If you want to lose weight, your exercise routine needs to include strength training in order to build lean muscle, said Granderson. She explained that lean muscle is metabolically active, meaning that it draws energy from our fat stores throughout the day in order to function. "The more lean muscle we possess, the more calories we burn at rest, which will result in a lower body fat content." Dr. Huether added that resistance training increases basal metabolic rate (BMR) by about five percent for up to 48 hours.
Williford added that strength or resistance training will not only help you lose weight, but it will help you tone and change the shape of your body.
As for cardio, ACSM's guideline is to complete 150 to 300 minutes of activity per week at a moderate intensity. The higher the intensity, the less cardio that you will have to complete to achieve the same benefits. Granderson recommends high-intensity interval training (HIIT), which gets your heart rate up in a shorter amount of time.
Performing exercise that kicks metabolism into gear is responsible for afterburn, allowing our bodies to burn more calories up to one to two hours after the workout is complete. Dr Huether agreed and pointed out this study that shows how just six minutes of HIIT training can increase calorie burn for the following 36 hours.
For a balanced weekly workout routine, McGreer said you can focus on strength training three days per week and cardiovascular interval training (such as HIIT) the other two. Make sure you enjoy it, though! Williford warned that boredom can make you give up on exercise, so she said to find workouts you like and build your exercise routine around them.