What Is The Best Kind Of Exercise To Lose Weight?

Some people will have you believe that the only way to change your body is to leave yourself in a sweaty heap in the gym every day or tie yourself to the treadmill or elliptical for hours at a time. This doesn’t have to be the case!

If you’re new to the exercise world, it’s OK to simply start off by filling your life with activities that you enjoy. It could be running, playing racquetball, hiking, or Sunday soccer with your friends. Whatever keeps you active for 60 minutes, 3-4 times per week, will help you feel good and experience some success.

But along with that kind of activity, it’s a perfect time to include more structured training. In particular, it’s important to focus on strength training and cardio, especially in the form of high-intensity interval training.

Strength training: What? Isn’t lifting weights better for bodybuilding or getting huge, rather than losing fat? Believe it or not, it’s an essential part of lasting weight control.

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“It’s understandable if you’re hesitant to believe that, but here’s why it works: Muscle tissue burns more calories than fat, even when you are just sitting in front of the TV,” explains registered dietician Susan Hewlings, Ph.D., in Gym2k.com’s Foundations of Fitness Nutrition video course. “The more you have, the more you’ll be able to burn. It also gives you control over your health and appearance in a way that simple calorie control can’t, and helps develop the strength and energy you need to fit more total activity in your life.”

The benefits don’t end there. Resistance training also has profound beneficial effects on your bones and joints and helps to prevent osteoporosis (loss in bone mineral density), sarcopenia (loss of muscle mass), and lower-back pain, assuming you use proper exercise form.[4]

Of course, there are plenty of different ways to approach strength training: fast-paced or slow, high reps or low, a bodybuilding-style body-part split or full body, just to name a few. There’s really no wrong answer, and a lifter will cycle through all of them over the course of years. But researcher Jim Stoppani, Ph.D., suggests giving serious consideration to full-body training, particularly if fat loss is your goal.

If you’re looking for something more systematic, the most popular weight-loss programs in Gym2k.com All Access share a common thread: They give your lungs and heart a calorie-burning challenge, but also lead you toward a healthy overall body composition and muscle growth.

The 5 Most Popular Gym2k.com All Access Weight-Loss Programs

Your Attitude

Not every day is going to be a great day, and sure, you’ll encounter the occasional hiccup or low point when it comes to your nutrition and training plan. Know that now and accept it. But if you stay dedicated to controlling portions and being a little more active, you’ll slowly but surely see those pounds come off.

By far, the most important part of implementing healthier habits into your lifestyle is bettering your self-image and happiness. How you look is not nearly as important as how you feel. Maintain positivity and you’ll see the changes you want to see!

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