Proven Weight Loss Exercise Programs
Almost all overweight individuals are searching for killer weight loss exercise programs. There are so many alternative programs out there that you could waste weeks on a program, only to discover that it’s not for you. With the fast-paced of our modern lifestyle, who really has that kind of time to waste? This post outlines a couple of popular weight loss exercise programs that hopefully, might be suitable for you.
The most basic exercise program is one that you design yourself. A self designed exercise program offers the ultimate in flexibility, since you can customize it according to your needs, goals, and schedule. For example: You know that you work on the 4th floor of the office building so you know that you can take the stairs rather than the elevator to get some extra exercise. Designing your own exercise program takes requires some research, however.
In order to create a personal workout program, you need to understand how exercise affects the body. Obviously, you shouldn’t go easy on yourself – the less challenging your exercise program, the less fat you’ll burn, and the less weight you’ll lose. What people don’t realize, though, is that you shouldn’t overwork your body either. Exercising too strenuously may lead to physical injury or reduce the overall productivity of the workout. Particularly if you experience extreme hunger after your workout and you decide to snack on a chocolate bar or whatever… bad news, you just reversed the good effect of the workout.
Your personal weight loss exercise program should include both cardiovascular exercise and resistance training (weights). Cardio exercise could be a simple outdoor jog, 15 minutes on the treadmill, or even a video aerobics lesson. Cardiovascular exercise elevates your heart rate which increases the rate at which you burn calories and fat. Resistance training includes weight lifting and activities like pushups, pull-ups, squats and crunches. Resistance training increases the lean muscle content of the body. Since lean muscle burns calories at a faster rate than fatty tissue does, this also plays a vital role in weight loss. It’s your responsibility to determine the right mix of exercises to challenge you and maintain weight loss.
For those searching for a more structured exercise program, one of the most popular weight loss exercise programs is called Tae Bo. As the name suggests, this program blends martial arts and self-defense techniques with a cardivascular workout. Self defense applications of this program are very slight, but it certainly provides an excellent structured workout for you to follow at home.
Tae Bo uses basic aerobic maneuvers like jumping jacks in conjunction with a series of punches and kicks which can be very rapid. Though certain Tae Bo programs use extra aids like resistance bands to enhance the workout, these accessories are unnecessary. It can be surprising how sore your muscles can be the day after simply punching and kicking at the air!
Another highly popular exercise program is Pilates. Pilates bridges the grasp between an intense workout and relaxation, and shares certain similarities with yoga. It uses slow, deliberate movements as opposed to rapid repetitions to accomplish weight loss and muscle growth.
A major focus in Pilates is on breathing – it could even be viewed as the most important part. Even if you decide that Pilates isn’t for you, this concepts involved can be incorporated into other weight loss exercise programs. Breathing is vitally important to any exercise program. Correct breathing technique help reduce exercise induced fatigue. This allows longer workouts, which helps speed up weight loss.
