Do you know the best exercise to lose weight? You might be surprised when you hear the answer. If you’re like the thousands of people who run endlessly on treadmills hoping for results that never come, this article is perfect for you. It always depresses me to see all the misinformation and unfounded claims in the fitness and dieting world. These myths and strange ideas get recycled, reprinted and repeated so many times that people start believing they’re true. And all of this while we’ve got lots of real scientific evidence to support things that actually DO get results.
One of the reasons I think these things spread around is that they make a bit of sense. For example, cardio sounds like the best exercise to lose weight the first time you hear about it. It seems to most people like it would work. You do a low intensity workout that gets you into fat burning mode, and you continue it for longer hours so the calories come off. Sounds like it might work! But science says, “No it doesn’t.” There is more and more evidence getting published all the time that says cardio isn’t the best exercise to lose weight. In fact, this evidence also suggests that it’s not the best thing for your cardiovascular system either.
This type of traditional cardio or as I like to call it ‘steady state’ cardio is a staple on many weight loss programs. The gyms are filled with people month after month doing the same steady state cardio and guess what? Month after month they look the same and get the same results. When you put hours and hours into your workout, which is what is required in a steady state cardio program, and at the end of the month you have very little to show for it. It is very unmotivating. It is no wonder that most diets and exercise programs are stopped after 3 months. Why workout if you have nothing to show for it?
The approach called high intensity interval training, also known as HIIT, is the best exercise to lose weight. Typically it involves repetitive cycles of short burst of high intensity exercise with longer periods of less intense exercise or even rest. Usually HIIT session only last about 20 minutes. What is important to note is that the intense period is an all out effort (think running from a lion). Working up to this level of intensity is important for extremely overweight individuals or those with currently poor cardiovascular fitness.
To start your HIIT training choose a brisk walking pace on your treadmill and this will be the recovery or low intensity speed for your training. You will walk at this pace for 1 minute then for the next minute increase the speed until you are running. Start slowly with the running and slowly increase the speed each subsequent time until you find a good level of intensity. Alternate 1 minute of intense exercise with 1 minute rest. If you are starting out you can have 2 minutes rest. This protocol can be done 3-4 times a week for 20 minutes at a time.
HIIT is the best exercise to lose weight, but it’s much more than that. It promotes better heart fitness than cardio as well. This means that you gain a healthier heart and less need to go to the gym. The only thing that you’ll lose through HIIT is your body fat!
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