Exercise For Weight Loss
Before embarking on any exercise for weight loss program you should first of course have a quick consultation with your doctor which will more than likely be a mere formality but do it anyway, it will give you both confidence in your health and reassurance that you are OK to start an exercise for weight loss program.
Determine your maximum heart rate (MHR) – This is a useful first step as you’ll see in the following few paragraphs, here is how to do it. Firstly you can either use one of those highly sophisticated treadmill tests or use a much simpler alternative such as this basic formula. Simply subtract your age from the figure of 220.
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Another newer solution, documented in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology (JACC), believes the following formula to be more accurate: 208 minus 0.7 times age. Either way you can’t go too far wrong!
The reason you ought to know your MHR is that it allows you to plan, track, record and monitor the intensity of your workouts and your fitness level.
In order to be able to train effectively, one must first know how hard to train. It is only after knowing maximum heart rate then that you can effectively determine the intensity of the exercise that is required to be done.
Exercise for Weight Loss: Training Zones – Basically, the more intense the exercise the more calories you will burn and the more effective the exercise for weight loss will be. It is recommended however that when exercising for the first time you do so at between 50-60 percent of your maximum heart as this should be a gentle enough intensity level to not put you at risk of over exertion.
If however you are a regular exerciser looking to reach the next level of fitness then a percentage of between 60-70% of your MHR is a more appropriate intensity level to be aiming for.
Exercising in the range of 75-85 percent of your maximum heart rate is also possible, though mainly this range is for people who would like to improve on the body’s aerobic capacity, or also in their athletic performance and should not be attempted by those unused to exercise when starting out. This zone is the most efficient for exercise for weight loss, generally speaking the higher the intensity of exercise the more calories will be burned.
These figures are only estimates to provide a rough guideline in exercise for weight loss. It is imperative however to note that adjusting training intensity is important, depending on each individual’s fitness level and goals. There will be times when a person trains at 50-60 percent of the maximum heart rate, while there also will be other times when they train at 70-80 percent, depending on the type of training goal and current level of motivation. Someone training at a high intensity level will at some point benefit from reducing the level of intensity in order to prevent over-training and reduce the risk of injury.
Athletes who take part in sports on a competitive basis sometimes also need to participate in higher intensity interval training sessions. Such high intensity training helps the body to handle lactic acid buildup more effectively essential to success in most competitive sports.
Type of exercise for weight loss – For general conditioning and exercise for weight loss, one may select activities that require the larger muscle groups to function in a continuous nature. Such activities include walking, swimming, running, aerobic dance movements, treadmill workouts and even cycling.
If the aim is to improve athletic performance, an individual may also be inclined to participate in a sport-specific type of training. The training should reflect the nature of the sport, in order to improve at a specific type of fitness then that aspect of fitness needs to be mirrored in training. To provide a good example, a marathon runner is clearly going to improve there marathon running times by doing more of that rather than another activity such as swimming. Although swimming may be a useful alternative following injury or in times when the athlete merely fancies a change or a good exercise for weight loss it is not likely to improve their marathon running times.
Frequency of exercise for weight loss – The frequency of exercise depends mainly upon the amount of conditioning and personal aims of that person. The higher the exercise intensity, the more rest you should factor in, and vice versa. For general training however, it is encouraged that you exercise within the range of at least 3-5 times per week, with approximately 48 hours of rest in between sessions.
Time of exercise For weight loss – Individuals, who even exercise for as little as 30 minutes 3 times a week, will find that it is possible to make good progress in terms of general body fitness. For improved conditioning, one should work out 30-60 minutes each session, nothing less nothing more.
Warm up & cool down – As with any other physical activity, it is advisable to put your body through a warm up period of around 5-10 minutes before progressing to the desired training intensity. Also, a 5-10 minute cool down session after strenuous activity aids in faster muscle recovery, and reduces muscle fatigue. Stretching of muscles is useful as your muscles should be warmed up thoroughly thus reducing the risk of injury.