How to maximize weight loss from exercise

INCLUDE SOME STRENGTH TRAINING (TWICE A WEEK, FOREVER) In addition to cardiovascular exercise, lifting weights may help you shed pounds. In a study published in June 2021, Iowa State

researchers found that middle-aged adults who did muscle-strengthening exercises at least twice a week were 20 to 30 percent less likely to become obese over time.  Why might that be? Your

muscle mass drops about 3 to 8 percent per decade after the age of 30. And the loss of muscle really accelerates starting at age 50, Riebe says. Because fat burns fewer calories than muscle,

this decrease in strength means your metabolism slows and you burn fewer calories on a daily basis. When you lose weight, you risk losing even more muscle mass, Riebe says. Adding

resistance training to your workout regimen can help prevent that.  CONSIDER HIGH-INTENSITY INTERVALS (SLOW-TO-FAST WALKING COUNTS) One proven way to get more out of your workout is to do

brief bursts of intense exercise followed by periods of slower, less demanding work, says Stephen J. Carter,  a cardiovascular physiologist at Indiana University. Called high-intensity

interval training or HIIT, it helps you burn more fat than if you exercise at a continuous steady pace, research shows.  Try alternating between walking for three minutes at easy pace and

then at a brisk pace for 1 minute, or do similar intervals on a bike, Carter suggests. “It doesn’t need to be super high intensity. It just needs to be at a brisker pace than you can

normally sustain for a long period,” he says.  In addition to burning fat, studies indicate HIIT can help regulate insulin, increase heart function and even reverse aging at the cellular

level. Some research shows that HIIT workouts also temporarily increase your resting metabolism, so you continue to burn fat after you finish. MOVE MORE AND SIT LESS (AND SET TIMERS TO

REMIND YOU) Even if you exercise daily, evidence suggests that sitting for long periods increases your risk of obesity, diabetes, cancer and early death. And it certainly isn’t going to help

with weight loss. “If you go to the gym and exercise for 30 minutes, that’s great, but if you spend the rest of the day sitting around, that exercise you did from caloric standpoint isn’t

going to mean much,” Riebe says.   She and other experts recommend incorporating physical activity throughout the day, whether it’s doing squats during commercial breaks of your favorite TV

show, using a fitness app and setting daily step goals, or meeting a friend for a walking date instead of coffee.  “Instead of focusing on weight loss, focus on moving more all day long, and

making changes in your lifestyle that you can easily incorporate on a daily basis,” Hall says. “If you can do all those things, chances are the weight on the scale will go down.”