Lose Weight - What Exercise Is Best
July 24th, 2009. Published under Weight Loss. No Comments.
If you have made up your mind to lose weight, you probably know that you are going to have to exercise but you may be asking “what kind of exercise is best?” It is confusing when you first get started because some people say to do aerobics while some say to do free weights and still others say walk or jog. So what is really the best exercise to do to help lose weight? Let’s look at each type of exercise and discover the best for you.
There really is no one kind of exercise that fits everyone’s needs as it depends on what you want to accomplish. Most overweight people are focused on getting rid of the excess weight and that is about it. They are not interested in bulking up or looking ripped. If you fall into this category, then the exercise you choose will be different from someone that is looking to have 6-pack abs or large pecks. Just because the young woman with the tight buns of steel or the young man with the washboard stomach looks great on TV, it does not mean that is what you really want to accomplish.
If you were trying to lose the fat and replace it with muscle, then lifting free weights would be more appropriate than aerobic type exercises such as swimming, running or jogging even though these would be of benefit also. Therefore a person should know what he or she is planning to accomplish before designing a exercise routine for themselves.
There are basically two types of exercise, aerobic and anaerobic. Aerobic exercise consists of exercises that cause you to be “out of breath” so that you breathe more deeply to replenish the depleted oxygen levels back into the blood. This type of exercise works the lungs harder, speeds the heart rate and burns fat more efficiently. Aerobic exercise consists of running, jogging, cycling, swimming and fast walking.
Anaerobic exercise is just the opposite of aerobic exercise. This type of exercise does not make you give out of breath or make you “huff and puff” when done. This would consist of weightlifting, slow walking, etc. As previously stated, anaerobic exercise does not burn fat as fast as aerobic exercise but it does help to speed the metabolism, which will in turn burn calories even when the body is at rest. This type of exercise will assist in building muscle mass and giving the body a tighter, more fit look.
Aerobics requires carbohydrates as fuel for the energy expended. However, if the needed carbohydrates are not available, the body will use stored fat to provide the energy necessary. This is why aerobic exercise causes rapid weight loss.
Anaerobic exercise is generally fueled by carbohydrates within the body and not as much by stored fat, hence less of a weight loss effect. The big benefit is the increased metabolic rate to burn off excess calories even while a person is sleeping.
There are times when the two types of exercise blend into each other. For example, if a person starts out walking slowly, anaerobic exercise would be taking place. If he or she then steps up the pace into a fast walk, jogging or running, aerobic exercise would be taking place.
It is best to design an exercise program geared toward your weight loss goals. If you can incorporate both types of exercise into your routine, then you will have the best of both worlds, fat loss and increased metabolism. There are more factors to take into consideration as you design your exercise and weight loss program.
This is just a few tips to help you lose weight and keep it off naturally. You can learn more and get a free chapter from “Losing Weight Nature’s Way”. Get your free information at http://losingweightnaturesway.kteweb.com