Official Exercise Guidelines to Reduce Weight

As part of the campaign to reduce obesity, the Surgeon General recommends moderate activity of about 150 calories per day or 1000 calories per week. This is a very modest exercise target.

According to data from the National Weight Control Registry on people who have lost an average of 60 pounds and kept it off for 2 years or more, successful weight losers typically burn 400 calories a day in physical activity - more than twice the official recommendation.

The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) suggest all adults should engage in 30 minutes or more of moderately intense physical activity daily. This level of activity corresponds to about 200 calories expended a day.

Other authorities say the least amount of activity for optimal physical health should burn about 1500-2000 calories a week via moderately intense activities.

Other experts suggest moderate aerobic activity needs to be performed most days of the week to bring about significant fat loss. Some sources recommend brisk walking progressing to 45 minutes or more daily. Some experts recommend working up to 60-90 minutes of daily physical activity for weight loss.

Weight Loss Exercise - Calories Burned vs. Weight Lost

By brisk walking for one hour (300 calories burned), instead of watching TV (80 calories burned) you burn an extra 220 calories. In 12 months this adds up to the equivalent of 23 pounds of weight.

Exercise Counseling to Reduce Obesity

Here are some guidelines used by health care professionals when helping obese patients to develop healthy exercise habits.

When helping obese people to exercise more, the main objective is to move sedentary people into an active category (even if it is moderate levels of intensity) and to move moderate level individuals on to more vigorous levels.
It is more effective to promote less sedentary lifestyles (with less opportunity to eat excessively while watching TV, for example) than simply attempt to increase activity.
Accumulation of daily physical activity should be the key if 30 minutes at least five times a week seems unobtainable.
Modest, regular bouts of physical activity can lead to benefits. The type of exercise is not important and short bouts of walking can cumulatively be of much benefit.
Walking a mile a day for a year is equivalent in energy to that stored in 7 pounds of adipose (fat) tissue.
Habitual physical activity can also help keep weight off after weight loss has been achieved, and can reduce the threat of the post-weight-loss seesaw effect.
In terms of increasing children’s physical activity, a more active daily lifestyle should be encouraged rather than structured aerobic exercise schedules.

Exercise to Lose Weight: Combine Strength Training with Aerobic Exercise

Ideally, combine your weight/strength-training routine with regular cardio-aerobic exercise. The National Institutes of Health recommend 20-minute sessions of aerobic activity at least 3 times a week for weight loss and advise that slow weight loss of 1 to 2 pounds a week is best for healthy and lasting results.

Weight/Strength Training

Strength/weight training is any exercise that uses resistance - like, weights - to strengthen and condition the musculo-skeletal system, thus improving muscle tone and endurance, and boosting lean body mass. Strength/weight training includes:
Rowing, climbing stairs, as well as exercises like pushups. "Strength-training" is used as a general term synonymous with other common terms: "weightlifting" and "resistance training."

Weight/Strength Training - Benefits

Strength training raises metabolic rate thus helping your body to burn more calories throughout the day.
Studies prove that consistent strength training can increase bone density and prevent Osteoporosis.
Strength training increases lean muscle tissue, thus increasing your calorie needs and making weight loss easier.
Stronger muscles and joints can have a dramatic impact on posture and leaner toned muscles tend to make everyone feel better about their appearance. This leads to improved self-esteem and self-confidence.

Strength Training - Burns Calories

Regular physical activity burns a significant amount of fat calories. If one of your aims is to lose weight, you may therefore combine a less drastic reduction in your caloric intake with an increase in your energy (calorie) expenditure by an efficient strength training program. You don't have to rely simply on calorie-reduction in order to achieve your weight loss goals.

Aerobic Exercise

If you want to lose weight, cardio-aerobic exercise is one of the best types of physical activity. It also provides a range of general health and fitness benefits.
Aerobic exercise is any extended activity that makes you breathe hard while using the large muscle groups at a regular, even pace. Aerobic activities help make your heart stronger and more efficient. They also use more calories than other activities. Some examples of aerobic activities include:
Brisk walking, jogging, swimming, cycling, aerobic dancing, racket sports, skating (all types), skiing, using aerobic equipment, or general aerobic exercises.

Lose Weight with 3 x 10 Minute Sessions

You don't have to do 30 minutes of aerobics at every session. You can do 3 x 10 minute sessions and still achieve weight loss benefits.
Sources include: American College of Sports Medicine, (1995) Principles of Exercise Prescription, William & Wilkins, 5. Muscle size responses to strength training in young and older men and women. SM. Roth, FM. Ivey, GF. Martel, et al., J Am Geriatr Soc , 2001, vol. 49, pp. 1428-1433. National Institutes of Health. The National Women's Health Information Center, DHHS.
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Weight Loss Exercise