Looking to lose weight through workouts? It can be difficult to navigate the endless amount of tips and suggestions when it comes to whittling away your waistline through exercise, but it’s far less complicated than you think! Through consistency, workouts you’ll look forward to, and strength training, you’ll find the pounds disappearing in no time. Read on to discover the best tips for working out for weight loss from top fitness experts!
Find An Activity You Love
The #1 rule for working out for weight loss: consistency is key! If you’re looking to lose weight, find a workout that you love, so that you can stick to your new workout routine. When looking for a workout that you love, try a few different things at first: try Zumba, spin, hiking, burpees, jumping rope, kickboxing, or running. Eventually you’ll find something that you love and something you’ll look forward to!
Don’t Focus On How Many Calories You’ll Burn
If you’re heading into a workout and thinking of the calories you’re going to burn, this isn’t a healthy or balanced approach to weight loss. There are a lot of different components that tie into weight loss and working out; calorie expenditure isn’t the only thing that matters when you’re trying to drop pounds. Instead of focusing on how many calories you’ll burn, focus on setting up goals! Try setting a goal of working out for a certain number of days out of the week, lifting heavier, or hitting a certain number of steps a day. Jessica Smith, a certified wellness coach and the creator of Walk STRONG: Total Transformation 6 Week System suggests, “Start focusing on improving your health and wellbeing.” By putting your attention towards goals instead of calories, you’ll not only physically feel better–you’ll also feel a better sense of fulfillment from your workouts! Remember: the focus isn’t just to look good, it’s also to feel good!
Focus On Workouts That Use Different Muscle Groups
Make the most of your workouts by doing compound movements! Sarah Pace, a corporate fitness program manager and an ACE in-home personal trainer and health coach explains, “When you combine movements and multitask in the gym, you raise your heart rate and increase your calorie-burning potential. A bicep curl with a lunge, or a squat and a shoulder press are both great strength combos”. Try out some of these amazing compound exercises to elevate your heart rate and melt away the pounds!
Don’t Do High Intensity Workouts Every Time
If you’re new to working out for weight loss, you don’t have to do a high-intensity workout each time you work out. Smith says, “Limit your high-intensity workouts to three sessions a week, and that’s only if you are already fit and well rested.” Pete McCall, an ACE personal trainer, an adjunct professor of exercise science, and the host of the All About Fitness podcast explains, “High-intensity interval training (HIIT) can burn a few more calories but at the expense of placing additional stress on the body”. Experts suggests aiming for 3-4 days of steady-state cardio for 15-20 minutes a day when you start working out for weight loss. Steady-state cardio makes for an enjoyable, moderate paced workout that you’ll want to stick to in the long run. What counts as steady-state cardio? Biking, swimming, and fast-walking are all excellent options that won’t leave you as sweaty and exhausted as a HIIT workout.
It’s Not All About Cardio
Boosting your metabolism and losing weight doesn’t mean you’re stuck doing cardio all the time! McCall says, “Strength training can increase lean muscle mass. Muscle burns calories while at rest, so adding some lean muscle can elevate the metabolism”. Not only will strength training help speed up your metabolism, it will also help you burn more calories while putting you in a calorie deficit – which is important for losing weight. Smith adds, “Aim to include two to four days of strength training per week for best results with your workouts,”
