Best Exercise to lose weight
‘Sometimes a workout is the only therapy one needs!’
As reported by the World Health Organization, “health is a state of physical, mental, social and spiritual well-being and not merely an absence of a disorder or diseases.” Most of the people today live in a twilight zone. They may be free from any disorders yet do not qualify as healthy individuals.
Everyone knows that exercise is essential for your overall health. The release of adrenaline and endorphin helps boost energy levels as well as confidence, which helps attain good health. There is a direct relationship between good health and weight loss. A person with a higher Body Mass Index (BMI) is prone to disorders like hypertension, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and many more. It is imperative to effectively manage these abnormalities by investing an hour of your day in exercising.
The two most important factors to consider for weight loss are exercising and dieting. It is a prerequisite to maintain the balance between your workout and diet to lose weight. If you follow one and skip the other, your body will behave differently, and you will have to wait longer for the expected result.
It is a well-known fact that exercising regularly helps effectively in weight loss. Exercising not only strengthens your bones but also improves your mood, reducing the risk of several chronic diseases. People run away from exercising because they don’t have time to hit the gym or sometimes cannot afford to join a gym or benefit themselves from personal trainers. But the whole idea of exercise is not limited to the gym, but there are varied ways in which an individual can exercise. Let’s look at some of the best exercises to lose weight.
- WALKING
As it is widely known and accepted that walking is the most convenient exercise. All those who are not into a rigorous workout and wish to start a healthy habit of exercising can always start with walking. It is a lower impact exercise as it does not stress your joints. One of the most cost-effective workout routines can be walking as there is no equipment required.
A study by Harvard Health estimated that a person could burn around 167 calories per 30 minutes if they walk at an average pace of 6.4 kilometers per hour. The result of a 12-week study of 20 women with obesity concluded that walking for about an hour three times per week reduces body fat and waist circumference by 1.5%. That is about 1.1 inches approximately.
Walking has proved that it is the most convenient and time-effective exercise. It is very simple to fit walking into your routine. Walking during your lunch breaks, taking your dog for an evening walk, or simply taking the stairs instead of the elevator can add more steps to your day.
- JOGGING OR RUNNING
Besides walking, jogging and running is brilliant workout routine to help you lose weight. People tend to misinterpret them as the same. But there lies a key difference in the pace that makes all the difference. It is on average between 6.4-8.0 kmph and 9.7 kmph for jogging and running, respectively.
A study by Harvard Health estimated that a person burns approximately 298 calories per 30 minutes if they jog at an average speed of eight kmph and 372 calories per 30 minutes if they run at 9.7 kmph.
As it is proven that the calories which get burned down are enormous, but the icing on the cake is that it helps burn visceral fats. Visceral fats are commonly known as belly fats. These fats develop and are wrapped around our internal organs. The sheer excess of these fats causes major disabilities and is linked to various chronic diseases. Conditions like heart diseases, osteoarthritis, fatty liver, depression, and diabetes are linked to belly fats.
Just like running, it is elementary to incorporate jogging into your daily workout routine. One can easily get started by just jogging for around half an hour, 3-4 times a week.
Some people find outdoor running difficult as it can at times be hard on joints. For that, running on softer surfaces like grass or soft mud can be a solution. Nowadays, treadmills have built-in cushioning, which may be gentler on your joints.
- CYCLING
Cycling is one of the most popular exercises to attain weight loss and good health. Even though traditionally, cycling was done outdoors, many gyms and fitness studios offer stationary cycling bikes that allow you to cycle indoors.
A study by Harvard Health estimates that a person can burn around 260 calories per 30 minutes of cycling on stationary cycles and 298 calories per 30 minutes on a bicycle at a moderate pace of 19-22 kmph.
Cycling is not only a great exercise for a workout, but research has found that people who cycle daily have increased insulin sensitivity and lesser risk of cancer, lung diseases, heart diseases compared to people who don’t cycle regularly.
- YOGA
Yoga is popularly known for stress relief. Although it is not a well-known practice for weight loss, that’s a misconception. Practicing Yoga can also help you lose weight and strengthen your muscles. Yoga burns a fair number of calories and has many additional benefits.
A study by Harvard Health estimated that a person could burn around 149 calories per 30 minutes of practicing yoga. This 12-week study found that women who practiced yoga for 90 minutes in two sessions per week underwent a greater reduction in waist circumference than those in the control group.
Alongside calorie burn, yoga benefits your mental and physical well-being. Studies have shown that yoga inculcates discipline within an individual. It teaches mindfulness, which helps you choose the right food and helps you resist unhealthy eating habits while understanding your body much better.
- WEIGHT TRAINING
When people think of losing weight, the first and foremost popular choice is weight training. It is considered the most effective way of losing weight. Training your muscles with weight helps promote growth and strength. It can raise your resting metabolic rate (RMR) or, in simple words, the number of calories your body burns when at rest.
A person burns roughly 112 calories per 30 minutes by practicing weight training, suggests a study at Harvard Health.
Apart from calorie burn during exercise, weight training is popularly known for calorie burn during resting time. Studies have found that the calorie burn continues for many hours after training, which doesn’t usually happen in other exercises like aerobics.
Conclusion
As there is a saying that fitness is like a marriage, you can’t cheat and expect results. Likewise, diet, exercise, and discipline are the driving factors if you wish to lose weight. There is a wide range of exercises available, and you must choose the right one or the one you enjoy the most. This makes it more conceivable to stick to it for the long term and expect great results.
