Sports for weight loss at home. Which sport is best for losing weight?


Fitness instructors repeat what we've all heard for years: the way to atone for the sin of gluttony is on the treadmill. And this message is being spread by fitness gurus, celebrities, food and drink companies, health officials and doctors.

Thanks to the belief that exercise will help you lose weight, gym memberships, fitness trackers, sports drinks and workout videos are successfully sold.

But here's the problem: this confidence is based on false beliefs and misleads us in our struggle with excess weight.

How our body burns calories: is there a difference between an office worker and a resident of a wild tribe?

Anthropologist Herman Pontzer of Hunter College in New York traveled to Tanzania to study the Hadza, one of the few remaining hunter-gatherer tribes. He expected to see calorie-burning machines in these people, because in their lives there is much more physical activity than in Western countries.

Hadza men spend most of their time chasing and killing animals and climbing trees in search of honey from wild bees. Women collect roots and berries.

By studying the Hadza lifestyle, Pontzer was confident that he would find evidence of a commonly held belief: obesity became a worldwide problem due to a severe decline in physical activity. Pontzer was convinced that the Hadza burned far more calories per day than the average Westerner.

In 2009 and 2010, researchers traveled through the savannah, stuffing their Jeep with computers, liquid nitrogen, to freeze urine samples, and respirometers to measure the tribe's energy expenditure.

Scientists recorded physical activity and energy expenditure in 13 men and 17 women aged 18 to 75 using the tagged atom method, the best-known way to measure the amount of carbon dioxide we release when we expend energy.

For the study, scientists recruited 332 adults from Ghana, South Africa, America, the Seychelles and Jamaica. Following the participants for 8 days, the researchers collected data on physical activity and energy burned using accelerometers. They divided the subjects into three groups: sedentary, moderately active (play sports 2-3 times a week), and super active (exercise almost every day). It is important to note that people were already leading this lifestyle when the study began, and did not specifically start playing sports.

The difference in calorie expenditure between groups with different physical activity was only 7–9%. Moderately active people burned an average of 200 kcal more each day than those who led a sedentary lifestyle. However, higher energy expenditure did not lead to progress.

Adjusted for body size and composition, total energy expenditure was positively correlated with physical activity, but this relationship was noticeably stronger at the lower end of the physical activity range.

Herman Pontzer

Once you reach a certain level of physical activity, you will stop burning calories at the same rate: the graph of total energy expenditure will appear as a plateau. This idea of ​​energy expenditure differs from the usual understanding: the more active you are, the more calories you burn per day.

Based on his research, Pontzer proposed a limited energy expenditure model: it shows that the effect of additional physical activity is not linear for the human body. According to evolutionary theory, when food sources were unreliable, the body set a limit to energy expenditure independent of the amount of physical activity.

The idea is that the body tries to maintain a specific level of energy expenditure no matter how active you become.

Herman Pontzer

On this moment This hypothesis is an interesting way to explain why going to the gym as the only means of losing weight does not work.

Since 1980, the prevalence excess weight has doubled and, according to the World Health Organization, 13% of the world's population is obese. In the US, about 70% of people are overweight or obese.

Lack of physical activity and too high-calorie foods were cited as equivalent causes for this problem. Researchers argued this in a paper published in the British Medical Journal, saying: "You can't escape a bad diet."

Unfortunately, we are losing the battle with excess weight because we eat. But the sport's myth is still regularly perpetuated by the food and drink industry, which can find itself in disgrace for selling unhealthy products.

The Coca-Cola Company has been promoting physical activity since the 1920s: “Physical activity is vital to the health and well-being of consumers.” And recently, the New York Times announced that Coca-Cola is sponsoring weight-loss research to prove that physical inactivity is driving the obesity epidemic.

PepsiCo and other companies are also trying to encourage us to exercise more by continuing to consume their products.

But this is an inadequate and potentially dangerous approach because it encourages people to ignore or underestimate the impact of the calories they consume. Sport is good for health. But if you're trying to lose weight, then a big problem- this is food.

So what should you do to lose weight?

The study from the National Weight Control Registry examined and analyzed the characteristics, habits and behaviors of adults who lost at least 30 pounds and maintained their new weight for at least a year. The study currently involves 10,000 people who fill out questionnaires every year about how they manage to maintain a healthy weight.

The researchers found common habits among the experiment participants: they weighed themselves according to at least once a week, limit the consumption of calories and too fatty foods, monitor portion sizes and exercise regularly.

