How to Exercise to Lose Weight

With exercise equipment, diet programs, and fitness plans being sold every minute of every day across the world, finding a way to lose extra weight is a number one concern for many of the worlds inhabitants. Although losing weight is basically the outcome of consuming less calories than you burn, finding ways to burn more calories and maximize your weight loss is an elusive pursuit for many. Many people find themselves overweight, oversized and wanting to get back their smaller bodies from their younger years. Others see people losing weight and wish to have the same swimsuit bodies.

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If you are looking to lose some extra weight, below you will find three main ways you can do so. Whether you choose simple cardio exercises to boost your metabolism, aerobic exercises to get fit and have fun, or an all around fitness program to get skinny and toned, you will find plenty of tips to use on your way to a smaller body.

Be sure to check with a physician regarding your overall health before beginning any exercise regimen, and always exercise with other people or communicate with others about your exercise regimen in order to maintain a level of encouragement from your friends and/or family.

Cardio Your Fat Away!

Probably the most widely used method of fat loss exercise, cardio exercise works by getting your heart rate elevated (in a safe range) and keeping it their for an extended amount of time. Running is one of the most common cardio exercises, but there are also some that use shorter bursts of activity, such as jumping rope.

The key to cardio exercise is using large amounts of calories. Many people who exercise with weights and such would be surprised at just how much less calories they are using than the person on the elliptical. Multiplying your ability to lose weight is the fact that if you continue to cardio exercise on a regular basis, your metabolism will speed up to make up for your new "baseline" of activeness.

Cardio exercise can be either expensive or cheap! You can run, bike or swim fairly inexpensively, or you can buy a gym membership to use stationary bikes, treadmills or ellipticals. If money is not a problem, you may invest in your own!

For anyone looking to exercise to lose weight, cardio exercise is a must have part of their weekly routine. Even if you choose to utilize one of the other ways to lose weight, a small amount of cardio sprinkled in is a must.

Yoga, Pilates, And Aerobics, Oh My

For many people looking to lose weight, doing plain cardio exercise may not be the best way to keep yourself motivated. More structured exercise routines that may be lower impact or slower paced may be a much better choice for you.

Exercises such as Pilates and Aerobics utilize cardio exercises but wrap them up into a set routine that moves from one cardio movement to another, so they do not seem monotonous. Also, these programs are generally done in groups, so the addition of other people motivating you can also be a help.

Yoga, not necessarily a high paced exercise, is slightly different. A much lower impact workout, yoga can be a great choice for people with joint or bone issues, but is not for the faint of heart. Although there are many simple yoga poses to help you work your way into the more complex yoga poses, yoga is not necessarily easy. Your heart will get good exercise, you will sweat a great deal, and if you continue to do yoga on a regular basis, you will lose weight.

Although enrolling in classes for these exercise routines can be a small expense, doing these exercises with friends who can encourage you is a definite plus. If you are unable to do so, these programs can be done with the assist of a DVD in your own home.

P90x And Other Fitness Programs

Although we have all heard of fast-paced exercise programs such as P90x, Insanity, and others, many people shy away from them, feeling they could not possibly do the tough exercises that make up these fat burning, high intensity workouts. What many people do not know is that most people who complete these programs could not complete them on day 1. Most of the more successful programs offer less strenuous options or optional breaks for their beginners, allowing everyone to gradually become capable of the more advanced exercises.

Each workout a person does with P90x, Insanity or others will burn around 400 to 600 calories, allowing the user to burn larger volumes of fat over time and shrink their waistlines more rapidly. These exercise programs are not for everyone, as you will need to consult with your physician to make sure you are not at a health risk. However, if these programs are for you, you will see that with a rotation of types of workouts you will stay engaged and not bored with the "same old" routine.

These programs will require some workout equipment, such as weights, exercise bands, pull-up bars and more. Most of these programs can be done with less than $50 worth of extra equipment or less.

One Exception!

No exercise routine, no matter how stringent, can overcome overeating. A friend of mine once told me, "You can't out run a spoon." If you constantly overeat and eat bad things, do not expect to lose weight with any exercise routine. These exercises can help your body lose fat only if you are not adding extra fat at the same time.

This does not necessarily mean you have to live on twigs and berries for the next few weeks. Although some of the exercise routines like P90x and others have a very exclusive diet, most people can get great results by simply lowering their caloric intake a few hundred calories. If you drink soft drinks, stop. Don't have a candy bar everyday. Limit between meal snacks. Don't eat after 7:00 pm. If you can limit your calories to 1500 - 1800 per day, and add exercise, you should lose weight at a steady rate.