Lose Weight Fast With Cardio Machines, Kettlebells, Dancing and Outdoor Workouts
The Basics of Losing Weight Quickly
Losing weight isn’t rocket science. It’s a simple matter of more calories out than in, which forces your body to burn stored fat as fuel. Contrary to common belief, severely calorie-restricted diets usually aren’t the best way to lose weight fast. Although these programs might offer dramatic results, the changes they require you to make are so extreme that they become almost impossible–or even unhealthy–to sustain over the long term.
Instead, focus on consuming a reduced-calorie, nutrient-rich diet that fuels your body to do aerobic exercises to lose weight quickly. The combination of reduced calorie intake and increased physical activity creates a caloric deficit you can maintain over the long term. Even though your results might not be as dramatic as with a fad diet, the weight comes off much faster if you lose it just once instead of losing, then regaining, then losing the weight multiple times.
Cardio Machines for Convenient Weight Loss
Gym-style cardio machines such as elliptical trainers, treadmills and exercise bikes offer a convenient, efficient way of burning calories. Expect to burn anywhere from 200 to 900 calories per hour, depending on how much you weigh and how hard you work out. You can entertain yourself by hopping from machine to machine at the gym, or invest in a single machine for home use. Parking your exercise machine in front of the television–and removing the easy chair–eliminates a common excuse for not doing your exercises. To lose weight quickly, you might have to overcome other common hurdles to physical activity; see our list of common reasons people don’t work out for recommendations on effective solutions.
Kettlebells for Quick Results
Kettlebells, which resemble a cannonball with a handle attached, are one of the best exercises to lose weight quickly. Not only do kettlebells burn more than 20 calories per minute (according to research sponsored by the American Council on Exercise), they also combine strength-training and a calorie-busting cardiovascular workout in one intense session. Restrict your kettlebell workouts to 20- or 30-minute sessions; if you’re working out at the proper intensity, your muscles will be too fatigued to maintain proper form for a longer workout. But in the meantime, you will have burned 400 to 600 calories in 30 minutes or less.
Inline Skating, Running and Other Outdoor Adventures
You can do exercises to lose weight quickly outdoors, too. Exercising outside helps break up the monotony of gym workouts. The uncontrolled environment means you have to concentrate on avoiding unpredictable factors like cracks in the trail or loose dogs. These distractions, combined with the novelty of exercising outside, can help your workout go by faster and more easily.
According to the American Council on Exercise, running can burn up to 17 calories per minute depending on your weight and pace. If you can’t handle the repeated impact of running, a brisk walk up a steep hill is a good, low-impact exercise that helps you lose weight quickly. Inline skating also stands out as an excellent outdoor exercise for losing weight fast; according to figures published on MayoClinic.com, you could burn between 913 and 1,363 calories in an hour of inline skating. Other effective outdoor calorie-burners include bicycling, hiking, snowshoeing, swimming and rock climbing.
Boogie Down
You don’t have to do regimented exercises to lose weight quickly. Every moment of physical activity you seize adds up to more calories burned and weight lost more quickly. Try dancing for both exercise and fun, even if that just means you turn on up-beat music and boogie down as you clean house. Or turn playing with your kids into a fast weight-loss workout; anything that works up a sweat and gets you at least slightly out of breath is an effective calorie burner.
References
American Council on Exercise: Kettlebells Study
MayoClinic.com: Exercises for Weight Loss
American Council on Exercise: Calorie Burners
Harvard Health Publications: Calories Burned in 30 Minutes
This post is part of the series: Best Exercises for Weight Loss
Bright Hub examines the ins and outs of the best exercises for losing weight fast. From exercise machines to outdoor workouts and the occasional spontaneous, calorie-burning boogie, anything that gets and keeps your body moving can help you lose weight.
