The recipe for weight loss is fairly simple: take in fewer calories than your body uses. And to help you get rid of even more calories, exercise more! Put these two together and you have yourself a fail-proof formula to lose those pounds. Now, there’s tons of articles out there already on how to take in fewer calories, but today I’d like to address the best ways for exercise. Exercise doesn’t have to be a painful task, it can actually be a fun experience if you choose an activity you enjoy. The best activities to lose weight with focus on cardiovascular fitness, where your heart, lungs, muscles, and blood work together while you exercise. Okay so I just lied, it will be painful, so if you aren’t motivated enough to work hard to lose weight, you can just stop right here. With that being said, here are the top 5 cardio activities to help you lose weight.
1. Running
It’s necessary to break a sweat and continue sweating in order to get the best cardio workout. Running is a great way to do just that, and it doesn’t take much to get started (a good pair of shoes and comfortable clothing is all you’ll need). You can run on a treadmill in either a gym or your own home. An even better way to burn calories is to bring intervals into your running, where you gradually increase the intensity of your workout.
2. Cycling
Cycling is quite similar to running, it’s a great aerobic exercise and you can practice it either alone or with a buddy or two. Even better still, you can participate in relay races or bicycling marathons that are sure to get your blood pumping! You can burn up to 508 calories per hour, and you can even bike to work and beat the traffic, or use a stationary cycle although you won’t get the same pretty views.
3. Tennis
Tennis and other racket sports are intense workouts as well, you’ll be running all day as you race back and forth on the tennis court to hit those balls. Not to mention, you’ll have some beautiful arms and legs at the end of it all. You might need to learn the rules of tennis and your basic strokes to get started, but tennis is one sport where you’ll have lots of fun while working out your entire body. So grab a buddy and start rallying!
4. Swimming
If you are looking for a cardio workout that is easier on the body, look no further than swimming. Swimming is a great low impact sport that helps to burn hundreds of calories all while staying cool in the waters. If you don’t want to risk injury to your knees/ankles, or you have age or obesity-related conditions, swimming would be the best form of exercise for you. There are also many strokes you can learn in the water, some of which provide for a more intense workout that can burn more calories.
5. Soccer
Who said team sports can’t be a good cardio workout? Soccer is a great high-energy activity that will keep you moving while burning those unwanted calories. Whether played outdoors or indoors, soccer helps to work out your various muscles and your heart. It’s also a great “intervals” workout, where your body continues to burn calories at a high-intensity level, even when you aren’t exercising your hardest. No wonder why soccer is one of the most popular sports in the world!
Sources:
http://livehealthy.chron.com/top-10-sports-lose-belly-fat-8662.html
http://skinnywithfiber.org/the-8-most-effective-exercises-for-full-body-weight-loss/
http://www.enjoy-swimming.com/swimming-strokes.html
http://www.sportsgoogly.com/most-effective-sports-for-weight-loss/
