Everything You Should Know About Exercising For Weight Loss
Reduced physical activities and unhealthy foods are the two major reasons for weight gain. Excessive body weight can cause severe health issues, such as diabetes, heart disease, etc. Many experts say that gaining weight can increase the risks of getting sick from the coronavirus.
So, maintaining a healthy weight is very important. Consulting an online weight loss doctor can help you with the right strategy to lose weight. However, exercising can help you get in shape. Natural results and no side-effects. Read on to learn more about exercising for weight loss.
Related- The Top Health Benefits of Regular Exercise
Exercising For Weight Loss
Obesity can cause various health problems, such as increased heart rate, some forms of cancer, diabetes, etc. BMI (Body Mass Index) is a formula to measure estimated body fat based on one’s weight and height. The BMI is calculated by dividing height in kg by the square of height in meters.
- If BMI is below 18.5 underweight
- 18.5-24.9 healthy weight
- 25-29.9 overweight
- 30 and more obese
One of the most effective methods for weight loss is to burn extra calories stored in the body. And, physical exercise can help you in this. Exercising improves metabolism and directly impacts the number of calories you burn in a day.
Aerobic exercises, such as cycling, running, walking, etc. are effective for weight loss. However, these exercises don’t have a great impact on muscle mass.
In a recent study of 141 obese or overweight individuals, the participants were divided into 3 groups-
- Group 1 – burn 400 calories with cardio (working out 5 days a week)
- Group 2 – burn 600 calories with cardio (working out 5 days a week)
- Group 3 – no exercise
The results were—group 1 lost 4.3 percent while group 2 reduced about 5.7 percent of their body weight. However, group 3 gained 0.5 percent.
Additionally, exercising can impact ghrelin—the hunger hormone that controls the appetite. Some studies show that intense exercise can lead to suppressing appetite. This is called exercise anorexia. However, appetite and calorie intake vary from one person to another.
Exercising Releases Endorphins
Exercising can help improve mental wellness by easing anxiety, depression, and stress. Research says that when you exercise, your body releases endorphins—the chemicals that trigger positive feelings. However, endorphins can also help in reducing the perception of pain by binding to the receptors in the brain.
Medical studies have found that the stress hormone cortisol can result in weight gain. When you feel stressed, the adrenal glands release adrenaline and cortisol, thus releasing glucose in the bloodstream.
Increased levels of cortisol can cause cravings for unhealthy foods, thus leading to consuming more than your body requires. Other unhealthy habits that stress can drive are—lack of physical exercise, skipping meals, and sleeping less.
Exercising can help reduce cortisol levels in the body, thus managing emotional or psychological stresses. However, the time and intensity of exercise can affect cortisol. Doing exercises for more than 60 minutes can stimulate cortisol release and burn glycogen stores in the body.
Top Exercises to Shed Weight
Medical experts recommend patients to pick up any physical exercises they enjoy. However, sticking to the exercising routine regularly is very important to meet your weight loss goals.
Here are some of the best exercises that can help you lose weight fast-
Aerobic Exercises
Aerobic or cardiovascular exercises can help increase heart rate and blood flow in the body. These include walking, cycling, jogging, swimming, etc.
Harvard Health says that a person with a weight of 70 kg burns about 167 calories in 30 minutes of walking at a speed of 6.4 kg/h. However, the number becomes 298 calories in the case of jogging at 9.7 km/h.
Some studies show that jogging and running can help burn belly fat. For beginners, it’s recommended to start with 20-30 minutes for 3-4 days a week. You can increase the time gradually to achieve the desired results.
Weight Training
Weight training is another great choice for individuals looking to lose weight. According to Harvard Health, a 70-kg person can burn 112 calories by doing weight training for 30 minutes. Weight training is effective in building strength and growing muscles, thus raising the resting metabolic rate.
Medical experts recommend training the major muscle groups at least 3 times a week. These include back, chest, abs, forearms, biceps, triceps, hamstrings, calves, shoulders, quads, and traps.
Yoga
Yoga can help reduce stress and promote overall wellness. It can help burn calories and deliver additional health benefits, which can help you lose weight fast. Studies show that yoga teaches mindfulness, which can help you avoid eating unhealthy foods, control stress eating, and improve mood.
Although you can do yoga anywhere, it’s recommended to do it at home, practicing social distancing amid the COVID-19 pandemic. You can find a wide range of online tutorials on yoga.
Related- Weight Loss Tips During The COVID-19 Pandemic
Interval Training
It’s also called High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT). It involves doing intense exercises to burn more calories. Usually, a HIIT workout lasts for 10-30 minutes.
According to a study on 9 active men published in 2015, HIIT helped in burning 25-30 percent more calories per minute. Researchers compared HIIT with cycling, weight training, etc.
You can choose any exercise for interval training, such as running, cycling, etc. For instance, run hard for the first 30-60 seconds, and then at a slow pace for 2-3 minutes. Repeat the process for 10-30 minutes per training session.
How Much Should You Exercise?
Well, it depends on the results you want. However, some experts recommend doing some form of aerobic exercises for at least 20 minutes per session 3 times a week. More is better. Doing just 15 minutes of moderate exercise such as walking daily can help you burn 100 extra calories.
However, you need to exercise regularly to stay active. According to the CDC, for adults, it’s recommended to do at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity a week. This becomes 30 minutes a day, for 5 days a week. Additionally, adults should do muscle-strengthening activities for at least 2 days a week. They should work on major muscle groups, such as hips, back, chest, shoulders, etc.
For older adults, it’s necessary to do activities for improving body balance, such as standing on one foot along with moderate-intensity activities and muscle-strengthening exercises.
However, before you incorporate exercise in your daily routine, talk to your online weight loss doctor. This is important, especially if you are experiencing heart disease, lung disease, diabetes, arthritis, etc.
Final Thoughts
Exercising can help burn calories, thus losing weight and managing related health issues effectively and naturally. Medical studies show that aerobic and weight training exercises are proven beneficial in losing weight. Exercising can help reduce stress, anxiety, and depression, thus promoting overall wellness.
Talk to a professional online weight loss doctor to design a customized exercising plan to get in shape. Now, with telemedicine, you can see a licensed doctor online to get professional help for weight loss. Here’s the complete process-
- Sign up an account
- Talk to a licensed doctor online
- Payment authorization
- Receive a PDF prescription letter in the email