To help with weight loss the two types of exercise you need to include are aerobic (cardio) and resistance (weights).
- Aerobic exercising helps to cause your body to increase circulation throughout the body, strengthen the heart and lungs, increase the efficiency of getting oxygen to the cells and wastes from them.
Resistance exercises increase the density of muscles which helps to raise metabolism which is all about using up fat as fuel. Your muscles are by far the most effective fat burners you can put into play.
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These two types of exercising when played in harmony will help you with weight loss; increase your energy and vitality, and improve your general well being.
Some examples of Aerobic exercise are running, walking, cycling, swimming, formal aerobics, etc. If you are over weight walking is far preferable to running because it causes fewer stresses on your joints. If you are going to walk you should be doing power walking which is more brisk that Sunday afternoon enjoying-the-flowers walking. A given distance of walking will use an equivalent amount of energy as running. The price you pay by walking is in time.
If you have knee, hip, or ankle problems walking is far better than running and if that is still too much try cycling, or an elliptical training device.
Resistance exercises are the bread and butter (wrong choice) of weight loss. The largest muscle groups in your body are in the legs and buttocks and therefore will give you the greatest bang for your buck in the weight loss world.
A simple exercise you can do almost anywhere is squats. If you are over weight you might start these by sitting in a chair and simply sitting down and getting up several times over. You can even do these in short spurts with you office chair two or three time through the day. As you get stronger you can hold weights in your hands to increase the resistance. Stair climbing and descending are a great way of making the legs work and as you get stronger you might include doing two steps at a time.
Ideally you should get into a more rounded resistance work out which includes all aspects of your body. Start out with a trainer who can build an appropriate set of exercises for you present state. The more economical way is to work with the trainer to get started; then find a partner to work with for a few weeks. Come back and pay the trainer again in a few weeks to upgrade your exercises.
TIP In order to get more fat burning effect do your resistance training first and finish with aerobic training.
Good Luch and Good Health!
