Exercise for Weight Loss

With the New Year comes resolutions and one of the most popular is weight loss. While it may seem like a great New Year’s resolution, finding the proper method for achieving it can be a little tricky. We have all heard about juice cleanses, diet plans, and other methods for achieving weight loss and yes, some of these may have some merits, but the best and most effective manner is a lifestyle change. So how do we achieve a lifestyle change that leads us down the path of healthy weight loss? Whether it’s joining a gym or using a yoga mat and a DVD player to turn the living room into a yoga studio, regular exercise can be the answer to that question and HPFY can help you achieve your goal.

Benefits of Exercise

In our quest to lead a healthier lifestyle we have all heard about the benefits of exercise in our daily lives. Many times, this goes in one ear and out the other. Do we truly understand the benefits that exercising regularly can give us? Exercise can reduce the risk of:

• Heart Disease
• Stroke
• Obesity
• High Blood Pressure
• Diabetes
• Back Pain/Osteoporosis

Besides avoiding these negative health issues, regular exercise can help you improve your mental health by increasing or improving your overall mood and helping you manage stress. As you can see, that is an impressive list of negative health effects that can be overcome by exercise.

Exercise & Weight Loss

Yes, exercise has a multitude of health benefits and none is greater than exercising to lose weight. It’s actually a simple math equation: burn more calories than you intake. This simple equation can lead to weight loss and help maintain a healthy weight. Exercise increases metabolism (how many calories you burn in the day) and helps you maintain and increase lean body mass, which can go further in helping you lose weight by increasing the number of calories you burn every day.

The 10 Best Exercises for Weight Loss

Some exercises that are great for weight loss can include:

1. Lunges: These exercises can target multiple muscle groups in your legs (quads, glutes, and your hamstrings) therefore burning more calories, quicker.
2. Squats: By engaging your core muscles and the entire lower body, these exercises are great for weight loss. Simply imagine sitting in an invisible chair and then standing. Simple!!
3. Mountain Climbers: This exercise starts in a push-up position and alternates left/right knee lunges towards the chest. You can take this exercise up a notch by adding resistance bands to your feet to increase calorie burn and weight loss.
4. Jump Rope: Not just a child’s play toy!! This total body workout can burn calories through one exercise, not to mention kickstarting your metabolism by upping your cardio workout.
5. Kettlebell Swings: A full-body workout that can maximize caloric burn, these exercises are low impact with high intensity for a great way to lose weight.
6. Walking/Running: Like children, we must learn how to crawl, then walk, then run and the same can be said for exercise. Start by walking and gradually increase your pace until you are ready to start running. Add ankle/wrist weights to kick it up a notch. Baby steps, nobody starts by running a marathon!!
7. Weight Training: Strength training can increase muscle mass which can increase your metabolism. This burns more calories leading to weight loss. Dumbbells and even elastic bands can help with lean muscle mass.
8. Kickboxing: This activity is a great way to burn calories while toning muscles and relieving stress. Take out your frustration from work and everyday life with a few good kicks!!
9. Spinning: Whether you take a spin class or just take your bike (stationary or road) for a ride, this exercise is a perfect way to burn calories, increase your heart rate, and build your cardiovascular system to lose weight.
10. Rowing: No, you don’t need a boat, but trying out your gym’s rowing machine can be a great way to lose weight. It hits all the major muscle groups in your body (legs, back, and core) and is the best of both cardio and strength training worlds to increase weight loss.

Weight loss never comes easy but adhering to an exercise routine can be your best bet. Remember to start easy and increase your intensity gradually to avoid potential injury. Also, be sure to consult your physician or physical therapist before beginning any exercise plan to be sure you are being safe and doing exercises that won’t injure you.

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