whats the best exercise to help lose weight?

i have been going to the gym almost everyday. i do 30 min on treadmill. the first part is trying to see how fast i can do a mile and am at 17.33 minutes now then i finish with trying to see how much a can do in 30 min and up to 1.70 miles now. then i do the machines for between 15 25 min. i throw the elliptical in there some days for 7 to 10 min. you read that cardio is not helping the weight u are suppose to do the machines first then the other was around. i am a 48 year old and 314 lbs. i have lost 21 lbs so far but want to do the best i can with this exercise for the most benefit. any suggestions?
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Replies

  • NatashaRuz
    NatashaRuz Posts: 223
    Congrats on the life change and the weighloss!!!! :)
    No suggestions, but wanted to congratulate you :)
  • can you swim? :) I found swimming a great way to exercise without being to harsh on your body, I started off at just over 200lb and when i was running i found that the weight i was carrying was crushing my knees and i wouldn't go as fast or as far as i probably could have, i still use jogging and its great but i find when i swim for a few days consecutively for an hour each day i lose more weight, also you can take kids with you because even playing in the pool and treading water for an hour is great exercise and doesn't even feel like you're doing any work! :)

    you're doing really well, keep it up :) hope i helped :)
  • delaney056
    delaney056 Posts: 475
    Any exercise at all is better than none :)
    I would suggest, for maximum benefits, to do strength training and cardio. You can't go wrong with that combination! The cardio is great for your heart, and strength training is great for over all toning.
    It doesn't really matter whether or not you do cardio or strength first. A lot of people, myself included, choose to do strength training before cardio. This is simply because you don't want to compromise form (you risk injuring yourself) and because you're usually pretty tired after cardio and will be less inclined to do your strength training.
    It sounds like you're doing a great job at mixing up your types of exercise. Make sure you keep doing that (so you don't get bored & keep your body guessing). I used to do running/power walking and body weight exercises for my workouts, but that only worked for so long. I plateaued and got bored. Now I do Zumba for cardio, and they also have a strength training DVD I use for my legs and abs, but I still do bodyweight for my arms. The weight is coming back off!
    Also, make sure you pay close attention to your diet! Diet is the most important aspect of weight loss.
    Hope this helps! :)

    ETA: Congrats on the weight loss so far!
  • Rocking_Robin
    Rocking_Robin Posts: 238 Member
    Congrats on getting to the gym and your journey so far!! Everyone is different...you may have to experiment a bit more...I have lost 58 pounds and in the beginning my key was cardio...but I have been at it now for over a year and I am stuck somewhat...I now work with a trainer and he wants me to lift more than cardio...his reason being is lifting helps your muscles and metabolism work 24 hours after lifting...with cardio he says it is only about 3-5 hours...I used to think that a calorie burn was a burn and it didnt matter how you got it....but now that I am stuck in my weight loss I am trying his suggestions and the scale has moved the last few weeks...so the lfting may be the right thing for me. He also suggests I do a strength exercise then something to raise your heart rate like jumping jacks, burpees, Mt Climbers then another strength exercise and so on... I do strength trainer for at least an hour right now...
    I hope you find what works for you...Good Luck!
    Stay with it!!!
  • wellbert
    wellbert Posts: 3,924 Member
    The best exercise is 'fork put-downs.'
  • sillygoose1977
    sillygoose1977 Posts: 2,151 Member
    The best exercise is the one you love and find yourself looking forward to.
  • mrk34
    mrk34 Posts: 227 Member
    I believe that running is.

    Resistance training is great for improving strength and increasing lean body mass. But if you are overweight, and you want to lose weight, aerobic exercise is the better choice because it burns more calories

    According to the study published in published in the August+ 25 issue of the American Journal of Physiology, running beats weight lifting for losing weight. Aerobic exercise burned 67 percent more calories than resistance training, the researchers found.

    he study at the Duke University Medical Center compared the effectiveness of aerobic exercise (such as jogging), resistance training (such as weight lifting), or a combination of the two activities.

    Aerobic exercise significantly reduced fat and improved risk factors for heart disease and diabetes Resistance training didn't deliver these benefits. Aerobic exercise plus resistance training achieved results similar to aerobic exercise alone, the investigators found.

    The role of exercise in weight loss has been wildly overstated. When it comes to shedding pounds, it is what and how much we eat that counts most. There are certain foods we should eat and certain ones we should avoid. If you we change what eat and how eat, we will be able to lose weight.

    Physical activity (unless done vigorously like a professional athlete) is a minor component to the economy of weight loss. Exercise is great for our physical health and overall wellbeing, but it has a small effect on weight loss. The critical component is what food we eat.
  • zoe1945
    zoe1945 Posts: 21
    The best exercise to help you lose weight is one that you enjoy :) I personally do cardio first to warm up all my muscles then strength training. Just keep moving!
  • Carol_L
    Carol_L Posts: 296 Member
    Resistance training, for several reasons:

    1. Resistance training builds muscle tissue, which increases your body's energy requirements.
    2. Resistance training, done right, will strengthen your core muscles, which helps with life.
    3. Lifting heavy objects is fun :wink:

    Regular cardio is a steady state kind of exercise that makes your body efficient. As your body becomes accustomed to the activity, you require greater effort to get the calorie burn. It is when your body is inefficient that you actually have the best weight loss. The only way to do that with cardio is interval training, where you go all out for a set period, rest, and do it again for a certain number of cycles. You'll want to vary the work/rest intervals so that your body doesn't know what to expect next.
  • RhonndaJ
    RhonndaJ Posts: 1,615 Member
    Whatever exercise that I can convince myself to do.
  • SuziQueue
    SuziQueue Posts: 64 Member
    Warning - some of this may sound corny, but it's what works for me. I was told starting out that the best exercise is the one that you LIKE, because you'll actually do it. So I've done a lot of different things and determined that I love to play tennis, kayak with others, hike, mow my grass, work in my flower gardens, and I also now attend a Turbo Kickboxing class that absolutely kicks my butt but is SO fun. When you start a class like that, you won't be able to do it all when you first start, but if you stick with it you'll be able to do a little more each time and before you know it, you're rockin' it and inviting others to come with you. I also love photography in nature, so I spend time in the forest and state parks taking pics and that's good exercise too.

