.

Many exercises can help you lose weight.

Walking, jogging, running, cycling, swimming, bodybuilding, interval training, yoga and Pilates are great choices for burning calories.

That said, many other exercises can also help boost your weight loss efforts.

The most important thing is to choose an exercise that you like to do. It is therefore more likely that you will stick to the long term and get results.