What is the Best Exercise to Lose Weight?

Nowadays everyone seems to want to shed a few pounds. There are ads in magazines, newspapers, on television and online promising flat stomachs and fast results. They promote everything from exercise equipment to shakes and pills. Doctors and nutritionists everywhere say that our increasingly sedentary lifestyles are leading us to obesity and other health problems. So what is the best exercise to lose weight? Here are four exercises that have been recommended by trainers and health specialists for years.

Swimming

Swimming is a great way to achieve a full body workout and allows you to burn up to 800 calories an hour. Doing a few laps in the pool engages almost every muscle and is a great aerobic workout. Specialists especially recommend swimming for those with injuries or obese people because it is a very low impact workout. So if your overweight and have joint problems, swimming as opposed to running, which can put a lot of pressure on your joints, is an excellent choice for your routine. Also, this is a great workout for those who have a particular distaste for sweating. Some experts say a swim in the morning activates your metabolism, so you burn more calories throughout the day.

Bicycling

This is another fantastic aerobic exercise that has the potential to burn up to 1000 calories per hour (depending on how fast you can go). If you enjoy the outdoors, biking on a rugged trail or around your neighborhood is a great way to enjoy the sunshine. If you're finding it difficult to tear yourself away from your shows in the evening, set up a stationary bike in front of the television to keep yourself entertained while you burn calories. If you need some leadership and group encouragement to keep you motivated, most gyms offer spinning classes. If you can't find time in your day, maybe biking to work instead of driving is easier to schedule in. Bicycling is an exercise can be incorporated into almost anyone's lifestyle.

Brisk Walking

Some people underestimate the effectiveness of walking, and few would name it in as the best exercise to lose weight fast. But many of us simply do not walk enough in our day. For more and more people, the furthest walk is from their front door to the car. Take time in your day to walk. Explore your own neighborhood on foot or find hiking trails in your area to shake things up. Walking with music sometimes helps to make the time more enjoyable. Walking, like swimming, is low impact exercise for those with injuries or joint pain. Best of all, unlike equipment and gym fees that may be required for swimming or biking, walking is free!

Weight Training

Resistance and weight training has always been the workout of choice for men who want to bulk up, so many women tend to shy away from this activity, fearing they will end up looking like a bodybuilder. The truth is weight training is a great way for both sexes to achieve a lean healthy shape. Everyone knows lifting weights builds muscle, but what most people don't know is that if you increase muscle mass, you increase your resting metabolism. This means your body is still burning calories when you are not active. Research has even indicated that consistent weight training can increase your metabolism by 15%. This can mean your body is burning up to 300 more calories in a day.

So what is the best exercise to lose weight? Luckily, there are multiple options. The most important part of exercise is the motivation to keep going. Find an exercise you actually enjoy. If you hate running, try swimming. If you have a phobia about the gym, try walking in the park or biking on trails among nature. Some exercises you can even do at home. With our lifestyles centered around cars, elevators and easily prepared foods, it's no wonder the obesity rate is higher and higher every year. It's up to you to break away from this trend and get your blood pumping and your body in better shape.