Cardio exercises

Cardiovascular exercises, also known as aerobics, are the best for losing weight. Some can burn up to 10 to 12 calories per minute, although that depends on the intensity of the exercise and your body fat ratio.

Apart from burning fat, cardio exercises have other benefits. They can also improve stress levels, blood circulation, lung health, heart health, muscle strength, and endurance. Every muscle group in the body benefits from cardio, and the extent of the benefits depends on the exercise's intensity.

There are two types of cardio exercises: high intensity and low intensity. As the name suggests, the former raises your heart rate much higher and thus causes more calorie loss. They are also more demanding to perform. Examples are burpees, dancing, running, mountain cycling, and intense cycling or swimming. On the other hand, examples of low-intensity cardio exercises are walking, jogging, and almost every activity mentioned in the other category in a less intense form.

The American Heart Association says the average individual should put in around 75 minutes of high-intensity or 150 minutes of moderate-intensity cardio per week for a healthy life. I recommend splitting that into five sessions a week. However, for the best results for weight loss or any other fitness goal, you have to combine high-intensity cardio with low-intensity cardio like in high-intensity interval training (HIIT) and cardio with strength training.

1.     Walking

Walking is not the first exercise that comes to mind when looking to lose weight. Nevertheless, it is the one I choose to start with for a few reasons. It doesn't cost much money or effort. Yet, studies show it can help burn between 3.5 to 5.2 calories per minute. You can only enjoy maximum benefits by engaging in it regularly. But the fact remains that even a low-intensity exercise like this can do a lot.

So, if you are interested, I suggest 20- to 30-minute walks 2 or 3 times every week. If you can't find the time, how about leaving the car behind on your trips to the grocery store or walking the dog? You can make things more challenging and probably burn more calories by walking briskly or uphill or wearing weighted vests.

2.     Swimming

Like walking and its higher intensity counterparts, jogging and running, swimming also exercises all of the body's muscle groups. The biggest difference is that swimming is less harsh on the joints. And because of this, it is more appropriate for anyone with knee issues.

Still, swimming can help you burn up to 8 calories per minute. However, that depends on the intensity of the exercise. The most intense swimming styles that burn the most calories are butterfly stroke, breaststroke, and backstroke. Most likely, you will be combining multiple styles within a session.

I suggest three to five sessions every week to use swimming for weight loss. Start small and try to avoid eating before entering the pool. You can increase session lengths gradually and even add water weights or swimming routines as you improve.

This article is an excerpt from the book “Move the Fat.”