low/high intensity workouts ?

needtobefitt

Hey, I have a question about what type of workout is better for weight loss.
i'm a newbie- so don't judge me

Is a low intensity workout, like speed walking better? Or a high intensity workout like running or zumba better?

I'm not talking about which burns more calories.
But lets say you walked for half an hour and burned 100 calories. You also ran for 15 minutes and burned 100 calories.
Obviously you have to spend more time doing a low intensity workout to burn the same amount of calories, but I dont care about the time.

So my question is if you were to burn the same amount of calories, would low or high intensity workouts be better for weight loss?

Dunkirk

Bump, I'd like to know too

ValerieMomof2

I might not have the popular opinion but the best exercise is the one that you will stick with and enjoy. Some people HATE to run so if you won't stick with it, it's not the right one so eat a caloric deficit, exercise in a way you enjoy and it's all good. I will go ahead and add that your exercise shouldn't be the same daily--mix it up, add resistance training a few days!

innocenceportrayed

IF high and low intensity were to burn the same amount of calories, it wouldn't matter which would be better because the calorie deficit would be the same.

I prefer high intensity because it keeps your heart rate up, burns more calories and tones (depending on what your'e doing) while you're using your body weight to do whatever exercise. However, low intensity is easier for people who have had injuries, just starting out, or are older and may have arthritis or can't move as well anymore.

Just my opinion.

BTW, slow and steady wins the race. Some people say that the faster you lose, the faster you'll gain it back.

BoertjesAn

I truly think your best exercise involves muscle and weight bearing such as weights. Cardio is great but if you build lean muscle mass you will ramp up your metabolism and continue to burn more calories. Do more weight bearing exercise and less cardio and you will see more results. If you are going to do cardio, switch between high intensity to build heart muscle and cardio strength and then do some low intensity cardio such as walking.

Azdak

Hey, I have a question about what type of workout is better for weight loss.
i'm a newbie- so don't judge me

Is a low intensity workout, like speed walking better? Or a high intensity workout like running or zumba better?

I'm not talking about which burns more calories.
But lets say you walked for half an hour and burned 100 calories. You also ran for 15 minutes and burned 100 calories.
Obviously you have to spend more time doing a low intensity workout to burn the same amount of calories, but I dont care about the time.

So my question is if you were to burn the same amount of calories, would low or high intensity workouts be better for weight loss?

You don't have to choose one or the other. In most states, it's legal to do both. Both play a role in maintaining a balanced, effective fitness and weight loss program.

GODfidence

Higher intensity.
Walking 2.5 mph is not going to strengthen your heart like
Running 5.5,6,6.5,mph or interval training will.

needtobefitt

of course i do both, and i mix it up, but in general which is better?

castelluzzo99

I'm quoting from Eat More Weigh Less by Dr. Dean Ornish. He's quoting a study.

In fact, moderate exercise may be even *better* than intensive exercise for losing weight. For example, Dr. John Duncan divided 102 sedentary women into three groups. Each group was asked to walk three miles, five days per week. One group walked three miles in thirty-six minutes, one group walked that distance in forty-six minutes, and one group strolled the same three miles in one hour. To the surprise of many, he found that the strollers lost more weight than the women in the other two groups. In other words, those who walked slower lost more body fat than those who walked the same distance but faster.

Why? The *number* of calories they burned was the same, but the *type* of calories varied. For short, intense exercise, your body tends to burn carbohydrates, because it takes less time to convert carbohydrates into glucose, your body's fuel. Longer, slower exercise gives your body a chance to use body fat as fuel.

(*around words* indicate italics, and the reference in the back is J. J. Duncan, N. F. Gordon, and C. B. Scott, "Women walking for health and fitness. How much is enough?" Journal of the American Medical Association, 1991, 266(23):3295-9.)

I have heard that HIIT is good for weight loss too. But as several have said, figure out what you enjoy and do it. If you don't have an hour a day to walk 3 miles, find something else you can do that you do enjoy. I like exercise videos or a plan laid out that says "do this and then this, etc." Some people like the gym. A fitness coach is great if you can afford it. I'm also liking the challenges I'm getting here (pushups, for instance).

And yes, build muscle to boost your metabolism. Good luck!

needtobefitt

@castelluzzo99 thank you! your answer was very helpful

SteelySunshine

I have arthritis, fibromyalgia, and probably a few other things. So, it's low intensity for me. I walk up to 3 times a day for a total of 2-3 hours. I get as much a burn as someone doing high intensity aerobics, of course it takes a lot longer.

castelluzzo99

@castelluzzo99 thank you! your answer was very helpful

You're welcome! Glad I scanned through that book recently, or I might not have remembered that detail.