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Best Exercises for Weight Loss

Experts are saying that these are the best exercises for weight loss. Are you getting the most out of your workout?

By Rowan MarleyPublished 7 years ago 4 min read
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Weight loss isn't easy - and if we're being honest, exercise alone doesn't cut it. In order to lose weight, you will need to do both diet and exercise to get to your goal. That being said, around 20 percent of all weight loss results is based on exercise.

If you want to lose weight quickly and keep off the weight, having a routine that involves the best exercises for weight loss can help you do that. But, what are the best exercises for weight loss, anyway? Here's what experts are saying everyone who's trying to shed pounds should do.

Yoga

Did you know that stress-induced hormones like cortisol can cause you to gain belly fat and stress eat? It's true. So, the best way to ensure that you're not dealing with high levels of cortisol is to curb your stress. That's why experts regularly call yoga one of the best exercises for weight loss.

Yoga is notorious for being awesome at relieving stress, and it also has the added benefit of being able to burn calories, tone muscles, and even improve joint health. Needless to say, you should give it a shot, even if it's not quite your typical idea of exercise.

Jumping Rope

One major miscalculation people make is assuming that weights are what you need to do for weight loss. Most weight loss-inducing exercises are about burning calories, and that means that you should be focusing on aerobics rather than weight lifting most of the time.

One of the best calorie burning exercises out there is jumping rope. Studies show that jumping rope (120 skips per minute) burns as much as 990 calories per hour. In other words, this will burn calories like mad, and you can burn a single calorie in a single minute of jump rope.

Weight Lifting

Okay, this may seem counterintuitive since we just discussed how aerobic exercise tends to be better for weight loss, but it's not always that simple. Calorie burning exercises will make you lose weight right then, but in order to raise your metabolism so you continue to lose weight, you will need to build muscle.

Weight lifting builds muscle, and the thing about muscle-building exercises weight loss coaches don't tell you is that it tends to make you burn more calories throughout the day. After all, muscle takes more calories to sustain than fat.

Additionally, weight lifting gives you that toned, fit look that people love. Oh, and contrary to belief, it doesn't make women muscular and bulky. It just makes them look awesome. As a result, this is one of the best exercises for weight loss and muscle gain.

Running

Okay, let's say that you want to get a full body, calorie burning aerobic workout without spending a dime. Try running. Running burns calories to an insane level, with a maximum of 830 calories per hour for most people.

You don't need to do much in terms of investment to get the most out of your running input. Additionally, if you run uphill, you may be able to also improve your muscle building work, too. Needless to say, fitness coaches always say that this is one of the best exercises for weight loss and aerobic fitness.

Rowing Machine

Did you ever wonder why Vikings in ancient times were so strong and muscular? It probably had something to do with rowing. Rowing is one of the few exercises that provides both aerobic fitness and the opportunity to do muscle building exercises throughout your body.

A rowing machine is capable of working every muscle in your body, and burns up to 713 calories at 150 watts. For both bodybuilders and svelte physiques, a rowing machine could be king. It's both a weight loss workout and a muscle builder - and that's why gurus call it one of the best exercises for weight loss.

That being said, a rowing machine can be pretty intense as a workout. Even rowing for five minutes might be enough to make you feel the burn.

Kickboxing, Karate, Kung Fu...

There's something impressive about being trained in the martial arts. It's useful and allows you to defend yourself. That being said, you don't really see giant, flabby kung fu masters except in Kung Fu Panda. The reason why is because martial arts requires a lot of aerobic and anaerobic exercise.

You will have to do push ups to gain strength. You will have to master hard to do kicks and acrobatics. And, all of that burns a ton of calories and builds a lot of muscle. Depending on how hard you train, it's possible to burn as much as 1,000 calories in a single session.

That being said, each martial art has its own way to train people, and each art has its own fat busting exercises. Obviously, if you're looking for discipline and fat loss, it's easy to see why martial arts classes are filled with the best exercises for weight loss.

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About the Creator

Rowan Marley

Rowan Marley is a 20-year-old sports enthusiast who hails from Brooklyn. When he's not hitting up a local Zumba class, he's drinking organic smoothies. That's just how he rolls.

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