When it comes to getting in shape and losing weight, there’s no shortage of advice. We all know about the benefits of exercise. But much of what you hear about how to lose weight is wrong. That’s not to say that exercise isn’t important for weight loss. Exercise can help jump-start your metabolism, build muscle, improve mood, boost energy levels — and the list of benefits goes on and on.
But if you are specifically looking at exercise to lose weight, you may encounter a few challenges. It’s possible that you could exercise too much andovereatas a result. Or if you don’t work out enough, you may not end up seeing results on the scale.
So how many minutes, hours or days do you need to exercise to lose weight? The simple answer is that it isn’t as simple, and it certainly isn’t the same for everyone. Read on to know more.
The best exercise to lose weight is the one you’ll actually do.
If you’re a runner or a swimmer or someone who likes moderate activity (like walking), then stick with that activity and use it as part of your plan to lose weight. You might think walking doesn’t do much for you — but you’d actually burn about 100 calories by walking one mile. Any form of activity is good for you.
Weight loss is about creating a calorie deficit
You need to be burning more calories than you take in. If you’re trying to lose 10 or 20 pounds, you can safely aim to lose 1% to 2% of your body weight per week, which comes out to 1 to 2 pounds per week. Along with your exercise routine to lose weight at home or the gym, it’s often useful to think about the proportions of food you eat at different meals. If breakfast is 300 calories, lunch is 500 and dinner is 700, try changing that around a bit so that breakfast is 400, lunch is 300 and dinner is 600.
Create an exercise routine that works for you
Wondering how many times a week you need to exercise to lose weight? If you’re more inclined to do shorter workouts, 25 to 30 minutes of daily exercise is probably best for you. By exercising every day, not only will you make it a habit that is likely to stick, you will also meet the health recommendations for weight loss. However, sometimes getting in a daily workout is just not realistic. If you exercise for fewer days during the week, each workout should be longer. For example, if you do a 60-minute workout on the weekend and two 45-minute sessions during the week, you could easily skip a few days of exercise, while still meeting the exercise guidelines for weight loss. So the short answer to ‘How often or how long do you need to exercise to lose weight’ is, it all depends on what works best for your lifestyle.