Exercise and Weight Loss

Exercise is a crucial part of any weight loss program. Exercise and weight loss are stongly linked together and this relationship should never be ignored. Not only is exercise important for healthy weight loss, but it is also great for your body and long-term health.

Regular exercise naturally increases your body's metabolism so that body fat is burned more efficiently. It does this in two ways; by using body fat stores for energy during exercise and by increasing lean muscle mass. More muscle mass increases metabolism because muscle tissue consumes more calories than fat tissues.

For the best weight loss results from exercise make sure to incorporate aerobic activities, like walking, swimming or cycling. Aerobic exercises have the added benefit of speeding up your metabolism for 4 to 8 hours after you stop exercising.

Weight lifting, resistance or strength training, builds more lean muscle tissue and increases your resting metabolic rate, but is not an efficient way of burning stored calories during exercise. A combination of aerobic exercise and resistance training is best exercise program for optimal fat burning and metabolism boosting. Exercise any time you can fit it into your day and you will burn fat away. By exercising just a little more than usual you can speed up your metabolism and use up stored fat in the process.

Some people may struggle with exercise at first, particularly if excess weight is an issue, but even low-impact exercises help with weight loss. For more information, please read our article: Exercising When Overweight.