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Weight loss exercise
What types of weight loss exercise are the best? People usually think of cardio workouts - running, stationary bike, rowing machine - but a closer look at the science behind weight loss exercises suggests that strength (resistance training) may be just as effective in the short term, and even more so in the long run.
Shedding excess pounds is all about using more calories that you take in - so you need to eat a bit less and work out a bit more. However, there's another part to the equation that can make a huge difference, and that is how your lifestyle - particularly your choice of weight loss exercises - affects your metabolism.
Your metabolism simply refers to the speed at which your body burns calories. Obviously, the faster your metabolism, the easier it is to burn off fat. So what can you do to speed up your metabolism?
There are two types of workouts that will significantly speed up your metabolism:-
Resistance (strength) training
- Interval workouts
Intervals are effective because of their intensity - because they are much tougher, more intense, than a regular steady paced cardio workout, they kick the metabolism into a higher gear. The result is that you burn more calories, not just during the workout, but for several hours afterwards.
Strength training, when done with good intensity, does the same thing, but it also has a second, more profound effect on your metabolism. Each extra pound of muscle you add burns between 15 - 35 calories per hour, 24/7. So as you can see, one of the most effective ways to rid yourself of excess fat may be to add a bit of extra muscle!
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