Best exercise for losing extra weight

[LinguistixDE]

I was wondering what exercise you all consider is the best for losing extra weight, such as; bicycle riding, walking, etc. Thanks bunches :hamster:

[zoebird]

any. just do intervals of any of them.

[KDB]

being vegan I don't have excess body weight problems, thus I never have to work out at all :cool: maybe I just don't know enough vegetarians, but those I do know are all rather slim, maybe even too skinny :think:

[DJ Nitro]

lifting is really great for weight loss as it ups your muscle mass and therefore your metabolism. I've never found cardio to be that helpful in the weight loss department.

Check out www.bodyforlife.com

I have been following the program for about 3 weeks and am seeing good results.

[Tuffenoughtoroc]

Yoga. It's less stressful on your body, and helps you gain control and build muscles you thought you never had! Really helps to shed pounds too.

[anniexveg]

i go to the gym every day and do 1/2 hour of cardio. i've lost almost all of the extra weight i had. you can really go 3 or 4 times a week and see results. if you don't belong to a gym, just go biking once or twice, and then take a few brisk walks a week, i'm sure you'll lose the weight. i hope so anyway! good luck. :)

[John Olexa]

Any of them. The idea is consistency. try to get a routine and stick with it.
Anything that get the heart rate up for a period of time works..

[Gymmie]

lifting is really great for weight loss as it ups your muscle mass and therefore your metabolism. I've never found cardio to be that helpful in the weight loss department.

YRMV but when I lost my original weight all I did was cardio and totally reshaped my body (from a 22/24 to a 6/8 weighing 40 pounds MORE than I did when I was my previously smallest size of a 9/10).

But this time around, I'm combining cardio and weights. Previously I just couldn't find anything I liked so when I lost my original weight I never did any weights. But this time I have some weight workouts I enjoy and Billy is making resistance workouts as well.

[Bios]

I like biking. It doesn't feel like you're doing it *forever* if you do it for an hour (I can't say the same for a treadmill or lifting) and you can burn a ton of calories without stressing your joints. Thumbs up on the lifting occasionally too though, because holding bone mass and increasing muscle mass is a big plus.

[Marie]

The best thing to do is anything you enjoy doing.

[jeezycreezy]

In the past I have only ever had luck losing weight by jogging. I hate jogging.

Lately increasing my weights and cutting back on carbs helped me lose ten pounds and get to my ideal weight without having to do excess cardio (I only walk briskly for an hour twice a week and go for an hour-long bike ride once or twice a week).

When I say low carb people seem to think I'm saying no carbs. I just cut back on rice, potatoes, pasta, etc. and eat more veg, proteins and healthy fats. That's all.

If you drink pop or consume anything with sugar or glucose-fructose, etc, don't.

It's the first time I've lost weight without starving myself and coughing up a lung jogging.

Plus I seem to have more balanced energy levels and I'm not as hungry all the time.

I'm basically doing a vegan version of The Abs Diet.

Hope that helps. :)

Cheers!
TJ

[Blue Plastic Straw]

I'm with Marie on this one. The best exercise for losing weight is the one that you will continue to do consistently. Sure, you can take up jogging or biking, but if you don't like those activities you're not going to keep doing them.

For me, the activity I love is swimming. It doesn't seem like exercise to me and it is something I look forward to, rather than dread. I haven't found that with any other activity besides weight training.

[bstutzma]

I like using an eliptical machine. I try to use one 30 minutes 3-4 times a week. I walk every day for at least 30-40 minutes too. But really, you won't lose weight unless you reduce caloric intake.

[Blue Plastic Straw]

being vegan I don't have excess body weight problems, thus I never have to work out at all :cool: maybe I just don't know enough vegetarians, but those I do know are all rather slim, maybe even too skinny :think:

Two points:

1. vegan doesn't equal thin - vegans come in every shape and size, just like the rest of the population.

2. thin doesn't equal healthy

[peaches87]

From what I know, running is the most efficient of common cardio activities(biking, swimming, running) in burning calories. If you are looking to lose body fat, adding more cardio is definitely the way to go. Strength training can also be beneficial as it allows you to gain muscle, and the more muscle you have, the more calories you burn at rest.

Hope this helps.

[Gita]

Walking is good if you do it fairly fast. Walking with some sort of a pack, or a backpack with some stuff in it through hills is better. You use about 100 calories every mile. Its easy on you, and a mile on average only takes 10-12 minutes to walk. It is a perfect exersise for the lunch hour.

[Peaches]

Dancing works well for me.

