How effective are weight loss exercises?
Most weight loss exercise articles online claim that if you consume less and move more, you can reach your weight loss target. But is it really about the amount of food you eat and the number of hours spent in the gym?
The truth is that your weight predominantly depends on your nutrition than physical activity. So, losing weight is hardy attainable without healthy nutrition as part of your lifestyle.
If fitness is a missing link in your healthy lifestyle, here’s what you need to know to make it a habit:
- The Bottom Line to Losing Weight
- Why Lose Weight In the First Place?
- Fitness and Nutrition for Weight Loss
In essence, there are no shortcuts when it comes to sustainable results. You will, most importantly, create sustainable health by setting nutrition and fitness right.
The Bottom Line to Losing Weight
Losing weight can be really challenging, and there’s no shortcut to it, especially if you’ve been neglecting it for a long time.
There really is no go-around to it.
You will certainly find your first sessions hard and even painful, but hey, no pain, no gain, right?
Nothing worth truly having comes easy, but that just makes it all the more glorious when you start losing weight, gaining strength and start to feel better both physically, and mentally.
Let’s get this out of the way first: There’s absolutely nothing wrong with having a little extra body fat, or if you’re a little overweight.
Some of us are born like this, some of us have a condition, and some of us simply can’t help it.
Why Lose Weight In the First Place?
It’s not a crime.
However, if you’re set on truly living healthier, then the body fat has to go, and you’ll need to pursue being more fit.
Obesity in itself can be really fatal for a person, as it is linked to various diseases, most of which concern the heart.
As a matter of fact, in recent years there has been an upwards spike in obesity rates in the United States. This can lead to serious diseases, like heart attack, diabetes, and even some types of cancer.
And so to live a healthier, fuller life, weight loss exercise is vital.
But how do you do it?
Losing Weight
Losing weight can be a bit tricky, especially when you’re just starting, and especially when you’re doing it on your own.
Don’t expect to see the exact same rate of weight loss as you did in the beginning when you’re 6 months down the line.
Further still, there are various factors that directly affect weight loss, to be concerned about.
Such as your diet, its composition, how much you sleep, stress levels, and more.
Fitness and Nutrition for Weight Loss
Weight loss exercise itself (combined with a proper diet) is the easiest to incorporate in your lifestyle, and the rest will automatically follow not long after.
So start moving.
A good place to start is to simply jog around the neighborhood every day. Trust us, every step counts.
It’s important to understand, however, that exercise is merely meant to maintain what you’ve already achieved, and when you’re just starting, focusing on your nutrition plays a bigger role.
So for a better eating plan, go ask your local doctor or dietician and have them lay out a plan you can follow and stick to.
In the meantime, you can start yourself by ditching the carbonated drinks and switching to water, as well as avoiding sugary and fatty foods.
Increasing your intake of green vegetables and fruits, in general, can also help with your weight loss.
While having a great diet is half the story, you can also speed up the results of your weight loss by coupling it with an effective fitness program.
For an effective exercise regimen, consider combining a variation of these 4 exercise habits:
1. Strength training
Also known as weight or resistance training, strength training is the exercise of choice for keeping your muscle tone, which can then result to more metabolically active tissue which can help increase your metabolism even as you’re working out.
This then leads to better weight loss while also building up muscle mass.
Here are some examples of strength-based weight loss exercises:
- Squats
- Dead Push Up
- Downward Dog
- Glute Bridge
- Plank
2. Core training
Core training is important in helping maintain your balance and strengthening your hips and neck. As a result, it will allow you to increase your exercise longevity.
The longer the session, the more you’ll start to use fat as a primary fuel source instead of stored glycogen.
3. Cardiovascular training
Commonly known as aerobic exercise, this particular type of exercise focuses on calorie expenditure, and involves those that test your endurance, such as running, and jumping jacks.
For example, low-intensity steady-state cardio, better known as LISS is a form of cardio. This allows you to burn calories for a longer period of time, at a lower intensity. As a result, it will maximize fat loss.
4. Stretching
Often overlooked because of its simplicity, stretching, such as yoga, is important for your flexibility, which can help keep you mobile even as you age. This allows you to decrease your risk of injuries while exercising.
Performing a combination of these four habits will greatly help you in losing (and maintaining) your weight. As long as you do it consistently and pair it with a strict diet plan that’s appropriate for your body type.
Of course, the process can be slow and the changes gradual, but trust us, you’ll thank yourself later in life.
So move more, eat better, try out the weight loss exercise’ listed above and start on your weight loss journey today.
The best time to start really is today, why wait?
Take small steps, work your way up, and achieve the optimum health your body deserves.
