The Best Exercises for Weight Loss

WLS by itself does not guarantee weight loss… exercise can greatly accelerate your weight loss progress. In fact, exercise can help you lose weight in three separate ways:

1. Your body will burn extra Calories while you are exercising;
2. If the exercise is high enough in intensity (i.e. significantly increases your heart rate and respiration), your body will continue to burn Calories at an elevated rate for an extended period after your exercise session has ended; and
3. If the exercise places a high enough load on your muscles, they will increase in size, and burn more Calories even when your body is at rest.

This last item (i.e. muscular adaptation to exercise) is an important factor for weight loss, because it enables your body to burn more Calories at all times. Muscle tissue is more "metabolically active" than body fat. With more muscle and less fat, your metabolic rate is naturally higher.

Muscular adaptation occurs most readily when the load placed on a muscle exceeds about 60% of its maximum contractile strength. This makes weight training one of your best exercise choices, and the most direct path to a sleeker, shapelier body.

How to Get Started With Weight Training

If you're serious about getting results, forget about the fancy machines in the gym and the made-for-TV products. Take the time to learn a few basic free weight movements, including the squat, bench press, dead lift, bent row, and shoulder press. These exercises activate your body's largest muscles, and will have the most dramatic effect on transforming your body. A good personal trainer at any commercial health club will be happy to help you get started.

If you can't afford the time to go to a health club, you can easily set up a weight training area in your own home. It really doesn't require much space or equipment. A good set of dumbbells and a sturdy exercise bench is all that you need. 

What About Aerobic Exercise?

Aerobic exercise (e.g. aerobic dance, running, biking, etc.) improves cardiovascular health and can help you burn a considerable number of Calories. However, aerobic exercise does not usually place enough load on your body to create much muscular adaptation. Because of this, aerobic exercise is not nearly as efficient as weight training from the perspective of maintaining long-term weight loss.

All exercises make weight loss easier, though, so don't choose an exercise solely for its efficiency. The best exercise for you is simply the exercise that you enjoy and are willing to do consistently. Even walking is a wonderful exercise. Walking just 15 extra minutes a day will equate to about a pound of additional weight loss each month for the average person.

If your exercise program becomes boring, look for ways to make it more interesting and productive. For example, a weighted exercise vest could add a new twist to your morning walk. Keep challenging yourself, and exercise will become a very fulfilling part of your lifestyle.