I do DVD's that include Ballet, Salsa, Jazz, Tap, Strip (Carmen Electra), Hip Hop, and Irish Dance. I really like dancing because after the workout it feels like I just went to the club or something. It's fun and that's key for me to countinue working out...I mean dancing. :lol:

[Marsh]

Cardio, cardio, cardio. Walk/run, bike, whatever you'll enjoy doing to get your heart rate up to a certain point (dependent on your age) for at least 30 min. several times a week + weight training. (But more importantly, watching your caloric intake!)

[kale]

something to add:

Do you live in a rural or urban setting?

Because I was going to suggest ditching your car most of the time (if you have one). Then, you walk or bike everywhere....

This is what I do (I have no car for financial, lack-of-desire, and enviro-hippie reasons, and actually chose my apartment based on the fact that i can walk everywhere, including to work and for groceries).

With this, it just becomes part of your life...I walk at least 30 mins a day without ever thinking about exercise, because it's my mode of transportation to and from work. If I run errands or go out with friends, that number shoots up!

Just an idea, if your living situation allows for it :D

[Tesseract]

I'm not so sure about yoga. Maybe if you do power yoga, but I've been doing regular yoga for a while, and whlie it's clearly good for you, and I highly recommend, I don't really think it's been helping me lose weight.

Pilates, done correctly, is an excellent fat-burning and toning activity. And there's a lot of focus on the muscles in those areas in the middle of the body that tend to get flabby.

[treybo]

yoga can be extremely beneficial if done at strategic times. using it to downstretch can supercharge your recoveries. during times where u may have to sit for long periods, taking a sun salutation break can get your blood moving, help you hold your muscle tone, keep your breathing deep and full, and helping your digestion move (allowing you to have a better sense of hunger). also, a quick practice before a walk or bike ride can comfortably jump start your limbs for action. certainly, if nothing else, it will increase your overall capacity for exercise!

to the op; as kale said. incorporate exercise in your daily travels if you can! it will help you get to your locations with energy, get sun, get air, help the enviro, and boost confidence.

:]

[binx bolling]

i have to chime in with with treybo and kale. it may not be possible given you living sitch, but if it is, it's totally an easy way to get more cardio without really having to set aside time to go to the gym, etc. i personally hate (HATE) going to the gym, and prefer to try and exercise outside whenever possible, but i've found that even just walking for basic transportation and kind of working my life around that wherever possible has caused me to lose a bit of weight by itself. if you're in a more rural setting (i.e., i live in nyc and worry i'd get run over by an MTA bus or an errant cab on my bike, so i walk), biking might work better for you, but your mileage may vary, as they say. anyway.

now, if i could only give up the evil high fructose corn syrup, which is surely quietly killing us all...

[Thalia]

First, the best exercise is the one you are going to do consistently. But I agree with integrating it into your life. Walking to work has really helped me to lose weight this year.

But also remember any time you lose weight, you will lose some muscle as well, so to try to counter that, weight lift so you can permanently boost your metabolism. And not just teeny tiny weights or floor exercises. Get a book with real weight exercises. I've been using books from the body sculpting bible series and I also really like the Joyce Vedral books. Vedral's books have some dated pictures, but she has many books with different kinds of workout plans that can be modified to be easy or difficult, and they work all the muscles, not just say, the butt or the abs. Weights also help build bone mass. Since I started with weights, I've seen faster reduction in my body fat percentage, in addition to weight loss.

[DieselAmy]

I learned to row in college--provides great cardio and strength training all at the same time. I didn't do much exercising for several years after college, but last year I joined a local rowing club. For the same price as a gym membership I now have an enjoyable activity that I actually DO (I don't like going to the gym much). Most clubs also have classes so you can learn how to do it properly without joining the club itself.

We are getting into racing season and that really keeps me going! I like racing against other people, and as you get older, they just handicap your time anyway! It's fun to pit your club against another club and win medals, all while being informal enough to do it a couple times a week around my work/volunteer schedule.

Rowing machines (Concept II anyway) also provide great exercise. They are in many gyms, but most people use them the wrong way. Take time to find out how to do it right so it's effective and you don't get hurt.

[kathym]

I agree with the person that said dancing. A year or so ago I was on the Hula Dance kick and lost a lot of weight and it was fun but hard because your legs stay slightly bent the entire dance. Now I'm on the Latin Dance Exercise kick and loving it. Not only am I having fun but I can really see results in areas that my running doesn't touch. Just throw in an Enrique Englaise CD in the privacy of your own home and go for it!