How Much Exercise to Lose Weight

Exercise is an integral part of any person’s weight loss plan. This is because exercise is what can help tone the body, strengthen the muscles and basically help lose the pounds on the scale.
But what most people don’t know is how much exercise they are supposed to do to see some results and to achieve their weight loss goals.
The amount of exercise that you need to do greatly depends on how much weight you want to lose. Another thing you need to consider is your body built as well as your height and gender.
If you’re a guy, your body composition is made up of more muscles so it is much easier for you bulk up. On the other hand if you are a woman, it might require you a little bit more effort to reach your weight loss desires. But it doesn’t mean that it’s impossible.
In fact, tons of exercises are available out there for you to choose from and finding one that you can love and just do, say, for the rest of your life is what will make your weight loss journey much more bearable.

Different Types of Exercises

how much exercise to lose weightThere are several different types of exercises that you might want to consider. First, running is always a great option. Not only is running cheap, it is also an effective way to lose a couple of pounds.
Running does not also require you to really pay for a membership at the gym because you can just run outdoors; doing this can also help free your mind from your worries and concerns. If you want to listen to your favorite music, you can do this too so that your run will become even better.
Remember, there are several great tips from runners that you might want to adapt. First, never run without a few minutes of stretching and warm up exercises. Don’t run as if it’s your last day on Earth; rather find a pace that you can sustain throughout the duration of your exercise. Last but not the least change your running routine by running on different types of grounds too.
Another great option for exercise that you might want to consider is dancing or aerobics. Of course this option further comes with several different types as well.
Zumba for instance is a great calorie burner because it allows you to move the entire body while strengthening you core at the same time. A good Zumba workout for an hour can help you burn at least 300 calories.
If you are more into modern types of dances, HipHop may also be a great idea for you. This dance also targets the muscles in different parts of the body and is also a good workout because it automatically captures your interest.
Ballet is another great workout if you wish to simply tone down your muscles. It’s also great for stretching your back, arms and legs so your muscles are also repaired every now and then.

Weight Training Exercises

Of course, combining various types of cardio and aerobic exercises is always a better option. Since weight training in all of its forms make it possible for you to really target your muscle and your core, you will not experience sagging in areas like the arms and stomach.
You can either rely on the use of dumbbells and machines if you are used to working out at the gym but if you are more of an outdoorsy type of person, some weight training options that you can try includes pushups, abdominal workouts and so much more.

How Often and How Seldom Should You Workout

As mentioned earlier, the amount of time you need to spend working out depends on the goals that you have. First, you need to have realistic goals that you can achieve so that you will be motivated to push further.
Let’s say you want to lose around 50 pounds. Of course, this wouldn’t happen in a month’s time especially since crash dieting is out of the equation. What you can do is convince yourself to lose at least 5 to 8 pounds on your first month – a very realistic goal that you can easily achieve.
In order to achieve this, you have to make sure that you engage in at least 30 minutes to 1 hour of cardio exercise of your choice. Then, every other week you need to do some weight training. If for instance on Monday you focused on your triceps, biceps and chest, make sure to train your legs, thighs and abdomen on Wednesday.
A common misconception among a lot of people is that they think that if they work out on a daily basis, the sooner will they see their weight drop a pound or two. This may only take place during the first month but immediately after that, the body will experience what is called a plateau. As a result, it would become so much more difficult to lose even just a pound the month after.
Also, never go for a maximum of two days without any exercise. Just give your body time to recover but never make it too lazy to move around.

Final Tips On How Much Exercise To Lose Weight

Remember, beginners at working out are usually motivated to try something new but the minute they get used to the same regimen again and again, they easily get bored with it. This is why mixing and matching routines is always the best way to go about your exercises.
Remember, no matter how little your efforts are, they are still better than no effort at all. So whenever you feel lazy to go out for a good run, remind yourself of the weight loss goals that you wish to achieve.
Hopefully this can help motivate you to go for a run, no matter how short, no matter how easy, it’s still huge effort on your part. Anyway, when you start to get the hang of it, you will remember how great a feeling it really is to sweat it all out once again.