New Year’s resolutions are starting to fizzle out, but most people still have plenty of pounds that need losing. When it comes to hitting the gym, or sticking to that diet, or avoiding those wonderful, tasty treats, there are a couple of stumbling points that seem to keep getting in the way.
Having a Plan
The first problem is that many people simply don’t know what to do at the gym. It can be a bit overwhelming to step into the average facility and stare around at all the equipment and everyone else who seems to know exactly how many reps to do and how much weight to lift. This usually results in gym wandering, which is basically just stumbling around, doing exercises that seem fun or interesting for a little while and basically nothing else.
The simple cure is to go in with a plan. Focus on the activities that will have the greatest effect and stick to them. Here are five of the most effective exercises for weight loss.
- Running: While most people think they’d rather die than run, the fact still remains that cardio is the best way to lose weight by burning fat. Walking is also a great way to get your heart pumping, but you should walk fast and possibly at an incline. The goal is to get your heart rate up a little higher, so you can also burn your calories rather than let your body store them as unwanted fat.
- Kickboxing: A fun way to switch things up is by taking kickboxing lessons. This doesn’t even feel like exercising because it is so much fun! Instead of standing in place on a treadmill and getting bogged down in a monotonous routine, these classes can help get your heart pumping and even give you a feeling of being empowered. A lot of toning can also occur through all the kicking and punching that you do, and this, in turn, can lead to even more fat loss.
- Spinning: These classes are hard, but they can give you a really great work out without the same strain on the joints. This low impact option won’t be for everyone, but if you are looking for a change in your routine or a great way to lose weight, this may be it. The average amount of calories burned in an hour class is over 800, which is definitely an efficient use of your time. You don’t have to take a class in order to get a good work out on a stationary bike (just using one consistently is still a good workout), but taking one or two classes can really help you to know the best way to get a good burn.
- Weight Lifting: The thing that a lot people overlook in their efforts to shed pounds is lifting weight. This is so important because muscle helps get rid of fat, even when you may not be doing anything but sitting on the couch. Another big benefit to weight lifting is that it will tone you so that you will have a better body as they weight come off. Plus, who couldn’t use a little more strength?
- Cross-Training: Many people have heard of this type of exercising, but few know what exactly it entails. This type of training has many different exercises that tax your body to the extreme and make you a lot stronger. The entire body is incorporated into these workouts giving you a very high amount of calories burned, maximizing your weight loss. It also mixes the specific exercises you do, so your muscles won’t plateau before you reach your goal weight.
Stay Interested
The second problem that people often come across is that they just don’t know how to keep things interesting. The simple answer is to change things up every six weeks in order to try new things and prevent boredom from setting in. When you find yourself glaring at that stationary bike, dreading another hour of peddling hard but going nowhere, it’s time for a change. Choose one of the workouts above and then stick with it for four to six weeks. After you have consistently done that, change it up by picking another one and the weight loss will really be maximized.
An extremely active person, with a background in the fitness field, Nicole Stout currently works for DrVita.com. Headquartered in Las Vegas, Nevada, DrVita is a leading manufacturer and online retailer of weight loss products, diet products, probiotics and much more.
