Holiday season, the outdoors season, bikini season; these days, it can feel like every season offers up a reason to slim down. The pressure to look your best can add a substantial amount of anxiety to your already too busy lifestyle, especially when every new headline seems to make the business of losing weight seem just that much more complicated. You seem to hear about a new workout plan every week, each one more complex and demanding than the last.
Well, there’s good news for the confused and intimidated: researchers are in wide agreement that the most important factor in sustained weight loss is consistent aerobic exercise of any type. In this article, we’ll explore some ways to help you start and keep moving.
The best way to start determining what kind of cardio is best for your lifestyle is asking yourself what kind of activities you like to do, regardless of calorie burning. While the term “cardio” might make you think of medicine balls and sweatin’ to the oldies, the last few years have seen the development of several types of cardio workout plan that are tailored more toward combining aerobics with recreation.
If you like to dance, for example, many gyms now offer classes on zumba, which is a type of latin influenced dance designed to get your heart pumping. If you did gymnastics as a teen, barre based workouts, which involve a combination of cardio and stretches based around a ballet barre, might be perfect for you. If you like playing sports, more and more cities are developing adult leagues, all of which are generally free to join and easily found by using a search engine. Remember: the trick to losing weight is making sure that you keep up with your exercise regimen, which is easier to do if you enjoy your workouts.
Another tip is to mix it up a little! Doing the same exercises every time can get boring, and using the same muscle groups day after day can lead to soreness and fatigue. One of the most effective regimens is something called circuit training, which combines resistance training with cardio. For example, you could do yoga one day, some weight lifting the next, and then finish off the circuit with some swimming. You can also look for workouts that combine cardio and resistance, like crossfit and various exercise machines.
One of the most important considerations you should take when thinking about different types of exercise is whether you have certain health problems you need to keep in mind. Because there are so many different types of cardio workout, it is almost always possible to find a type of exercise that does not exacerbate any existing problems with your body.
For example, if your knees are not in the best condition, exercises like swimming and biking have a much smaller impact on your joints than running does. Those with allergies can enjoy many types of cardio indoors, like pole dancing and some kinds of yoga.