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How To Exercise To Lose Weight

By: Kathy Gleason

Break Studios Contributing Writer

Learning how to exercise to lose weight is a goal for many people. In addition to being helpful for weight control, exercise can also benefit your health and mental outlook. The basic strategy of using exercise to lose weight is simple and can be implemented in many different ways.

  1. To lose a pound, you need to burn off 3,500 calories. In order to lose a pound a week, this translates to 500 calories a day. You can use whatever exercise you like to burn calories, such as running, swimming or sports.
  2. To lose weight, you need to burn more calories than you take in. For instance, if you want to lose weight and you consume 2,500 calories a day, you need to work off more than that per day. If you consume 2,500 calories a day, and your daily activities only burn 2,000, you will gain weight.
  3. You can use exercise alone to lose weight. However, combining a vigorous exercise program and better eating habits will help you lose weight faster.
  4. To figure out how many calories you burn, look for health websites online that offer calorie burning calculator tools. Find out how many calories are burned by your everyday activities. You can also purchase a little gizmo that clips to your belt or fits in your pocket that will calculate steps taken and calories burned over the course of a day. These products are usually available in sporting goods stores.

Although most people can perform some sort of exercise, always talk to your doctor before you start a workout program using exercise to lose weight. Be honest about your health concerns and goals so your doctor can advise you correctly on your best course of action.

Posted on: Aug. 23, 2010