Being overweight or obese can negatively affect your health, both physically and mentally. It increases your risk for certain health issues like high blood pressure.
High blood pressure can subsequently increase your risk of heart attack, stroke, kidney problems, and even death.
In addition, obese people are mostly prone to suffering from mental health conditions like anxiety and depression.
People having a body mass index (BMI) of ≥ 30 are considered obese. Here’s the formula for getting your BMI:
BMI = kg/m2
Exercise vs. Diet
Although dieting can help you drop some unwanted pounds, so is exercising.
Depending on calorie restriction alone may not be as effective as the combination of a regular exercise and a well-rounded diet when it comes to weight loss.
Weight loss occurs when you burn more calories than you consume, and this is possible through diet and exercise.
Exercise is beneficial for achieving and maintaining a healthy weight. It boosts metabolism and maintains and increases lean body mass.
Aside from weight loss, exercise can also help prevent a heart attack by lowering cholesterol and blood pressure. It basically helps prevent the effects of certain diseases.
Additionally, it also contributes to a sense of confidence and well-being, thereby reducing one’s anxiety or depression.
How Often Should I Exercise to Achieve Weight Loss?
If you are looking to improve your health, performing some form of aerobic exercise at least 5 days a week with 30 minutes per day is ideal. Whether it is walking, jogging, or cycling, choose a cardio activity that you enjoy.
If you opt to do a vigorous aerobic activity, you can do it 3 days a week with 25 minutes per day.
However, that is just for health improvement. Combining at least 2 days of moderate exercise and 2 days of extreme exercise per week, along with a well-rounded diet, can push you forward to your weight loss goals.
Different Types of Exercise
There are different types of exercise that you can follow for weight loss. Make sure to choose the one that you enjoy and is sustainable for you.
Weight Training
Weight Training helps you build strength, improve muscle size, and reduces age-related muscle loss. It includes deadlift, chest press, shoulder press, planks, lunges, squats, and pushups.
Different body weight training improves different major muscle groups, including abs, back, biceps, triceps, calves, chest, forearms, hamstrings, quads, shoulders, and traps.
Aerobic
Aerobic exercise increases your breathing and heart rate. It includes activities like cycling, running, walking, and swimming. You can also use a fitness machine like a stair stepper, elliptical, or treadmill to work out.
Aerobic exercise improves cardiovascular conditioning, lowers blood pressure, increases HDL or "good" cholesterol, improves blood sugar control, reduces heart disease risk, improves lung function, reduces resting heart rate, and promotes weight loss.
Yoga
Yoga is also beneficial for weight loss although it is not as intense as other types of exercise. Practicing yoga can help you become more mindful of what and how much you eat, thus reducing risk of obesity.
Benefits of Exercise and Weight Loss
Physical Health
Exercising and consequently losing weight can absolutely improve one’s physical health. In fact, a 5% to 10% weight reduction has been shown in some studies to affect your health.
Weight loss can mean reduced joint pain; lowered blood pressure; decreased risks of certain cancers, diabetes, heart disease, and stroke; improved blood sugar levels, cholesterol levels, and mobility. It may also mean reduced back pain.
Mental Health
Losing weight may also mean having an improved lifestyle.
In fact, people who have been successful in their weight loss journey reported better sleep quality; reduced stress; greater confidence; and improved body image, energy, mood, sex life, and vitality, as well as better and active social life.
Ways to Incorporate Exercise into Your Lifestyle
Getting out of the sedentary lifestyle doesn’t need to be an uphill battle. It’s just a matter of having the right mindset and a smart approach.
There are several simple ways to incorporate exercise into your lifestyle. By doing so, you not only improve your mood, energy, and health, but also reduce stress, anxiety, and depression. Making a few small changes to your daily routine can have a bearing.
Here are some easy ways to incorporate exercise into your lifestyle:
- cleaning the house
- playing baseball or golf on weekends
- taking the stairs instead of using the elevator
- commuting instead of driving to work or while running errands
- jogging, biking, brisk walking, gardening, or dancing during your day off
Getting Started
Before you jumpstart with the best exercise and weight loss program, make sure to speak with your doctor first, especially if you are planning to engage in intense exercise. This is particularly important if you have diabetes, heart disease, lung disease, kidney disease, and arthritis.
Those who are overweight or have just recently stopped smoking should also visit their doctors prior to starting the best exercise and weight loss program to assess their fitness level.
To get started, make sure to start slowly and intensify gradually, be creative and flexible, and listen to your body. Take a break if you feel pain, dizziness, or shortness of breath. Don’t forget to monitor your progress.
Conclusion
Appearance vs. health motives for exercise and for weight loss
Exercise and weight loss can offer a wealth of lifestyle benefits. People typically exercise to lose weight to subsequently improve their appearance, and overall health, including mental health.
Using the best app for exercise and weight loss can be helpful if you are planning to get started right now.
