While diet is generally the key to weight loss, exercising is the thing that can speed it up, make the process more fun, and give you the stamina to make sure your progress lasts. Working out is also essential for almost every aspect of our health, so incorporating it into your daily routine is a surefire way to finally be on the road to a slim, toned body. But what kind of exercising is the best when shedding pounds is your most important goal? Well, it does depend on your general preferences and the time you’re ready to invest, but here are some good suggestions and advice that are bound to help you out.
Interval Training
HIIT, or high-intensity interval training is known as one of the best ways to exercise for people who are short on time and want to have a very effective workout without having to spend two hours at the gym. It basically consists of alternating between exercises that spike your heart rate and then let it come down. You work out hard, then you slow down, then you go hard again, and so on. You can do it at the gym if you sit on a stationary bike or run on the treadmill or do a high-intensity training session in or outdoors for example.
Running
Cardio is really good at making you burn fat, and you really don’t need any equipment for running—a pair of good sneakers is more than enough! However, if you’ve never run before it’s difficult to just get out of the house and hit the pavement, and it’s also not the most practical of workouts if the weather is bad. To get that stamina that only running can build, try doing it once a week. You can even spice it up by running on a steep incline or up and down the stairs, or you can make it easier by simply doing long-distance running on the treadmill when you can’t go outside.
Weight Lifting
Often ignored in favor of cardio, weight lifting is a surprisingly amazing way to help you shed excess weight, especially in the long run. While it won’t burn as many calories as cardio, it will help you build a lot of muscle, tone your whole body, and it will boost your passive metabolism so you’ll be losing more calories even when you’re resting! The thing to keep in mind when it comes to weight lifting is the right equipment—you can start with a pair of basic dumbbells and proper shoes. Having good gym shoes is very important when it comes to injury prevention, so find a pair that will provide you with ankle support and help balance your body. With the right sneakers, proper posture, and making sure you’re doing each exercise correctly, results will come before you know it.
Swimming
Nothing can make you quite as lean as swimming can, and it’s the best kind of exercise you can do because it targets practically every single muscle in your body. It’s also quite fun and most people really enjoy it, so if you have an indoor pool nearby or are soon going on a beach vacation, make full use of it and swim every day.
Jump Rope
Jump rope looks like a silly thing, but you can actually burn 200 calories in only ten minutes if you use it right. You can always use it for five minutes as a way to warm up before other exercises, but you can definitely make it into a whole 20-minute workout.
Keep Switching it Up
The best way to avoid reaching that plateau and stagnating is to keep switching up your exercises. All of the examples we mentioned can actually be combined and you can pick which exercise to do based on your mood and how much time you’ve got. Have an hour? Go for a long run, or go swimming. Can’t squeeze in more than 20 minutes? Do HIIT or jump rope exercises, or lift weights. Mix it up and push your body so it can never get overly used to the strain.
And most of all, stay consistent. Creating a routine that you can stick to weekly is the most important thing because no workout is effective if you don’t actually get around to doing it. Results won’t happen overnight, but they will happen if you manage to become regular and start enjoying your fitness journey.
I love this article! I work at a gym and these are really great tips. Definitely helpful if you are time poor and will work for everyone!
Thank you Sierra and Deborah, I’m glad you enjoyed the read and found the article useful. 🙂