Overview
Exercise is an important aspect of any weight loss regimen. Exercise burns calories and builds muscles that further increase the number of calories burned even when you are resting. It is important to include both aerobic and strengthening exercises in any healthy fitness routine, notes the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Significance
In addition to reducing caloric consumption, to lose weight you must increase exercise. There are 3,500 calories in one pound of fat. Exercise routines such as running, aerobics and kickboxing for 30 to 45 minutes can burn about 500 calories per day, resulting in one pound a week of fat loss. To lose more, adjust calories and increase exercise accordingly. Mayo Clinic doctors report that regular exercise habits also help to maintain a proper weight once it has been achieved.
Effects
Various exercises burn different amounts of calories. The number of calories burned during each exercise depends on the workout’s intensity as well as the weight and body composition of the woman exercising. A 160-pound woman doing high-impact aerobics burns about 500 calories in an hour. A 240-pound woman doing the same exercise routine can burn as many as 760 calories in that hour. Jogging at 5 miles per hour burns about 700 calories an hour in a 200-pound person. That same person could burn as many as 1,200 calories running at 8 miles per hour.
Time Frame
The amount of time required to spend exercising in order to lose weight varies with the intensity of the workout. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that healthy adults perform moderate aerobic exercise for two hours and 30 minutes per week, or 30 minutes a day for five days. Intense workouts can reduce the time needed for exercise to just 15 minutes five days a week. Intense aerobics can nearly double the amount of calories burned in the same period of time.
Types
Muscle-building exercises should be performed at least twice a week. Choose a variety of exercises to work all the major muscle groups. Strengthening routines include resistance machines and lifting free weights. Exercise programs that include using the body as resistance also build muscles. Body resistance exercises include push-ups, squats and lunges. Workout routines can include exercise on a stability ball, kettlebell routines, resistance bands and isometrics. Many sports, such as swimming, kickboxing, basketball and rowing provide both aerobic and muscles-building benefits.
Misconceptions
Women do not have to worry about excessive bulking up with muscle-building exercise routines, but need the workouts for tone and appearance as well as to raise metabolic levels. Women are not genetically disposed to building large, bulging muscles through weight lifting without the use of supplements. Instead, women increase their resting metabolism by increasing their lean muscles mass with regular strengthening routines. Many people are under the impression that the larger they are, the slower their metabolism, report doctors at the Mayo Clinic. In fact, larger women require more energy and thus burn more calories even in a resting state.
About this Author
Linda Ray is an award-winning journalist who’s spent more than 20 years doing in-depth research and reporting on trends in health care and fitness for newspapers and magazines, including the “Greenville News,” “Success,” “Verve,” and “American City Business Journals.” In addition to sports and alternative therapies, Ray has extensive experience covering banking, commercial development and people. Ray has a bachelor’s degree in journalism.
