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While beginning an exercise regimen doesn’t ensure weight loss, many of us include physical activity in our routines when aiming to shed pounds. Let’s dive into what you truly need to understand about exercise for weight loss—types, duration, and its overall importance.
Exercise can (somewhat) aid in weight loss
A common saying in fitness circles is that the most effective weight-loss exercises are 'fork putdowns and plate pushaways.' While I dislike turning fitness goals into restrictive eating habits, there’s a hint of truth in this statement.
The reality is that your body weight is influenced by both your activity levels and your dietary habits. To achieve consistent results, you must address both aspects. Simply adding exercise without adjusting your diet might lead to unintentional overeating, potentially keeping your weight unchanged.
However, this is only part of the story. Technically, weight loss can occur solely by reducing food intake, without incorporating exercise. But is this approach advisable? Absolutely not. Exercise offers numerous benefits, including improved heart health, mental well-being, and maintaining functionality as you age, regardless of weight loss goals.
How exercise encourages healthier eating habits
Ultimately, exercise’s role in weight loss isn’t solely about shedding pounds but also about enhancing overall health during the process. This includes preserving muscle mass and boosting heart health, which I’ll discuss shortly. Additionally, regular exercise fosters healthier eating patterns, a more balanced approach to food, and increased energy levels.
Imagine a pair of twins who are mostly sedentary, each burning around 1,800 calories daily. One twin opts to lose weight by consuming only 1,300 calories without altering their routine. The other twin incorporates enough exercise to burn 500 calories daily, allowing them to maintain their 1,800-calorie intake. Both twins achieve a 500-calorie deficit, leading to roughly a pound of weight loss per week. But are their outcomes truly the same? Not exactly.
Who will have more flexibility in their diet to include protein, fiber, healthy fats, vitamins, and minerals? The individual consuming 1,800 calories.
Who is more likely to enjoy their favorite dessert occasionally without eliminating it entirely during their diet? The person eating 1,800 calories.
Who can consume more carbohydrates, providing better fuel for their exercise routine? The one maintaining a 1,800-calorie intake.
While both twins maintain a 500-calorie deficit, making their approaches numerically equivalent, their experiences will differ significantly.
The most crucial exercise for weight loss: strength training
If you’re limited to one type of exercise during weight loss, I’d argue it shouldn’t focus on calorie burning. Instead, prioritize strength training.
This encompasses any activity aimed at increasing strength and muscle mass. While weightlifting at a gym is the most common example, strength-building exercises can also involve other equipment or even no equipment at all. For instance, here’s a list of 12 bodyweight exercises that effectively build strength, especially when basic moves like pushups and air squats become too easy. Generally, if you can perform more than 15 repetitions before muscle fatigue sets in, it’s time to increase the weight or switch to a more challenging exercise.
The goal isn’t just endurance (which isn’t the focus of strength training). Instead, it’s about encouraging the body to build or at least maintain muscle mass.
When losing weight, the aim is typically to shed fat, but muscle loss often accompanies it. Losing muscle increases the likelihood of regaining weight and makes other forms of exercise more difficult—strong legs are better for running than weak ones. Additionally, it can weaken everyday functional abilities. Muscle loss is particularly concerning for older adults, but strength training can help mitigate or even reverse this decline.
How much strength training is ideal during weight loss?
Train at least twice a week.
Target all major muscle groups, including upper and lower body, with both pushing and pulling movements.
Complete a minimum of three sets per exercise, with 5 to 15 reps per set. By the final set, you should feel near your limit (perhaps able to squeeze out one or two more reps at most).
These guidelines align with the general exercise recommendations everyone should follow. If you love strength training and want to go beyond the minimum, that’s fantastic! These are just the basics.
The second key exercise for weight loss: low to moderate-intensity cardio
As demonstrated in the twins example, exercise can burn enough calories to expand your daily calorie allowance. While exercise isn’t strictly required to create a calorie deficit, it certainly makes the process easier.
Studies indicate that regular exercisers find it easier to lose weight and maintain their weight loss compared to those who don’t exercise. For instance, this study required participants to burn 400 or 600 calories per supervised cardio session, five times weekly, without dietary restrictions or advice. Most participants lost weight, averaging around 10 pounds over 10 months. In contrast, non-exercising participants ended the study nearly the same weight as when they started.
That said: Burning that many calories five days a week requires significant time and effort. We’re looking at approximately 45 to 60 minutes daily at a low to moderate intensity (the study participants worked at 70-80% of their max heart rate, or within heart rate zones 2 and 3).
Low to moderate-intensity exercise is ideal for weight loss because it minimizes fatigue (allowing for more exercise without exhaustion) and doesn’t trigger hunger as intensely as high-intensity workouts. For beginners, walking qualifies as cardio. As fitness improves, consider transitioning to jogging, cycling, or similar activities.
How much low to moderate-intensity cardio is ideal for weight loss?
Begin by slightly increasing your current activity level and build from there.
First, aim for the standard guideline of 150 minutes per week (about 30 minutes, five times weekly), then consider progressing to 300 minutes per week (about an hour, five times weekly).
If those targets seem unattainable, do what’s manageable for you.
Target “zone 2-3” intensity—it should feel challenging but not overwhelming. The idea of sustaining this intensity for 45 minutes should evoke a mindset of “Let’s do this,” not “This is unbearable.”
This low-intensity exercise doesn’t need to be your only activity. If you enjoy sprint intervals, sports, power yoga, or anything beyond these recommendations, go ahead! Just keep in mind that low-intensity exercise is a highly effective way to burn calories while maintaining energy levels and avoiding excessive hunger.
The least effective exercise for weight loss: HIIT
I’ll make a statement that might seem controversial, though most credible fitness experts would likely agree. HIIT is overhyped.
HIIT, or high-intensity interval training, is often marketed as a time-efficient way to boost aerobic fitness, at least temporarily. While the concept is intriguing, the term HIIT has been misapplied to many workouts that don’t truly qualify. Even authentic HIIT isn’t a miracle solution for weight loss and shouldn’t dominate your exercise routine.
HIIT is essentially the opposite of the low-intensity cardio I mentioned earlier. It’s too exhausting for extended sessions and isn’t suitable for daily use. If you’re overdoing HIIT and feeling drained, that’s the reason. Additionally, it can increase hunger for some people, offsetting its calorie-burning advantages. (That said, individual responses vary, so experiment to see if hunger becomes a problem for you.)
Worse yet, HIIT can leave you so fatigued or sore—especially after a fake-HIIT session—that you might skip strength training altogether. This means HIIT not only falls short as cardio but can also hinder other crucial workouts.
That said: If you enjoy HIIT or are drawn to its aerobic benefits, you can incorporate some into your routine. Just don’t rely on it as your primary workout. Many runners follow the 80/20 rule: 80% of workouts should be low intensity, while the remaining 20% can include higher-intensity sessions. And no, HIIT won’t negatively spike your cortisol—that’s a completely separate myth.
