Simply put, losing weight is just a matter of burning more calories than we eat. Combining a good nutritional plan with a physical workout will bring you excellent results in the short term. However, if you’re looking for a sustained weight loss and not to gain back the pounds you lost, you’ll probably want to continue reading.
Which is the best workout for weight loss?
There are mainly three types of workouts which, ideally, we adults should include in our everyday physical training: cardio, strength/endurance, and balance/flexibility.
All of them comply a series of specific activities that contribute, each in their own way, to maintain our health. And even if it’s not necessary to do the three of them every day, varying your physical routine will help you lose weight faster and not to gain it back so easily.
In a previous blog we’ve already talked about the benefits of cardio workouts, so now we’re going to tell you why it’s important to build your muscles doing strength-endurance training.
Cardio vs Strength and Endurance
Cardio workouts, such as jogging or cycling, have proven effective for weight loss. Unfortunately, if we only do cardio we may regain the pounds we’ve already lost: it’s true, cardio burns off our body fat, but it also makes us lose significant amount of muscle mass along with it. Therefore, it’s best to build the strength and endurance of our muscles.
Strength training builds stronger muscles and it also boosts our metabolic rate. A fast metabolism allows our body to burn off more calories while resting, avoiding thus to regain the pounds we’ve already lost.
In fact, a study from the American Physiological Society which compared cardio with strength and endurance workout found out that the combination of both trainings brings a sustained weight loss in the short term; and in the long term, it prevents us from gaining back that weight.
Benefits of strength training
- Increase and/or maintain our muscle mass.
- Build stronger bones.
- Improve our posture and balance.
- Lower risk of injuries, osteoporosis, and back pain.
- When practiced regularly, they also contribute to the health of our heart and lungs as they increase our oxygen saturation levels.
How to build muscle strength and endurance
When it comes to physical training, perseverance is what matters. The American Heart Association (AHA) recommends strength training at least twice per week if we want to improve our health. If we’re trying to avoid gaining weight back, training two or four times per week is enough.
According to health and fitness professionals, post-workout recovery is the most important phase when building muscles, since muscle growth happens while resting and not at the gym. That’s why a minimum of 48 hours of rest between sessions is ideal to allow your body to benefit the most from your training, besides combining it with a healthy eating plan and enough sleep. You’ll avoid sore muscles as well.
Remember that, even if we commonly relate strength training with gym workout, there are many other places where we can work out without spending a single penny or even going out! Try using your own body weight, resistance bands, etc.
What really matters is to be careful when exercising to prevent any injury. If you have the chance, you’d better get the advice of a fitness professional who can provide you with a workout routine specially designed for your body type and needs.
In our next blog, we’re going to explain you what is balance and flexibility training and how they help us achieve a healthier weight and a better life. And don’t forget that change is within your reach. #DecideItNow, remember this is your finest moment.