Easy Exercises to Lose Weight Fast

The most effective and lasting way to lose weight is through diet and exercise. To lose weight, you must burn more calories than you consume. There aren't one or two most effective exercises to lose weight. To gain the best results, implement a cardio and strength-building program.

Cardio Exercise

Cardio is any movement that raises the heart rate for an extended period of time. To lose weight, you must increase the amount of physical activity you engage in. Cardio is beneficial in that you can burn a lot of calories in a fairly short period. The cardio program should be completed at a minimum of three days per week for a period of 20 to 60 minutes. For increased calorie burning, perform this activity daily if you choose. The amount of time you perform your selected exercise depends on your current fitness ability. Some of the exercises you can perform, but are not limited to, are walking, cycling, running, swimming, playing sports, using an elliptical machine or running on a treadmill.

Strength Training

Strength training is essential for maximizing weight loss. While cardio is important for calorie burning, when you are done with a cardio activity, the calorie burning also ends. With strength training, you burn calories during the exercise and long after. When finished with a strength workout, the body will break down muscle fibers and rebuild. This requires extensive energy, which burns calories and fat. For 24 hours after a strength workout, the body is still burning calories, even while you sleep.

The best way to complete a strength-building program for weight loss is to lift lighter weights and do more repetitions. Select the weight amount by how many reps you can do with it. The weight should be enough so that after 12 repetitions your arms feel fatigued. When you can complete 15 repetitions without a struggle, increase the weight. You can perform activities like bicep curls, lunges, squats, triceps pulldowns, crunches, military press, or push-ups. The workout should last between 20 and 40 minutes. You should complete three sets of 10 to 12 reps for each exercise. Select about seven or eight exercises and move between them without much rest in between.

Your strength-building program should be completed no more than two or three days per week, but never on back-to-back days.

Exercise Schedule

Cardio can be done from three days per week to every day. Your regimen will depend on your fitness ability and time constraints. Strength training should be completed no more than two or three days per week. Here is an example schedule.

Monday, Wednesday and Friday: Complete cardio exercise for 20 to 60 continuous minutes.

Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday (optional): Complete your strength training for 20 to 40 minutes, moving from exercise to exercise.

Sunday can be a day of rest or a cardio day.

When beginning your weight loss exercise program, it is important to pace yourself. If physical activity is new for you, stay on the low side of the time estimates until you have improved. It is OK to gradually increase the amount of time you perform each exercise.