How much and how often to exercise to lose weight

Movement is necessary for life. With a crooked cervical spine, back painallowed belly and in a bad mood your body will not last long from sitting at the computer and working from home. It is not built for constant sitting, but for physical activity. Besides a suitable menu it is precisely the movement that contributes to weight loss, body shaping and psychological well-being. By increasing the amount of muscle mass, you will also increase your basal metabolism and your body will be able to work better with nutrients. And last but not least, you will have less mobility problems in old age.

Everyone starts losing weight for a different reason and is physically equipped for it differently. Prerequisites for mastering the exercises are individual, but there are recommendations that can serve as an idea of ​​how much time to devote to movement. And it can really be enough for you if you are go for longer walksyou won’t avoid the stairs, you’ll go to the store instead of ordering online and sweat and breathe three times a week for an intense 30 minutes.

It is practical to combine them normal movement during the day (walking, housework) with moderate intensity exercise. Ideally, you should spend 150 minutes a week divided into 3 to 5 lessons. If you are just starting out with exercise, you can include twice a week for 30 minutes, later three times a week for 30 minutes and gradually increase the amount of time if you enjoy the exercise.

Gradually include cardio training and strength training in your regime. Cardio training will slightly increase your energy expenditure, support the cardiovascular system and overall fitness. Try not only to monitor the amount of calories burned, but also heart rate. This should gradually decrease with regular cardio training. Equally important is the inclusion of exercises that support muscle growth and improve posture. This does not necessarily have to be an exercise with dumbbells, an appropriately composed exercise with your own weight is sufficient.

Be sure to choose and adapt the exercises to your condition. If you are obese, just starting to exercise, or have a health problem, you don’t have to go through intense cardio training three times a week. Try fast walking, slow running, skates, light exercise. If you enjoy walking, get a pedometer or sports watch and try to get there gradually for 10,000 steps a daywith this number you will notice the change soon. It is important to start somehow and find what you enjoy.

The intensity of the exercises depends on your current condition. An approximate indicator is heart rate (number of beats per minute). Here you measure by feeling on the thumb edge of the inner side of the wrist (count the pulse in 10 seconds and then multiply by six). Measure your resting heart rate ideally in the morning. For example, it will show you the intensity of movement relative to age table of load bands.

For intensive exercise, make sure that the exercise itself lasts 30 minutes, is preceded by a preparatory part and ends with stretching. Half an hour of endurance activity makes sense, because up to after 20 minutes of aerobic exercise fat burning occurs. But before you find out what your optimal intensity is, try to hold out for a longer time with a milder intensity. It is better to run steadily slower than to sprint and drop off after a hundred meters.

The results of the exercises will become more noticeable after about a month. If apart from active movement and exercise you adjust and balance the menuyou will feel the first small changes in clothing, better digestion, better sleep or even an increase in resistance to stress. Above all, however, you will be rewarded in the form of the gained energy.

The most important thing is to choose what you will enjoy and what you will stick with. It is crucial for you to lifestyle change they did not suffer. If you don’t enjoy the exercise, sooner or later you will lose motivation. Include a few doses of exercise in your days instead of a portion of chocolate. You will see how your life will change.

Professional cooperation: Mgr. Hedvika Jakešová, fitness specialist and nutritional therapist, Not just about food (@nejenojidle_).