But note: physical activity is used as a complement to calorie counting and other behavioral changes. Any reliable weight loss expert will tell you that the best thing you can do to lose weight is to limit your calories and focus on eating healthier.

In general, diet plus exercise is more beneficial for overall well-being than reducing calories alone, but may only have a small effect on weight loss. The graph below shows that the group of people who restricted their calorie intake lost weight at almost the same rate as the group who dieted and added physical activity.

And if you choose the second option for yourself - diet + sports - be vigilant when counting calories and do not compensate for the energy expended during physical activity with additional portions of food.

In pursuit of a slim and toned body, many people choose methods that require minimum costs time and energy. Alas, without difficulty it is impossible not only to pull a fish out of a pond, but also to get rid of unsightly fat folds. It is for this reason that sport is recognized as the most effective way weight loss, since during physical activity you can burn accumulated fat.

There are various types of sports, so everyone can choose for themselves not only an effective, but also a very pleasant method of body correction.

By going to the gym or training at home, you expose your body to active physical activity. This speeds up metabolic processes, saturates cells with oxygen, accelerates lymph flow and blood circulation, improves digestion and helps eliminate toxins from the body through sweat. This is the ideal set of factors necessary for weight loss.

Exercising will help you lose all the accumulated fat, become slimmer, fit and healthy.

Impact of sport on the body:

  • helps to lose excess weight;
  • increases immunity;
  • improves the functioning of the cardiovascular system;
  • stimulates the production of the joy hormone;
  • increases the level of endurance and strength.

Effective types

Before starting to lose weight, every girl asks the question, which type is best for losing weight? You must find the answer to it yourself, because the most effective method of body correction is considered to be the one that will bring you pleasure. By working hard and with joy, you will certainly get the desired results. The main thing is that training takes place regularly and does not depress you mentally and physically.

You can choose from the following sports:

These are not all sports that can be useful for losing weight. Basic house cleaning at a fast pace or walking will be a great addition to general program losing weight.

Rules for losing weight

Even the most active workouts will not give the desired results if you do not follow some rules for losing weight. It is worth following all the recommendations of trainers or instructors and remember that 2 hours before the start of classes and 2 hours after their completion you should not eat any food. Exercises should be regular, this is the only way to consistently lose those hated kilograms.

Any sport should be combined with a balanced diet. Count the number of calories you consume with food - you need them to be less than you expend during physical activity.

Advantages and disadvantages

It is simply impossible to lose weight safely for your health without sports. Only by creating a calorie deficit with physical exercise, you can become slimmer, fitter and healthier. The sport has a huge number of varieties, this is its main advantage. It is also very effective for weight loss.

However, this method of losing weight is not suitable for everyone, because it requires responsibility from the athlete. Some people cannot maintain regular training, others reward themselves with a chocolate bar after grueling exercise, and this negates all efforts.

If you hold out until you see the first noticeable changes, you will no longer want to return to a sedentary lifestyle and eating cutlets at night.

Who should not exercise to lose weight?

Physical activity is suitable for weight loss only for absolutely healthy people. There are sports adapted to the specific needs of different patients, but they do not have much effect on burning calories. Before starting training, you need to get your doctor's approval.

Sports are contraindicated in the following cases:

  • serious injuries;
  • postoperative period;
  • pregnancy and lactation (in some cases, sports are allowed under medical supervision);
  • some cardiovascular diseases;
  • respiratory tract diseases;
  • malignant neoplasms;
  • some chronic diseases.

It is worth remembering that each sport has its own contraindications. A professional trainer can adapt a training program for almost any person so that he can exercise without harm to his health.

The fight against excess weight includes many factors, with the sports component being one of the most significant in this matter. Regular exercise allows you to develop muscles, correct posture, improve health, and get rid of extra pounds. In addition, playing sports to lose weight gives you a boost of energy throughout the day and improves your mood.

Sports for weight loss

Sports are the most effective method losing weight. You can give preference to active training, running or yoga. Also great ways to lose weight and keep your body in good shape are swimming, dancing, and exercising on exercise equipment using sports equipment. However, which sport for weight loss should you choose to achieve the best results?

