Another question I get asked frequently is: What type of exercise should I do to lose weight? My answer usually starts with something as simple as JUST MOVE! Let’s face it; if you are suffering from excess weight, chances are you live a sedentary lifestyle. So I’m happy with my patients just walking 20-30 minutes a day and if you are really motivated, download an app or buy a “step-counter” watch that will count your steps throughout the day. I guarantee you that if you walk about 10,000 steps a day you will be burning about 400-500 calories per day and believe it or not that is HUGE in terms of losing weight and staying healthy!

According to Harvard Public Health, the 4 most important types of exercise are Aerobic Exercise, Strength Training, Stretching, and Balance Exercises. Let’s go through them briefly to understand why they are important.

Aerobic Exercise is basically any type of exercise that will speed up your heart. At a steady heart rate (HR) you can burn fat! This heart rate is based on your age and typically the older you are the less speeding up of your heart rate you need to burn fat. But generally for patients between 30-50 years old then HR range to burn fat is somewhere between 120-135 beats per minute. Along with burning fat, aerobic exercise also relaxes blood vessels, lowers your blood pressure and sugar levels, and increases the good cholesterol (HDL) which helps protect your heart against heart attacks! I typically advise my patients to do about 150 minutes of aerobic exercise per week. This includes brisk walking, swimming, jogging, cycling, dancing, or something as “simple” as step marching.

Strength training is very important, especially as we get older. Why? Because as we get older, we lose muscle mass! And strength training helps us get it back. Examples of strength training include squats, push-ups, and lunges, and lifting weights. Not only does it help you gain stronger muscle, but also stimulates bone growth, lowers blood sugar, tone your body during the weight loss period, improves balance and posture, and reduces stress and pain in the lower back and joints. I typically recommend this type of exercise to my patients to do 2-3 times per week.

Stretching is another type of exercise that we may not think of it as exercise but it truly is. And as we get older, stretching can make a huge difference in our weekly routine to prevent us from “pulling a muscle” and injuring ourselves. Stretching maintains flexibility. It’s recommended that we stretch every day even if it’s just for 5 minutes before and/or after our regular exercise regimen. 

Lastly, Balance exercises will help you keep steady on your feet and prevent falls. Again very important as we get older because the senses that we rely on to keep balance like our vision, inner ear and muscle/joints tend to break down. Balanced focused exercises include tai chi and yoga but honestly just standing on one foot or walking heel to toe, with your eyes open or closed can help with balance.

Well there you have it. You can keep it as simple as JUST MOVING! Or try to combine aerobic, strength training, balance, and stretching into your weekly routine. Your body will appreciate it and you will see the excess weight start to come off! 

Contact us at 626-461-5408 or email us your contact information at [email protected] to set up your FREE consultation. Let us know if we can be of any help in your #weightlossjourney. We are here for you.