1. Sitting and reading or watching TV
Here's where we start off the exercise scale but rather than class this as an exercise we refer to this as an activity. It does burn a little more energy than sitting quietly or sleeping, although the extra energy requirement comes from increased brain activity by consciously interpreting what was seen or read. Increased brain activity burns mostly carbohydrates however many other metabolic processes will use fat to fuel the processes, problem is there is very little total calories being burned. At an estimate this activity will burn 1-2 calories per minute which is very low even though up to 80% will come from muscle burning fat!
WARNING: To lose weight fast this activity would be ineffective because the total amount of calories burned is insufficient.
2. Light housework - (i.e. dusting or washing up)
These activities also burn little total calories - around 2-3 calories per minute. Higher percentages of fat will be utilised around 70% of calories burned.
It may seem unusual to include these types of activities when trying to lose weight but they can be a great aid for speeding metabolism. For example performing more chores around the house regularly would increase activity therefore increase the energy expenditure for the day. Total calories burned would be much higher and result in a great amount of fat burned.
Adding these kind of activities to an exercise program can accelerate the metabolism. When you start to lose weight fast you'll never look at housework in the same light again!
3. Walking
Walking is said to be one of the best exercises for losing weight. The percentage of fat burning is around the 55% mark, however as with all exercises it really depends on the intensity of effort.
Walking not only burns a good proportion of stored fat it can also burn a large amount of calories especially performed for longer durations and at a brisk pace. A good balance between the percentage of fat and the total calories burned should be the basis behind choosing any exercise for losing weight.
Walking is a great start for people of any age wishing to lose weight fast.
BEWARE! If you possess a high number of fat cells you MUST exercise & diet using correct scientific principles in order to reduce fat stores and empty fat cells. Read more on Reducing Fat Cells numbers for women here!
4. Aerobic exercise or light Jogging
Aerobic classes are very popular for many trying to lose weight. They can be very effective in burning a large amount of total energy in a single session. However if a person is overweight and/or unfit the class may become too intense for proper fat burning, especially if the individual is highly motivated to keep up with other, fitter members of the class. For this individual breathing would become heavy and this will always result in carbohydrates becoming the predominant fuel, pushing the percentage of fat burning down as low as 30%
It may be wise to start off any new exercise program with gentle walking activities. After a few weeks try walking briskly until a little fitness is developed then aerobic exercise may be more effective.
5. Running (7 minute mile average)
At 7 minute mile running we will burn more than 10 calories per minute and looking at most runners on the street many may deduce that this must be the best exercise to lose weight. Most runners seem so thin and lean but in fact running at this pace would not be the best idea to lose weight. We would probably be burning about 80% carbohydrates and only 20% fat.
Burning a high percentage of carbohydrates may increase rather than regulate appetite. Trained runners are different their muscles have adapted to this level of intense running over years of training, they utilise oxygen much better which accelerates their fat burning potential even at higher levels of physical exertion.
ANAEROBIC EXERCISE
6. Sprinting or weight training
Some of the most intense exercise we can perform. The energy to fuel these activities comes almost exclusively from carbohydrates. The amount of total calories burned is very high whilst performing the movement, however they can only be performed for short periods due to muscle fatigue. Plenty of rest periods are needed between each bout resulting in less total calories burned over the course of a training session. Normally other aerobic exercises are performed continuously for the whole duration of a session therefore total calories burnt are usually much higher. A positive reason to exercise lightly over a longer duration!
Intense exercises may now seem totally out the question when trying to lose weight however it has been suggested that intense training can elevate the metabolism long after the exercise has stopped, resulting in many extra calories being burnt while at rest. Using weights to build lean muscle also has the added advantage of increasing the metabolism again rocketing the fat burning potential at rest. Including a little weight training in our exercise program may be a good idea but it should only be attempted after fitness has increased a little.