  • Swimming. This is an ideal sport for weight loss, which has a general healing effect on the entire body, strengthens different muscle groups, has a positive effect on the spine, joints, and corrects posture. You need to swim for at least 30 minutes three times a week, maintaining the pace and intensity of the exercises. Before you start exercising in the water, you should do a warm-up to warm up your body - do squats, bends, and rotations. On average, 400 calories are consumed in one 45-minute workout;
  • Cycling. Every year it becomes more and more popular. Regular training three times a week for at least 30 minutes will help in short term get rid of excess weight, tighten and strengthen the muscles of the legs, thighs and buttocks. Is the best sport for weight loss;
  • Fast walk. A sport that is healthy and effective in combating excess weight. Ordinary walking at a brisk pace can do wonders for your figure. The advantage of this sport for weight loss is that it can be practiced at any time of the year and anywhere. Walking helps speed up your metabolism and fat burning process. Recommended for people with diseases of the joints of the lower extremities and spine, and heart disease. Excellent for untrained people. It is necessary to walk quickly every day up to 10 thousand steps. Approximately 200 calories are burned in one hour;
  • Jogging. It is an alternative to walking and the best answer to the question of what sport to do to lose weight. Running at an average pace over long distances is especially effective. They need to do it at least three times a week. In half an hour of training, approximately 600 calories are burned;

Other effective sports for weight loss: roller skating, skiing, tennis, football, dancing, rowing, horse riding. Choice best sport for weight loss depends on a person's preferences. The most important thing is to have a desire to exercise, a desire to lose weight, adhere to systematic training and combine it with proper and healthy nutrition.

How to lose weight at the gym

Every sport is good for your health and helps you lose weight. Working out in the gym will also effectively help solve the problem of excess weight. What are the features of classes and how to lose weight in the gym?

When starting training, you first need to know that each person requires an individual training program. A trainer will help you create it, based on your level of training and desired results. When creating a training plan, it is worth considering that for fast weight loss You need to work on different muscle groups every day.

To obtain maximum results, each exercise on simulators or sports equipment should be repeated 15-20 times in 3 approaches. Before starting classes, warm up for 5-10 minutes. During this time, the muscles will prepare for the load. In addition, warming up strengthens the immune system. Two hours before and after training - no food, otherwise you will not be able to get rid of excess weight. The duration of training should be at least one hour. It is not worth training longer, as muscle mass begins to burn.

Aerobic training is the best answer to the question of how to lose weight in the gym. These are endurance activities that strengthen the cardiovascular system, which is why they are also called cardio training. Aerobic exercise increases the endurance of the heart muscle, helps lower blood pressure, increases red blood cells in the blood, and reduces the risk of disease diabetes mellitus. Aerobic exercise includes exercise on a treadmill, stationary bike, and elliptical trainer.

Sports for weight loss must also include strength exercises. They help strengthen all muscle groups. Both your own weight and weights – dumbbells, “pancakes” – are used as resistance in such exercises. Strength exercises include push-ups and pull-ups. They strengthen the muscles of the back, chest, arms, buttocks and legs, helping women replace fat deposits with muscle tissue. The more muscle tissue, the higher the metabolic rate. This means that the body begins to burn more calories, which allows you to lose weight faster.

How much exercise to lose weight

The basis of any sports for weight loss is regular training. Going to the gym 2-3 times a month or occasionally jogging in the morning will not bring any tangible results. To get the effect of physical education, you need to train 3-4 times a week under the guidance of a trainer or on your own.

How much exercise to lose weight? Beginners can start with two workouts a week for 30 minutes. There is no point in exercising less, since the muscles will not work properly and the excess weight will not go away. After a few sessions, you can add one more workout per week, gradually increasing the training time. It is necessary to take a rest day between workouts so that the muscles have time to recover. Before each exercise for weight loss, there must be a warm-up, then comes the main part of the exercise, during which fat is burned. At the end of training, a contrast shower is recommended.

What sport should I do to lose weight? Any physical activity helps to reduce body weight, so everyone can choose something different from the variety of sports. But to get rid of excess body weight, physical exercise alone is not enough. It is also necessary to review your diet and diet. You should eat healthy low-calorie foods at least 5-6 times a day, in small portions. Also, in the process of losing weight, you need to drink about two liters of liquid per day, as this is an important factor in burning fat.

Video from YouTube on the topic of the article:

At home, you can choose which sport to do to lose weight, depending on how fast the results should be. Swimming, walking, and jogging will help you lose weight effectively. Fitness and water aerobics are suitable for older people, and team games for children. It is also not forbidden to do home exercises to achieve a slim figure.

Sports and weight loss

An integral part of a healthy lifestyle and a beautiful figure is sports for weight loss. Without physical activity, you cannot achieve slimness, even by going on diets or counting the calorie content of the food you eat. You need to do exercises to work out muscle definition, remove fat, and pump up your abs. Therefore, it is worth learning more about which sports are suitable for rapid weight loss.

