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The best exercise to lose weight is probably a surprise to most people. This article is for those people who spend hours on the treadmill or exercise bike 4-5 times a week with minimal results. It seems unfortunate that the world of fitness and dieting is riddled with so many unsupported claims. I have no idea why many of these myths continually get reprinted, discussed and therefore perpetuated until they are accepted unquestionably by the masses. And this is all despite science strongly supporting other valid approaches to exercise and diet.
These unfounded claims make sense in some degree, and I think that’s why they get passed along. When you first hear about cardio, and how this rigorous method is the best exercise to lose weight, it somehow makes sense. It’s a low intensity workout where you enter your “fat burning zone,” and if done for several hours it burns calories. It sounds good enough, doesn’t it? Unfortunately, science says it’s all wrong. It’s far from the best exercise to lose weight according to increasing evidence from the scientific community. As it turns out, it not only doesn’t take off the pounds, it also isn’t that good for your heart.
The type of cardio workout I just described (which I refer to as ‘steady state’ cardio) is a major part of lots of programs for weight loss. Go to any gym and you’ll see it full of people who spend months doing cardio. The only trouble is that after these months of work, they see no results at all. This type of workout requires lots of time, and you should be seeing slow and steady results. But when you’ve gone through the time and work and you see nothing, it can really kill your motivation. This explains the statistic that says most people give an exercise program 3 months before giving up. Why do it when you don’t get results?
The best exercise to lose weight for real is HIIT, which stands for ‘high intensity interval training.’ What this means is that you have short bursts of high intensity exercise in repetitive cycles, and then long stretches of easier exercise or resting. These sessions usually last only 20 minutes. The important thing is that the intense part really is intense. We’re talking running away from a lion here. But exercising at this level of intensity is really key for people who are either overweight or out of shape with their cardio-vascular fitness.
To start your HIIT training choose a brisk walking pace on your treadmill and this will be the recovery or low intensity speed for your training. You will walk at this pace for 1 minute then for the next minute increase the speed until you are running. Start slowly with the running and slowly increase the speed each subsequent time until you find a good level of intensity. Alternate 1 minute of intense exercise with 1 minute rest. If you are starting out you can have 2 minutes rest. This protocol can be done 3-4 times a week for 20 minutes at a time.
HIIT is the best exercise to lose weight, but it’s much more than that. It promotes better heart fitness than cardio as well. This means that you gain a healthier heart and less need to go to the gym. The only thing that you’ll lose through HIIT is your body fat!
For more hints and tips about best exercise to lose weight, visit author Nick Springs fitness blog which is packed full of information such as the Gabriel Method.
diet, exercise, fat loss, fitness, health, Lifestyle, lose weight, muscle building, weight loss, women
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