How Hard Should I Exercise to Lose Weight?

Are you confused about how difficult it is to exercise to lose weight? The truth is that low-intensity exercise, exercise of moderate intensity and high intensity exercise, play an important role in a well-designed weight loss program weight. What matters most is how to combine the three to create effective training sessions.

If you are going to put in the time to exercise, be sure to enjoy the rewards. Discover the benefits of each exercise intensity and learn to combine them to create an effective training program and safe, effective and enjoyable.

Low Intensity Exercise

Some of your daily physical activity will be classified as low-intensity exercise. If you take your dog for a walk, go for a bike ride to burn calories with the kids, or take a walk to the grocery store to pick up dinner these things could be considered low-intensity exercise. Low-intensity exercise increases the heart rate, but not to the point that you have to breathe hard. On a scale of 1 to 10, the low-intensity exercise would be between 4-6. Your heart rate during this type of activity could be between 40-60% of your maximum heart rate. You should feel comfortable enough that you can continue the activity for a long period of time.

Benefits of low intensity exercise

The value of this type of activity is low profile to do a lot of it. Low intensity training improves range of motion in your joints, reduce your stress, increase your total daily calorie consumption and provide recovery of the toughest workouts that can be scheduled during the week.

Moderate Intensity Exercise

Experts often recommend moderate exercise to improve health and weight loss. But what does it really mean? Moderate intensity could be a burden for a fit person and something completely different for someone who is new to exercise. How to tell if your training between the moderate category?

When you participate in a moderate exercise, you should feel as if you are working, but not working so hard that you need to quit smoking in the next few minutes. You breathe deeply, but not out of breath. On a scale of perceived exertion of 1-10, it should feel like you are working at a level of 6-7.

Thus, the amount of moderate activity is needed? The American College of Sports Medicine offers guidelines for the amount of moderate-intensity activity is required to achieve specific goals.

For a modest weight loss, exercising at a moderate intensity between 150 and 250 minutes per week.

For a clinically significant weight loss, you must participate in moderate exercise for more than 250 minutes per week.

If you combine diet and exercise to lose weight, exercise of moderate intensity between 150 and 250 minutes per week.

To avoid weight gain after weight loss, to participate in at least 250 minutes per week.

Sources:

Stephen H. Boutcher. "High-Intensity Intermittent Exercise and Fat Loss." Journal of Obesity October 2010.

How Hard Should I Exercise to Lose Weight?