What Workouts Will Actually Help You Lose Weight?

Check out Melinda’s quick answer below on what workouts you should do to lose weight, or keep scrolling to read her full response!

Your body is incredibly unique. Your body composition, genetics, and lifestyle can all influence what a naturally healthy weight is for you and where you are most likely to store excess fat. When we think of weight loss, it’s generally these excess fat stores that we’re looking to minimize.

Although we are all shaped differently, as a woman you will likely find that fat naturally deposits around your hips and thighs in your 20s and 30s. But as we age, those fat stores start shifting and settling more around the abdomen, which can come as a surprise. This is partly due to our levels of estrogen declining and an increase in the ratio of testosterone to estrogen. There’s more on why this happens in this post.

This is one of the reasons that the number one requests we get from our audience has to do with weight loss, especially when it comes to excess belly fat. And the question that always follows up is “what workouts should I do to lose weight?”.

Here’s the truth of the matter:

There isn’t one single workout that’s best for losing weight…

There is no overnight solution to weight loss or a silver bullet workout that will get you the results you’re after. The key is consistently following a balanced diet and exercising regularly. We know that sounds boring, and frankly, it is. But it is the surest way to help you see the long-term results you’re after.

With that said, there is a fairly simple rule when it comes to weight loss, and that is:

In order to lose weight, you need to burn more calories than you’re consuming.

This is where diet and exercise go hand in hand. The first step to take is to reduce or monitor the number of calories you’re consuming each day. The second step is to follow a workout routine that helps you burn those calories so you put your body into a calorie deficit, where you start burning off fat stores for energy. That’s when you’ll see results.

So what workouts will help you to burn off the most calories? Well, you’ll actually benefit from a mix of routines.

How cardio can help you lose weight

I recommend doing cardio exercises 3-4 times a week. I’m talking good, strong cardio that leaves you safely breathless. Your cardiovascular system is what’s responsible for keeping everything moving in the body, by supporting healthy blood flow. This is key for your metabolism and digestion. Higher intensity cardio workouts that involve a lot of muscle groups at once will also give you the most bang for your buck when it comes to burning calories.

How strength training can help you maintain a healthy weight

I recommend doing at least 1-2 days of strength training to round out your weight loss workout routine. The reason is that those strength training days are really what is helping you build muscle. Muscle is more dynamic than fat, so it will actually burn more calories for you, even when you’re at rest. It’s a positive cycle where the more muscle you build, the more fat you’ll be able to burn off — and this is where you’ll really see a difference in your weight loss goals when you combine that strength training with cardio on a weekly basis.

Be sure to check out our social channels @mbody.official to follow along with Active April this month and stay inspired when it comes to keeping fit!