Weight Loss Exercises That You Can Enjoy

A very important aspect of any weight loss program is the addition of weight loss exercises. Lowering the amount of your calorie intake is important but you have to exercise in order to burn the calories off that you still consume. You also will need to firm and tone muscles as you lose weight. Still, you might face confusion as you look at which weight loss exercises might be for you.

There are basically two types of these exercises:

1. Aerobic exercises are those which require oxygen and are very effective for burning calories which will speed up your weight loss program much faster than just lowering calories alone. These aerobic exercises are also called cardiovascular exercises since they increase the function of the heart and strengthen it. This is considered true weight loss exercises since they do burn calories.

2. The second type of exercise are those which, while not calorie burners, do strengthen your muscles. This is also called strength training and often incorporates the use of weights or machines that use resistance.

A successful weight loss exercise program will combine both types of exercise since you need to strengthen your muscles as you burn calories in order to avoid sagging muscles. Also, the strength training exercises will allow you to burn more calories in the long run, although not so much at first. The more muscle that you have the more calories that you will be able to burn without additional aerobic exercises.

Increasing muscle mass will actually reflect your weight loss in appearance more than just burning calories. This is especially true if you have a lot of pounds to shed. The more time that you spend on the aerobic exercises, the more calories you will burn and if you build more muscle mass, your body will look firmer as you lose weight.

How much time you spend doing both types of weight loss exercises is important. If you spend more time doing the aerobic exercises you will burn more calories and the quicker you will lose weight. For best results, at least thirty minutes each day is recommended. It is better that you start with low impact aerobics first and build the intensity up over time.

Strength training is very different from aerobic exercises because you have to rest your muscles in between workouts. When doing this type of exercise, remember to do them for at least thirty minutes daily three or five days a week. Never exercise the same muscles two days in a row. Most people choose to alternate between upper and lower body muscles in order to do the strength training daily without pushing any muscle group too far.

If you have never done these kind of free weight exercises before, it is best to start with weights which only weight one to five pounds and gradually increase the weight amount over time. Also, keep in mind that the more repetitions that you do with the same amount of weight will tone your muscles while increasing the amount of the weights will increase muscle mass. Always consult your doctor before starting these weight loss exercises.