Weight Loss Exercise

Exercise is one of the most effective solutions for a long-term weight loss program. Apart from maintaining a balanced diet, regular and graded exercise schedule is necessary for weight loss. But before starting any weight loss program it is necessary to set up a realistic goal so as to prevent yourself from overexerting your body.

Exercises give the best possible outcome when they are personalized depending on what suits the individual body type and what each person wants from exercising; burning fat, losing weight or gaining fitness. Exercises range from aerobic to anaerobic to cardiovascular. The best exercises for burning calories and weight loss are the cardiovascular exercises while aerobic exercises are considered the best possible exercises for weight loss.

Exercises can burn a significant amount of fat calories. Intake of restrictive calories in combination of graded exercise schedule can activate fast weight loss. Studies have also shown that exercise subdues their appetites and that a gradual change to healthier eating habits evokes a positive and lasting lifestyle change.

Cardiovascular Exercises:
Cardio vascular exercises leads to a stronger cardiovascular system which means more capillaries innervating muscles delivering more oxygen to each body cell enabling them to burn more fat during both during exercise and recess. The best cardio exercise works the body harder at slightly higher intensity encouraging more calories to be burned to work the body towards the higher end of the target heart rate.

This develops a greater physical fitness because the heart, lungs and the whole cardiovascular system must adapt to become stronger. Although cardio exercise burns more calories, it tends to burn a higher percentage of carbohydrates than fat. But a person with a resting heart rate below 60 beats per minute may eventually burn a greater amount of fat even during an intense cardio exercise workout.

Cardiovascular exercises involve the basic functioning of important organs like the lungs, heart and the cardiovascular system. Therefore, they should be performed only under the guidance of experts so that target heart rate zone is monitored during exercise to keep within accurate and safe limits. The best cardio exercise is one which keeps the heart rate at about 80% of maximum for at least 15 minutes and causes moderate sweating. Some of the best and most practiced cardiovascular exercises are:

• Swimming - a supreme cardio-vascular workout. It helps in a symmetrical toning of all the body parts. 30 minutes of swim at least thrice a week can take part of the cardio part. But workout should begin at a slower pace gradually increasing the duration and speed.
• Running or jogging – improves cardiovascular fitness, promotes endurance and stamina. It also stimulates the naturally dormant chemical tranquilizers – the endorphins in the body, which calm the mind.
• Walking - is of all the best and the most inexpensive cardio exercise. Start at a slow pace and increase your duration and speed with time.

The benefits of cardiovascular exercises are far from many. It is very efficient in burning fat at lower intensities leading to weight loss. It increases stamina and build higher energy levels thus helping in quick revitalization after a workout. It also proves to be very effective in coping with day-to-day stresses and strains, reduced mood fluctuation and depression.

Aerobic Exercises:
Aerobic exercises are claimed to be the most beneficial for initiating a successful weight loss. Since aerobic exercises use continuous, rhythmic activity of large muscles in the legs and buttocks to strengthen your cardiovascular system, which in turn increases oxygen intake and heart rate thereby making it the most effective form of weight loss exercise.

A regular aerobic exercise program can help you avoid chronic diseases such as heart disease, hypertension, stroke, diabetes, fight depression and most importantly facilitate weight loss.

Aerobic exercise includes walking, running, hiking, bicycling, swimming, cross-country skiing, stair climbing, rowing, aerobic dance and many other activities. It has been found that, a low to moderately intense rate of aerobics of long duration is more efficient in burning fat than a shorter span of high intensity aerobics.

Anaerobic Exercises
The term Anaerobic is referred to as an activity - ‘without air’ or ‘without oxygen’. It doesn’t mean truly without oxygen but that, oxygen cannot meet the demand of the activity. Anaerobic exercise uses muscles at higher-intensity and a high rate of activity for a shorter-duration. During the anaerobic phase, energy is released and made available to muscles by converting immediately available sugars in the blood to lactic acid and the point at which lactic acid starts accumulating in the blood is called AT or Anaerobic Threshold.

The anaerobic threshold (AT) is the exercise intensity at which lactate or lactic acid starts accumulating in the blood stream. This happens when it is produced faster than it can be metabolized. This point is also referred to as the lactate threshold. When exercises are done below the required AT intensity, the body do not accumulate the lactic acid that are produced by the muscles. The anaerobic threshold is a useful measure for deciding exercise intensity for training and racing in endurance sports like cycling, swimming, rowing and marathon.

Anaerobic threshold can be achieved and improved by exercising and shows different parameters for different sports. But a person's anaerobic threshold will never exceed their VO2max - the point at which their body cannot supply any more oxygen to the muscles. An ideal training level can be achieved only by exercising at your lactate point or anaerobic threshold. Physiologically, threshold training stresses on more oxygen to be used by muscle cells so as to produce less lactate. Your body also becomes better at clearing lactate. This is because lactic acid contributes to muscle fatigue and must be burned up by the body during a recovery period before another anaerobic bout of exercise can be attempted.