Exercises for Weight Loss

When trying to lose weight it is important to choose the right exercises, which usually means finding ones that you will enjoy doing and that are the most effective. You should do both aerobic and anaerobic exercises while allowing yourself one day a week of rest.

Intensity and Duration

Any activity that gets your heart rate up and causes you to sweat is good exercise for weight loss, even if the activity might not be good on your joints. You should aim for an intensity level that keeps you in your target heart rate zone, which is between 60 percent and 70 percent of your max heart rate. Your max heart rate is 220 beats per minute (bpm) minus your age. Therefore, if you are 20 years old your max heart rate is 200 bpm and your target heart rate zone is between 120 bpm (60 percent of 200) and 140 bpm (70 percent of 200). Therefore, whether you are walking, gardening, running or skiing, as long as you stay in this zone you will be doing a "good" exercise for weight loss. Doing these same exercises below your target zone will make these exercises less effective because they won't be challenging enough to make you lose significant weight. The ideal duration for a weight-loss exercise is between 30 and 60 minutes a day, five to six days a week.

Highest Calorie-Burning Exercises

High-impact aerobics, backpacking, jogging, ice skating, using a Stair Master and playing certain sports such as basketball, football, racquetball and tennis can burn more than 500 calories in one hour of consistent movement (for a 160-pound person). These are some of the best weight-loss exercises, according to the Mayo Clinic. Swimming and using a stationary rowing machine also burn more than 500 calories an hour and, unlike these other activities, are easy on your joints. The three highest activities the clinic found where running at 8 mph, rollerblading and jumping rope.

Strength Training

Besides just doing some type of aerobic exercise, you should also do weight training to complete your weight-loss program. Weightlifting is an anaerobic exercise used to build muscle. Even a short 20 minutes a day of weights or three 60-minute full-body routines a week are enough to help you shed pounds and lower your body fat percentage. Hire a personal trainer, take a weight training class or ask a fitness professional at your gym to show you how to use the weight machines. A personal trainer is the best route to take because he or she will make sure you keep challenging your body with different exercises, which will keep your body from adapting. This will ensure a higher caloric burn per workout and faster success.