Are you ready to lose weight? Are you starting a new exercise plan or revamping your current exercise routine? There are a lot of ways to work out and burn calories, so how do you know which ones are most effective for your weight loss goals? Here are some tips to help you reach your weight loss goals faster.

Calorie Burning: We have all heard that you need to be in a calorie deficit to lose weight. While this is true ,it may be hard to know what your calorie ranges should be. This range depends on your height, weight, age, gender, and activity level. It can also be impacted by other factors as well. It could be important to experiment with your calorie intake and calorie burning through exercise to find out what works best for you.

Intensity: The intensity that you are working at largely impacts your calorie burning during activity. People often mistake how many calories they are actually burning during exercise and end up over-treating themselves in their diets. A good 20-30 minute workout may only burn up to 200 calories. That may not even be enough to negate one of your daily snacks. Adding intensity to your workouts provides a better challenge to your body and can double your calorie burning efforts.

Not All Cardio is Created Equally: We have all seen those avid gym goers who hog the treadmills for an hour or more. If weight loss is your goal, do you have to large bouts of cardio? The answer is no! High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) has been shown to be doubly as effective as moderate cardio in half the time.

Weight Lifting for Weight Loss?: Weight training may be the most important tool for fat loss. While this type of exercise might not tip the scale a lot at first, it will create a better body composition that will improve your metabolism and make it easier to drop fat.

For an in-depth look at these tips and creating a better plan for weight loss, sign up for the four-week series “Exercise as a Tool for Weight Loss” starting on November 5 at 11:30 a.m. During this four-week series, Coach Adam will help you make the most out of your exercise plan for weight loss. Click here to sign up today and for more tips, printable resources, and educational videos, visit the Weight Management page on the OSU Health Plan website.

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