    Best wishes to you!
  • 47Jacqueline
    47Jacqueline Posts: 6,993 Member
    Congratulations on your weight loss.

    My nutritionist says cardio for weight loss and weight training for toning.
  • amystyran
    amystyran Posts: 84 Member
    i used to do exercise every day, and i'd lose about 1lb a week, but i've started exercising every other day and i'm losing much more! maybe having rest days, or not exercising every day might help so your body can rest? you never know! :)
  • Sherbog
    Sherbog Posts: 1,072 Member
    One that you enjoy enough to stick with.
  • Running, hands down. Most bang for your buck time wise too. What else are you totally winded and physically exerted at just a few minutes in. Burns a TON of calories.
  • I couldn't agree more with all the posters on here. Do something you enjoy. I believe riding a spin bike ranks right up there on max calories per hour worked but if you can't stand the thought of hopping on a bike then you won't stick it out an any short term gains will be lost. I am monitoring heart rate and trying to keep within my reccomended fat burning zone, it seems to be effective, I will find out for sure when I get home and hop on the scale in a couple of weeks.
  • VSgirl2010
    VSgirl2010 Posts: 145 Member
    I believe that running is.

    Resistance training is great for improving strength and increasing lean body mass. But if you are overweight, and you want to lose weight, aerobic exercise is the better choice because it burns more calories

    According to the study published in published in the August+ 25 issue of the American Journal of Physiology, running beats weight lifting for losing weight. Aerobic exercise burned 67 percent more calories than resistance training, the researchers found.

    he study at the Duke University Medical Center compared the effectiveness of aerobic exercise (such as jogging), resistance training (such as weight lifting), or a combination of the two activities.

    Aerobic exercise significantly reduced fat and improved risk factors for heart disease and diabetes Resistance training didn't deliver these benefits. Aerobic exercise plus resistance training achieved results similar to aerobic exercise alone, the investigators found.

    The role of exercise in weight loss has been wildly overstated. When it comes to shedding pounds, it is what and how much we eat that counts most. There are certain foods we should eat and certain ones we should avoid. If you we change what eat and how eat, we will be able to lose weight.

    Physical activity (unless done vigorously like a professional athlete) is a minor component to the economy of weight loss. Exercise is great for our physical health and overall wellbeing, but it has a small effect on weight loss. The critical component is what food we eat.

    I agree with the last sentence. I once read weightloss is 75% what we eat and 25% exercise. Then a couple years later it was 80% what we eat and 20% exercise. However- the running part?? I don't know. If you are more than 20 pounds over weight you can hurt your knees, hips and feet (plantar faccitis) if you run. No matter what kind of shoes you are wearing. My husband runs and has for over half his life. His experience in watching people with running is that the biggest misconception with running is people run to lose weight, when in fact you need to lose weight to run otherwise you can hurt yourself. Low impact aerobics will help your cardiovascular system for sure and burn some fat. Resistance training mixed in with it will tone and help your muscles get stronger, and that is never a bad thing :) Congrats on the life change!
  • Priincess_Natalie
    Priincess_Natalie Posts: 367 Member
    In my opinion, the best exercise you can do is the one you will stick with. If all of them interest you then do some cardio with heavy weight lifting. If there are some exercises that make you want to quit or not work out anymore than just skip them and try again with them later. Good luck :)
  • I have found that swimming laps is the right exercise for me. The right exercise for you is one that you can do and still enjoy doing it.
  • TropicalFlowerz
    TropicalFlowerz Posts: 1,990 Member
    Put on some feeeel good music and dance yur heart out,b4 ya know 30-60 mins went by!!!!
  • walking is the best exercise trust me I know. I walk almost everyday and at first i never noticed anychange but after doing it a while you will notice and it is a great way to release stress
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,993 Member
    The BEST exercise is the one(s) you'll do for life.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • lgsprs
    lgsprs Posts: 43 Member
    how do u know what your fat burning zone is
  • AmyB69
    AmyB69 Posts: 117
    Exercise that you commit yourself to doing regularly! For me, I do my stationary bike everyday for at least an hour. It's what I like and I know I'll do it. I also throw in some videos and lift weights, kettlebells,etc.
  • meshashesha2012
    meshashesha2012 Posts: 8,329 Member
    whay works for me is a mix of weight lifting, cardio and HIIT. i havent lost much scale wise, but i'm very close to having lost 4 pants sizes
  • Bump!
  • bulbadoof
    bulbadoof Posts: 1,058 Member
    Burning the most calories in the shortest amount of time isn't gonna help you if you hate doing it. The best exercise is the one you like. You're more likely to stick with it, even when you're done losing weight and move into maintenance. My personal favorite is swimming - it's also a pretty respectable burn and easy on your body in terms of soreness.
  • ronda_gettinghealthy
    ronda_gettinghealthy Posts: 777 Member
    the best is the one you will do.... for me it is biking followed by wogging and then DVD's
  • XXXMinnieXXX
    XXXMinnieXXX Posts: 3,459 Member
    HIIT... hands down for weight loss and fitness. also some strength training x
  • BNance509
    BNance509 Posts: 79 Member
    bump