12 Science-Backed Tips for Sustainable Weight Loss: Physical Activity - II

Movement is medicine. Unlike our ancestors, who moved constantly, our lives are getting more and more sedentary, especially after the invention of the automobile, laptop, and mobile phone. WFH and e-commerce have exacerbated the problem. Small wonder that lifestyle diseases like obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, depression, etc. are on the rise.

Physical activities like exercise, games, and even household chores will not only help you to lose weight but also improve overall health and wellness. They stimulate various happiness hormones like endorphins that make you feel happier, more relaxed, and less anxious.?

In 2020, the WHO revised its guidelines for physical activity and sedentary behaviour for adults by recommending at least 150-300 minutes a week of moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity or at least 75-150 minutes a week of vigorous-intensity training. In addition, adults should do muscle-strengthening activities at a moderate or greater intensity that involve all major muscle groups on 2 or more days a week.

Keeping the WHO guidelines in mind, 12 science-backed tips for sustainable weight loss (or getting fitter) about physical activity are given below. ??

1. Daily Exercise

You need to exercise daily for at least 45 minutes. It doesn’t matter what you do, as long as you are moving. You can run, swim, cycle, go to a gym or play team games. Even a brisk walk can help you lose weight.

2. Sustainability

It is important that you enjoy the physical activities that you have chosen to ensure your weight-loss journey is sustainable. Explore different activities in different settings to discover what makes you happy.

3. Early-morning Exercise

According to a 2022 study published in Frontiers in Physiology, women burn more fat and improve blood pressure exercising during morning hours, while men achieve similar results by exercising in the evening. Morning exercise, however, does have some advantages. The endorphins released during your exercise will make you start the day with positivity and excitement. Morning exercise can also boost a person’s mood more than evening exercise. Moreover, it will increase your mental alertness throughout the day.

All said and done, the best time to exercise will depend on your preference, lifestyle, and body clock and is one where you can be consistent.

4. Strength Training

Ideally, your weekly exercise routine should include aerobic (or cardio) activities like running, swimming, cycling, walking, etc., and strength training. Aerobic activities enable you to burn more calories whilst exercising. On the other hand, strength training improves muscle mass, muscle strength, and bone density, which in turn increases the basal metabolic rate and hence, the daily calorie burn. Thus, a combination of aerobic and strength training is considered optimum for weight loss.

Strength training can be done in a gym 2 to 3 times a week or at home using resistance bands or weights. Even bodyweight exercises like lunges, squats, push-ups, pull-ups, burpees, etc. are effective for strength training. Maintain a gap of at least 48 hours between two strength training sessions to ensure your muscles and nervous system are fully recovered. A coach is strongly recommended if you are new to strength training to ensure correct form and minimise the risk of injury.

Your?strength training should be challenging. High reps with low weights tone the muscles and increase endurance, while low reps with high weights develop muscular strength. Both are worthwhile. Choose a weight-rep combination that will offer you adequate intensity for a vigorous workout with few rest breaks.

5. High Intensity Interval Training

High Intensity Interval Training or HIIT, has become popular in the last decade with trainers and fitness junkies as it helps burn fat, boost metabolism, and increase strength in lesser time as compared to standard workouts. HIIT involves repeated bouts of exercising at max effort followed by a low-intensity exercise or rest for recovery. It can be done with bodyweight exercises, cycling, running, or weights, just as long as you can do at high intensity.

A beginner HIIT workout developed by Longborough University entails 20 seconds of all-out work followed by 2 minutes of active recovery (walking) or complete rest, repeated three times. The famous Tabata format entails 20 seconds of high-intensity exercise (sprints, bicycle, burpees, squats, etc.) followed by 10 seconds of rest repeated 8 times for a total of 4 minutes. According to a Queen’s University study, you will achieve the same results in 30 minutes of steady-state cardio as in 4 minutes of Tabata. This should be good news for those who have little time for exercise.

6. Circuit Training

Circuit training comprises a series of timed exercises performed one after the other with varying amounts of rest between each exercise. A traditional circuit training protocol consists of 8 to 12 exercises to target all the major muscle groups. You do a certain number of reps of each exercise or max reps in a specified time, say one minute, followed by a specified rest period before you move to the next exercise. The entire circuit can be completed in less than 30 minutes. The only difference between HIIT and circuit training is the higher intensity as HIIT is done at max effort. A HIIT circuit can be completed in less than 7 minutes.

7. Concurrent Cardio & Strength Training

If you’re?struggling to make time for exercise?and can’t schedule several workouts per week, you can combine cardio and strength training exercises in a HIIT format. However, ensure that you allow 48 to 72 hours for recovery.

8. Stretching & Balance

Your daily exercise routine must end with about 10 to 15 minutes of stretching, breathing, and balance exercises.

9. Variety

Add variety to your exercise routine to make it more engaging and exciting. For example, your aerobic exercises can include running and swimming; and perhaps, walking on rest days. Even if you desire to only run, you can plan hill repeats, tempo runs, fartleks, etc. on different days. Similarly, you can plan to exercise different muscle groups on the days earmarked for strength training. Once you get hooked, you will want to try the monkey bar, Roman rings, Swiss ball, Plyometrics, Pilates, CrossFit, et al. There is a smorgasbord of different activities and exercises out there. Just explore and see what suits you best.

10. Cross-training

Cross-training is an exercise protocol where one engages in alternate sports activities to enhance performance in the main sport. For example, runners use cycling as an alternative exercise to build and maintain endurance. Swimmers practice rowing to keep up their exercise capacity and work similar muscle groups. Cross-training helps you to avoid over-use injuries and enables you to exercise different muscle groups. Moreover, it enables you to remain fit during the off-season for the main sport.

11. Yoga

Yoga is getting increasingly popular worldwide. The discipline has five principles namely exercise,?diet, breathing, relaxation, and meditation. Yoga is effective for weight loss as it boosts metabolism, helps you sleep better, and reduces stress. The other benefits of yoga include increased flexibility, balance, and strength, and improved respiratory and cardiovascular health.

12. Isometrics

Isometric exercises are the tightening of a specific muscle or group of muscles without any movement. Examples include a plank, leg lift or wall sit. Isometric exercises help build or maintain strength and are useful when you have injuries that prevent you from participating in your main sport or restrict the movement of certain body parts.?Exercises like prayer pose, self-arm wrestling, and butt squeeze can be done even when you are bedridden with back injuries.

Most of the tips shared above may not resonate with a diehard walker. If walking is your sole form of exercise, keep it fresh and challenging by changing the route and format daily. You can add inclines or walk up the stairs, do a power walk at a fast pace, or vary the speed in intervals like in HIIT.?

Walking, as compared to other physical activities has its advantages. It is inexpensive as you need only a pair of comfortable sneakers. It is also safer and what is more, you can walk anywhere – to work, to buy groceries or even to do odd jobs. Moreover, you don’t need rest days. Nevertheless, if you prefer one, consider ‘shinrin-yoku’ or ‘forest bathing’, a Japanese practice that originated in the 1980s. Simply put, it is a mindset where the goal is to observe and appreciate as much as you can about your surroundings when walking in nature.

The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. Take your first step, keep moving, and get high on life.

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