Sports

The most effective for getting a slim figure are aerobic exercises, and for increasing strength - anaerobic. Highlight the following types Sports for weight loss that are popular among those who want to lose weight:

  • Walking– accessible to everyone, economical type of physical education. The only equipment you will need is sneakers, you should start with 20 minutes at a slow pace 3-4 times a week, gradually increase the pace, duration up to 45 minutes.
  • Jogging– a popular method, venue – park, equipment – ​​suit and sneakers. Run three times a week for half an hour, gradually increasing the duration, but not the speed.
  • Cycling- a great way to lose weight, but there is not always a place for it, so you can do it on the exercise machine. 3-4 workouts of 40 minutes a week will help you lose weight in your thighs and buttocks.
  • Swimming– in 40 minutes this type helps the body fight cellulite, sagging skin and sagging; you should visit the pool three times a week.
  • Dancing– lift your spirits, tighten your muscles, and straighten your posture.
  • Fitness– strength and cardio training builds muscle mass and burns fat.
  • Aerobics– combinations of exercises accompanied by music, such as water aerobics, step, and regular aerobics.

What sport is most effective for losing weight?

When studying the question of which sport is the most effective for losing weight, it is worth taking into account the age, gender and degree of obesity of the trainee. If this is a young girl, the classes will be one, and an older man will be different. Common to different types sport is aerobic, which is characterized by reduced intensity of activities. It aims to burn fat, not carbohydrates and glycogen, like intense strength training. In addition to burning fat, aerobic sports promote:

  • strengthening the functioning of the heart and blood vessels;
  • strengthening the respiratory system and joints;
  • improving blood flow;
  • increasing overall muscle tone and endurance.

For women

What sport is best for girls to lose weight? This question is asked by many female representatives. Experts advise doing dancing, Pilates, strip exercises, and aerobics. From modern species Sports for girls are body ballet, step aerobics, running. All directions model the figure, promote fat burning, form an elegant airy silhouette and increase grace.

For men

What sport is best for losing weight for men? Ideal for them would be strength training in gym, cycling and team competitions. Men are recommended to play football, basketball, hockey, rugby, and volleyball. Running, jumping, jerking during these games force all muscles to work, burn calories and remove excess fluid from the male body, which creates swelling and excess weight.

For children

Children also suffer from poor nutrition and a sedentary lifestyle. They gain weight, which causes ridicule from their classmates. To lose weight, children need to engage in sports games. Martial arts are also suitable for boys, and dancing, aerobics, gymnastics, skates. Children's team outdoor games, swimming, and athletics sections can be recommended for both sexes.

At 20 years old

For men and girls at a young age, choosing a sport to lose weight is easy. At this time, the body has an increased metabolism, so young people do not suffer much from excess weight. If the problem of extra pounds bothers you, you can choose the following directions:

  • fitness– gives excellent results, stimulates discipline;
  • rollers– increase endurance, improve athletic fitness, spare joints and provide pleasure;
  • skis– winter sports are suitable to be practiced to strengthen all muscles and develop coordination of movements;
  • Athletics– running, jumping will help speed up the process of losing weight;
  • dancing- a pleasant way to lose weight, achieve a slim figure and eliminate sagging skin, it is worth taking up modern options - hip-hop, Latin, Zumba.

For the elderly

What kind of sport should older people do to lose weight? Experts answer this question in such a way as not to injure the joints and take maximum care of your health. Sports suitable for older people:

  • yoga, pilates, gymnastics, wushu– develop flexibility, put the body and thoughts in order;
  • swimming– good for the musculoskeletal system and cardiovascular system, it is important to learn how to swim correctly and gradually increase the pace;
  • water aerobics– involves working with a trainer; when choosing, make sure that the group is approximately equal in age, otherwise there is a high risk of getting the wrong pace of training;
  • run- popular, but has contraindications for the elderly - diseases of the knees and hip joints, with them you can replace jogging with an elliptical or walking, Nordic walking;
  • bike– improves health plus serves as an excellent form of transport in the summer.

For fast weight loss

If you need to lose weight quickly, then interval aerobics will come to the rescue. It implies that the training is constantly changing in pace - 30 seconds of classes are carried out very quickly, and a minute - slowly.

Due to this combination, even a half-hour workout shows an excellent effect - the production of fat-burning hormones increases sharply, and extra pounds disappear faster. If you do strength training twice a week, you can achieve results in a short time.

