There are people in the world who exercise because they enjoy it. And then there are people who exercise because they want to lose weight. Hopefully, at some point during your weight loss journey, you learn to truly love exercising. But since your primary motivation is to burn fat and drop pounds, you probably want a straightforward exercise plan. You want to know exactly what you need to do to lose weight.
So it’s no wonder some people become confused by all of the exercise options out there. Should you focus on cardio? Should you focus on building strength and toning up? Which type of exercise will help you meet your goals most efficiently?
The first rule of thumb to remember is that you must enjoy (or at least not despise) whatever form of exercise you choose. After all, we want you to keep doing it! But beyond that, it’s important to choose a type of exercise that helps you progress toward the specific goals you have chosen.
Building strength and toning muscles is great for weight loss, because muscle tissue burns more calories throughout the day. In other words, adding a few pounds of muscle to your frame can actually boost your metabolism around the clock. On the other hand, cardio is best known for torching a higher number of calories during the workout itself. As you can see, the ideal exercise program would combine both types of exercise. But does the order in which you perform your exercises matter?
Some scientists would say yes. It is believed that strength training depletes your body of carbohydrates, and forces the body to tap into fat stores for energy when you switch over into cardio exercise. Therefore, if you want to lose weight, experts would say to do strength training first, and then go for a walk, run, or bike ride.
We still believe that any exercise is better than no exercise. But if you want to maximize your results, science says there is a methodical way to plan your exercise routine. For more information on nutrition, exercise, or other questions related to your weight loss plan, call our office to schedule an appointment. We specialize in medical weight loss, which uses proven scientific principles to help you reach your goals.
