“What’s the best exercise to lose weight?”
Some say rowing, swimming or weight lifting, but what is it really?
Looking for the best exercise to lose weight?
Most simply put, it’s the one you will do. Whatever exercise you are able to do and stick with is really going to be the best exercise to help you lose weight. Yes, swimming burns a lot of calories, but if you don’t have regular access to a pool, that information doesn’t exactly help you lose weight.
Yes, some exercises burn more calories than others, with a greater amount of calories being burned when exercise intensity is increased. Running burns more than walking, doing anything going uphill burns more calories than doing the same thing on a flat surface, and circuit training burns more than casually lifting weights. Essentially, if you are looking to burn more calories while exercising, try increasing the intensity of the activities you already enjoy.
To give you a little bit of an idea, here is the amount of calories a 185 lbs person would burn doing 30 minutes of specific exercises, according to publications from Harvard:
- Weight lifting, general, 133 calories
- Walking, 15 mph pace, 200 calories
- Weight lifting, vigorous, 266 calories
- Hiking, 266 calories
- Roller blading, 311 calories
- Circuit training, general, 355 calories
- Rowing, stationary, vigorous, 377 calories
- Elliptical, 400 calories
- Martial arts, 444 calories
- Biking, 15 mph, 444 calories
- Running, 9 min/mile pace, 488 calories
Essentially, you get what you put in. The more intense your exercise and the greater the amount of time you are willing to invest, the greater your return will be in the form of pounds and inches lost.
To promote weight loss, at least 150-250 minutes (or 2.5–4 hours) of exercise per week is recommended. Any increase in the amount of exercise from the amount you are doing now can be beneficial. To count toward the 150-250 minutes, you must be active for at least 10 minutes straight. Strength training at least twice weekly helps promote healthy muscle mass, which also contributes to an improved metabolic rate.
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*Always consult with your medical provider before starting an exercise program.*
Written by Cassandra Towns, RDN, LDN, CD, CLC
Resources:
https://www.health.harvard.edu/diet-and-weight-loss/calories-burned-in-30-minutes-of-leisure-and-routine-activities