Sports for weight loss at home

What sports should you do to lose weight at home? Trainers recommend bodyweight training for this - squats, push-ups, planks and leg raises. Online lessons and master classes will help you lose weight. The main thing in home exercises is the regularity of fitness: three times a week for an hour and a half - this is the optimal sports schedule. It is better to exercise between 11-13 or 17-19 hours. 1.5-2 hours before training, take a high-carbohydrate shake, and the same amount of time after, eat something protein.

Things to do

  • Before any home activity, do a simple warm-up - walk briskly, run in place, stretch your joints. After this, perform a set of activities to lose weight:
  • squats, wide plies;
  • lunges with wide steps forward;
  • swing your legs from a lying position;
  • bike;
  • pushups;
  • raising your arms overhead with dumbbells;
  • pumping the press, crunches;
  • bar;
  • spin a hoop or hula hoop;
  • jump rope;

cool down – stretch your muscles, use some yoga or bodyflex exercises.

How to practice

To get visible results from exercising at home, train 3-4 times a week. For beginners, it’s better to start with two full-fledged workouts of 30-40 minutes each, for professionals – three sessions of an hour and a half each, like in a rocking chair. At least a day should pass between classes so that the muscles have time to recover and do not hurt. Don’t forget about warming up and cooling down, watch your breathing, adjust your nutrition plan - this way you will be able to lose weight faster and more effectively.

Video Motivation, proper nutrition

and dosed physical activity - the three commandments of being slim without putting back extra pounds.


We have already discussed the first two points in previous publications. Today we’ll talk about how to exercise to lose weight, why some workouts lead to weight gain, and how to lose a few extra pounds without overloading.

  1. physical activity speeds up metabolism, causing calories to be burned faster;
  2. During training, adrenaline is released into the blood, which in particular helps to break down fat;
  3. during physical activity, the brain releases endorphins (so-called happiness hormones), which improve mood;
  4. a sports program for weight loss helps burn 150-300 kcal per hour, so the allowed calorie intake can be increased by 300-400 calories;
  5. Regular exercise not only burns fat, but also strengthens muscles. In a few months you will become healthier. slimmer, and the skin is more elastic.

What is the best sport to do to lose weight?

When wondering what kind of sport is best to do to lose weight, focus on what you want to change in your figure. For example, strength training develops muscle mass, so you can’t do without it if you want to shape your buttocks, tighten your stomach or chest. A program for losing weight in the gym, compiled by an instructor, will help you solve your goals.

There is no need to lift the barbell. Squats, push-ups, abdominal exercises are also strength exercises, where your body acts as an additional load. If after aerobic training the body returns to its normal energy consumption mode within 3:00, then strength training “pulls out” additional calories all the time - to build muscle tissue and support it even at rest. Thus, accelerated metabolism is guaranteed for you for a long time.

The insidiousness of this method is that you train and train, and the weight increases. The fact is that muscle is heavier and more compact than fat. Therefore, here you need to focus on other parameters - volumes, fat folds, etc.

During strength training, each exercise is repeated several times and in several approaches. For beginners, it is ideal to do three sets with a one-minute break. The muscles need such a time-out to restore their performance. The number of repetitions in the approach depends on the goal. For example, for burning fat, 10-12 repetitions are considered optimal (for the abs and calves - 12-25), for developing relief - 6-8, for growth and strength - 1-5. Do one exercise for each muscle or muscle group so as not to overload them.

A prerequisite is a 5-10 minute warm-up before starting classes. This will prepare the muscles for the load. Such activities are stressful for the muscles, so strength training is recommended to be done no more than 2-3 times a week.


What to do to lose weight

If strength training is aimed at increasing muscles, their tone and strength, then cardio exercise trains endurance, improves cardiovascular and respiratory system. There are many options: jogging, aerobics, cycling for weight loss is very important, skiing, swimming or dancing. Calories are burned directly during exercise. The most optimal time is up to 4-5 times a week.

What to do to lose weight? The best option is a bicycle or exercise bike. In an hour's drive you can burn from 450 to 1100 kcal. It is important that the body is in the correct position throughout the workout, so such exercises are usually physically easier than, for example, running or step aerobics.

The gym program for weight loss gives excellent results, but good results can be achieved with a banal walk to work. In 1.5-2:00 of walking, 300 to 800 kcal are burned. If, for example, you give up for a week public transport or a car, you will spend up to 3500 kcal additionally. So in a month you can quietly lose one and a half to two kilograms.

According to experts, the maximum effect can be achieved by combining aerobic and strength exercises. Ultimately, fat burning will occur with any workout. In order to increase the results of your training and not lead yourself to exhaustion, special attention should be paid to proper nutrition.