Women Need Different Weight Loss Workouts Because Each Woman Is Unique

A weight loss workout routine can help replace the holiday joy that’s now behind you! For many of us, the holidays are a time of joy, fellowship, and food … lots and lots of food.

So, it’s no surprise that each January folks flock to the gym or frantically seek out the best way to lose weight that they gained over the holiday season. 

Honestly, as crazy as the New Year’s fitness rush can be it’s not the only time of the year that people seek the best ways to lose weight. 

It is estimated that half of all adults in America attempt to lose weight each year. As we consult Google for “the best workouts to lose weight” it can be hard to weed through all of the information to find the right answer. 

Keep reading to get the straight scoop on how to kickstart your weight loss after the holidays, or any time of the year for that matter.

How Weight Loss Works

Before we dive into the “whats,” it’s important to understand the “hows” when it comes to weight loss.

Weight loss always boils down to one important equation: calories in versus calories out.

In order to successfully lose unwanted weight, you must burn more calories than you consume. A healthy diet is critical to keeping your calorie consumption in a healthy range.  

When it comes to calorie intake, not all foods are created equal. If you need a quick reference for some ideas for healthy snacks to help get your nutrition off to a good start, check out this post by Senior Coach Stefanie with tons of yummy and healthy options. 

Now that we have gotten nutrition out of the way, let’s chat about activity. Once you have established how many calories you consume daily, you must burn more calories than you eat. This is called being in a caloric deficit. 

There are several factors that go into your daily calorie burn and the first factor is your BMR. Your BMR or Basal Metabolic Rate is the daily amount of calories your body expends just by being alive and breathing. Score! 

The second factor is how many calories you burn through physical activity – which can look very different depending on what type of activity you choose. 

General activities such as walking, cleaning the house, or chasing kiddos or animals will burn calories, but if you really want to kick it up a notch, you will need to implement a regular workout schedule.  

When choosing how to exercise, it can be hard to know what option will be the best workout to lose weight. Truth is, weight loss workouts can look like many different things. 

Intensity is key when it comes to burning calories and losing weight. What type of exercise you choose will determine what type of results you will achieve, whether you want to focus on burning fat, building muscle, or a little of both. 

Cardio Workouts For Weight Loss

Cardio = aerobics. Aerobic exercise doesn’t just include your mom’s Jane Fonda VHS tapes up in the attic (although a classic favorite!). The term aerobic exercise by definition means brisk exercise that promotes the circulation of oxygen through the blood and is associated with an increased rate of breathing. 

The purpose of cardiovascular exercise is two-fold: to strengthen your heart and to burn excess fat. Getting in the fat-burning zone is determined by your intensity and can be measured by your heart rate in an active state. 

Cardio can be performed at a steady-state, or as high-intensity interval training or HIIT. 

Steady-state cardio is performing your chosen activity at the same intensity level for a specific amount of time, typically around 45-60 minutes per session. 

High-Intensity Interval Training refers to cycling through short intervals of low intensity and high-intensity bursts. Because you are required to work at such a high level of intensity, HIIT sessions are shorter clocking anywhere between 15 and 30 minutes per session. 

Both methods are equally important and effective when it comes to working out for weight loss.

Some great types of cardio to try include:

• Running outdoors or on a treadmill
• Cardio machines such as step mill, elliptical, and rowing machine.
• Aerobic classes such as Zumba, cardio kickboxing, or even mom’s Jane Fonda tapes.
• LadyBossⓇ AfterBurn at Home workouts that can be found in the Pocket Personal Trainer.

Strength Training For Weight Loss

Strength = muscle and strength training put the focus on just that: building healthy muscle tissue. For years many women were discouraged by strength training for fear that they would bulk up and look too manly, but that myth has been dispelled and couldn’t be further from the truth. 

And, strenght training is also a weight loss workout!

Strength training through weights and/or bodyweight exercises is essential for building lean muscle and achieving the toned, sexy look most women are after. The benefits of strength training go far beyond aesthetics. 

Having more lean muscle mass actually fires up your metabolism and helps you burn more calories even while at rest. 

If you’ve heard the term “muscle weighs more than fat” you may be wary of training to increase lean muscle mass but the truth is while the pounds lost may not reflect on the scale, your body composition changes will help keep you feeling fit, strong, and sexy. 

Flexibility Training For Weight Loss

Forms of exercise that focus on flexibility such as yoga and pilates, or even a great stretch session is an amazing addition to your workout routine.

Staying limber helps you avoid tight muscles that cause soreness from a tough workout, or even pain associated with muscular imbalances. Flexibility training also increases the range of motion in your joints and helps you move more fluidly and efficiently.  

Looser muscles and a great range of motion help increase your performance in all activities which means more calorie burn!

The weight loss workout benefits that flexibility training provides stretches beyond the physical (see what I did there?!). Meditative yoga and stretching reduce stress. 

Studies show that less stress equates to less emotional eating and drops in the stress hormone, cortisol. All the more reason to get stretchy!

Which Type of Exercise is Best For Weight Loss?

The secret to steady weight loss is consistency. All three types of workouts to lose weight listed above are equally important in terms of your overall health. 

Keep your workout routine fun and effective by trying something new each week. If you usually do steady-state cardio, try a HIIT workout. 

If you’re consistently lifting weights, add a yoga session into your weekly routine to help increase flexibility and reduce soreness and stress. 

The best workout for weight loss is the one that you will stick to! A healthy diet and regular workout plan will help you solve the calories in versus out equation and keep you healthy and happy!