Weight Loss Exercise Programs that Focus on Fitness increases Weight Loss

It has been thought for some time now that aerobic exercises are good weight loss exercises that are helpful to the body. On the contrary, aerobic exercises are not a good weight loss exercise because they do very little to tone your body. The exercises that help tone the body while helping with weight loss are resistance exercises including weight training; this is what actually tones your body and muscles.

Both of these exercises, aerobic and resistance, are great for reducing fat and increasing muscle mass. Research shows an increase of more than 55% weight loss by combining the two types of exercising within your weight loss exercise plan.

While muscles are heavier than fat as you increase muscle mass you increase your ability to lose fat, even during rest. Muscle increases your metabolism and will help you to increase your metabolic rate. Where muscles are burning 350-500 calories a week the same amount of fat only burn 14 calories. Research has shown that having more muscle helps the body to fight disease also.

Choosing the right weight loss exercise program.

Studies show that resistance training is beneficial to everyone, regardless of gender or age. The loss of muscle in the elderly has been shown to occur from a lack of activity, not from age itself. The activity levels of people during their youth helps to keep muscle mass up. As people decrease their activity levels their muscle mass also decreases. Strength training exercises including weight lifting twice a week can keep muscles from losing mass and can even increase muscle mass and decrease fat.

Repetition using minimal weight is not advantageous. If you want to make any gains with strength training you will need to work out to muscle failure each time you work out. Push yourself to do more weight each session or at least stay with the same weight if it proves to be extremely difficult for you. If you want to have a lean, sculptured look you will have to work at it. You do not need to work out daily though. Once to twice a week is good, and you really do not need to lift weights more than three days a week. Your body needs a break between sessions to build muscle.

Just because resistance training is suggested to increase muscle mass doesn't mean you shouldn't do aerobic exercises. You need to balance both resistance training and aerobic conditioning to have optimal health. Your heart and lungs need aerobic exercise daily. A thirty-minute aerobic activity is enough. You just need to get your heart pumping and your lungs to get a workout as well.

What type of aerobic exercise do I need?

Your choices for aerobic activity can include walking, swimming, bicycling, and any other activity that increases your heart rate. If you are short on time you can increase the distance you park from your place of business and the grocery store as well as other places you visit. If you are in better condition you might want to run in a marathon or go running. It is up to you what activities you want to include in your life.

You really should perform aerobic exercises for a minimum of twenty minutes a day on at least four days each week. This is a minimum; you can do aerobic exercise daily and as your physical fitness levels increase you will find your body craving exercise.

You need to remember to do everything in moderation. A moderately intense workout is beneficial and even enjoyable in a fitness weight loss program. Training should include a warm-up session that allows your body to get ready for exercise and a cooling down period that will also let your body adapt to the changes in activity levels.

If you want to increase the speed at which you are losing weight you should include cardio. This kind of exercise increases your heart rate and lung strength while burning calories. There are many cardio workouts suggested below:

Elliptical: is a light impact exercise that helps to reduce the stress on your joints while working out. For people who are recovering from injuries this form of exercise is great.

Riding a bike: is a great way to exercise if you haven't exercised in quite a while. It is relaxing to ride a bike because you can leave the 'real world' and pedal your way to where you are going while you are getting excellent exercise benefits.

Rowing machines: are quite possibly the best cardio equipment available when it comes to building your upper body muscles as well as your back. The low-impact exercise really gets the blood pumping.

Running: can increase your fitness weight loss efforts and sheds huge amounts of calories. Running, compared to other forms of exercise, burns more calories. This is a free weight loss exercise program.

Swimming: is extremely helpful as an overall fitness weight loss exercise. The whole body gets a workout when you swim and your muscles are being built up while you are able to decrease the possibility of injury.

Walking: is a high impact exercise when you walk with a bit of spring in your step and include some arm movement. Walking can be used as a free weight loss exercise program.

A basic rule of thumb to use when deciding how much cardio and what cardio to include in your weight loss exercise routine is to remember to include at least 20 minutes of cardio daily to make sure you don't over do it. For more information on weight loss check out: www.healthfitnessweightloss.com