Weight Loss Exercises for Long Term Weight Loss

We would suggest the ones that you will enjoy doing and are likely to stick with.

The mistake that a lot of people make is exercising to lose weight and then stopping once they've lost the weight.

Regular exercise is the key to successfully maintaining your new weight and shape for the long term.

We've gone into a lot more detail about the role of exercise for weight loss in our section on increasing your metabolism.

But here's a rundown in no particular order of some of the most effective weight loss exercises that you might want to consider.

Nine Effective Weight Loss Exercises...

A great choice and the easiest of all weight loss exercises to build into a busy schedule.

Pretty much anyone can do it. No fancy equipment needed, just a pair of decent shoes.

Remember, a stroll is no good. You need to walk briskly for at least 30 minutes.

#2. Jogging

A very effective fat burner whether out on the streets or on a treadmill in a gym.

Get a decent pair of running shoes, a pair of shorts and a t-shirt and off you go.

Start off with a 10 minute jog and build up to 30 minutes or more. Make sure you warm up and stretch before setting off.

# 3. Cycling

My personal favourite aerobic exercise. Bicycling is a great fat burner and good for building your leg muscles.

Cycling outdoors or inside on a stationary bike at a gym will give you both a good lower body and cardiovascular workout.

You may also want to try a spinning class, but start off with a beginners class as it's tough!

#4. Swimming

Not the most effective fat burner as the major muscle groups of the lower body don't get a great workout.

Swimming is not a weight-bearing exercise so doesn't confer any benefit to your skeletal structure, which is important for maintaining bone density particularly for older people.

Whilst not the most effective of weight loss exercises it does give you a great upper body workout. Check out the shoulders of top swimmers!

#5. Aerobics

Exercise to music makes exercise bearable for a lot of people so an aerobics, step or boxercise class is a good choice.

You get a good all over body workout, particularly if some light, hand held weights are used as in a body pump class.

Aerobics is good for conditioning legs, abs and arms in particular.

#6. Cross-country Skiing

This burns more calories per hour than any other exercise and is probably the best of all weight loss exercises. A great fat burner.

Unless you live somewhere snowy and can ski, try the cross-country skiing machine at the gym.

#7. Rowing

A fantastic whole body exercise that utilises all the major muscle groups. A great fat burner and muscle builder. Every gym has a rowing machine so give it a try.

#8. Stairmaster

A great aerobic conditioner and superb for leg conditioning as well. Choose the fuller leg movement rather than the small step option.

#9. Weight Training

Whilst the preceeding weight loss exercises are primarily aerobic, they will also to varying degrees help to build muscle tone and strength.

However, the best way to build muscle is by weight training.

Resistance training with weights will increase your muscle mass, which will mean your body burns more calories at rest.

Aerobic exercise is great for burning fat, but long term weight loss and maintenance also relies on having good muscle density and mass to keep your metabolism high.

Mix and Match Your Weight Loss Exercises...

If you like the routine of a 30 minute early morning jog four times a week then great, stick with it.

However, if you like variety mix it up a bit.

For instance, when I go to the gym each weight workout is slightly different and whilst stationary cycling is my favourite aerobic exercise, every now and then I'll use the treadmill or stairmaster.

Why not try 10 minutes on three different machines for your 30 minute aerobic workout?

Whatever, the key is finding things you like doing and doing them frequently and regularly. That's the only way that weight loss exercises will help you to burn fat, build muscle and stay slim and toned forever!

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