The Best Exercises for Weight Loss

The safest and most sustainable approach to weight loss involves a blend of lifestyle changes, including regular physical activity and balanced eating. Sometimes, other conditions contribute to weight gain, like diabetes or depression. That’s why it’s important to manage them with a medical professional. 

Healthy eating and exercise are two cornerstones of any effective weight management program. Despite these straightforward recommendations, losing weight isn’t simple for everyone, and the process takes time and commitment. 

At Salem Wellness Clinic in Salem, Oregon, naturopathic specialist Laika Rodriguez, ND, and our team specialize in adult health and wellness, including natural weight loss. We provide nutritional guidance alongside recommendations for physical activity, dietary supplements, environment changes, and lifestyle changes to help you reach your goal weight. 

Physical activity provides short- and long-term health benefits, including helping you maintain a healthy weight for a lifetime. It also helps mitigate symptoms of weight-related conditions like diabetes and osteoarthritis.

Here are our best exercises for weight loss:

1. Walking

That’s right, exercise for weight loss doesn’t need to be vigorous or exhausting. An hour-long brisk walk every day helps you burn an additional 150 calories. However, you don’t have to limit yourself — walk as long and as fast as you want to burn even more calories. 

Consider adding variety to your walks by choosing different routes each day. You can also fit in a walk in poor weather by using a treadmill in your home or at the gym. 

2. Cycling

Cycling is an excellent choice of low-impact aerobic exercise. Even at a moderate pace, cycling helps you burn around 300 calories in an hour, which you can increase with more intensity. Cycling is also easy on the joints. That means you can still get adequate exercise even if you have osteoarthritis. 

3. Swimming

Swimming is an excellent aerobic exercise for burning calories and targeting multiple muscle groups. If you have back or joint pain related to excessive weight, swimming takes the pressure off your painful back or joints. You’ll also gain benefits from the water’s resistance. 

As with walking or cycling, you can swim for as long as you want. Choose a comfortable pace for your fitness level. 

4. Strength training

Strength training is a great way to burn more calories. You’ll build muscle if you strength train regularly, and you’ll also burn plenty of fat. We recommend strength or resistance training 3-5 times a week to reach and maintain a healthy weight. 

5. High-intensity interval training

HIIT alternates between vigorous exercises and less intense exercises. It’s not designed as a daily workout, and you burn even more calories than with standard cardio, like running or cycling. 

Talk to us today for more tips

Any exercise is beneficial whether you’re trying to lose weight. Get creative — hobbies like rock climbing or field sports offer health benefits and help you burn calories. They are also lots of fun!

For more tips on physical activity and weight loss, call Salem Wellness Clinic or book an appointment online today.