Is this the question you frequently ask your physical trainer or your friends. Well the answer is simple- do the exercise you enjoy most.

Sure an hour in the treadmill will burn calories but what is the point of suggesting it, if you are not going to do it.

So select an exercise which you would enjoy doing the most. May be you can opt for swimming, biking, walking or any physical activity which you like to do.

The two common factors that stop people losing weight by way of exercising are – injury and boredom.

When does weight loss occurs

Weight loss is nothing but creating a calorie deficit. To lose weight you need to burn out more calories than you intake by way of food. The best exercise to lose weight is one, that helps you shed more calories and caloric burn is achieved by increasing the body’s metabolism.

The important thing to consider is the after burn effect of each exercise. Each exercise helps your body lose different amount of calories after you finish your exercise. The two most common types of exercises are cardio and resistance training.

Cardio exercise:

Most physical trainers suggest cardio exercises to be the best exercise to lose weight. Cardio is a short form of cardiovascular and it literally means the heart.

The cardio exercises increase your rate of heartbeat and makes your lungs strong.

These exercises require continuous oxygen supply to your muscles and your heart responds by pumping out oxygen and keeping pace with the intensity of the exercise.

Some of the popular cardio exercises include walking, biking, jogging, swimming etc.

Cardio exercises are mostly done using the heart rate method. While walking hours together might reduce your weight but your heart needs to cope up with the session. So your heart rate is measured to calculate your stamina. An ideal session is 80% of your body’s maximum heart rate (the maximum number of heart beats your body can endure).

Resistance training:

Any training that involves weight moving is called resistance training. Weight lifting is the most well known form of resistance training. There are lots of other forms but the basic procedure involves using of your body to move weight.

Though the resistance training does not burn as much calories as a cardiac exercise the main advantage of this type of training is that it increases the body metabolism (It lasts up to 48 hours after the training session).

To obtain the best result one can possibly try both types of workouts in a single session allocating proper time schedule for each.

The cardio exercise will ensure you will lose calories while the resistance training will ensure your natural body metabolism increase. The combination of both types could be the best exercise to lose weight.

Steps in weight loss:

To lose one pound of fat you have to shed close to 3000 calories a day. It may seem too many but by following few simple steps you can calculate how much weight you shed by doing your exercise.

First calculate your basal metabolic rate (BMR). It is the amount of calories needed by your body to carry out its normal functions. This BMR would be the calories you need to intake through your diet program. Next calculate the calories burnt while you do your normal daily activities. A heart rate monitor will come in handy to measure the calories.

This will give you a basic idea of the normal caloric burn before you embark on your exercise plan. Now make the calculation. If the combined total of your BMR and your activity calories is less than the calories you intake then you are risking a weight gain.

How much exercise is needed for weight loss?

The answer to this question completely depends on your stamina and will power. The recommended time is 250 minutes every week but of course it will vary person to person. A beginner can generally start with 20 – 30 minutes of cardio exercise and then slowly increase the rate.

Healthy diet

Whatever might be the hours you put on the gym nothing could help you if you don’t correct your diet. Healthy diet is the key to any weight loss program. Always have an eye on the calories column the next time you go shopping for your food.

Conclusion about the best exercise to lose weight

The best exercise to lose weight is definitely a combination of resistance and cardio. Whatever might be the exercise you chose there is no shortcuts to success. Be persistent and put on the required hours day after day and make sure you have fun. Yes the best exercise to lose weight is the one you enjoy doing the most.