How to Use Exercise Equipment for Weight Loss

Using exercise equipment is one of the most effective means of weight loss, whether you do it at home or at a gym. Combine healthy eating habits with consistent exercise, and it's possible to give yourself the body you've always dreamed of.

Difficulty:

Moderately Challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• Swim noodle
• Elliptical
• Step
• Treadmill
• Exercise bike

1. Use a treadmill to walk or run for long periods of time (preferably at least 20 to 30 minutes). During that time, adjust the treadmill to change the height of your ascent. Doing so increases the weight loss potential of walking and running.

2. Ride an exercise bike for 30 minutes or more. The exercise bike has, in general, a lower impact on your muscles and joints, making it possible to go for greater distances. Greater distances equal more weight loss.

3. Swim using one of the exercise "noodles," which are foam flotation devices. They may not seem like they do much, but holding them underwater actually requires a lot more strength than you would think, and continued use helps to burn more calories.

4. Jump on an elliptical, a terrific weight loss machine that helps simulate running while removing the impact on your feet and knees. You can adjust the resistance and the incline to help increase your heart rate, which in turn increases the fat burn. Some ellipticals even have a "Fat Burn" setting which makes the adjustments automatically.

5. Take an aerobics class that features a "stepper," a single step that appears more like a very stout bench. Using a step or two steps joined together really increases your heart rate, burning a much larger amount of calories.

Be Smart About Using Exercise Equipment

1. Adjust your diet to help improve results. This is often the hardest step and involves no exercise equipment, but it is crucial in order to see true weight loss. Lower your caloric and fat intake according to your doctor's recommendations.

2. Precede each exercise session with at least 15 minutes of aerobic exercise, such as jogging, biking or working out on an elliptical. This increases your heart rate and will help maintain it throughout the exercise regimen. It's often a good idea to do some form of aerobic exercise each and every day, just to help increase your metabolism.

3. Do low-weight exercises, but try to perform more sets of each exercise. The idea is that you will continue to build strength without increasing your muscle mass too much (which would in turn increase your weight). Low weight also means that you will be able to exercise for a longer period of time without fatiguing your muscles.

4. Use ankle weights whenever you are jogging or walking or simply as part of your exercise routine. This slight increase in resistance will actually have great effect on your weight-loss results over time, without adding a tremendous amount of stress to your workout.

5. Focus more on endurance than on weight training while under a regimen for weight loss. Endurance training requires that you burn a lot more calories than you would through simple weight training alone. In addition, endurance training will help prepare you for when you increase the stress levels of your exercise program.

Tips & Warnings

• Pace yourself! You can't expect to see results overnight. It's going to take a long time and lots of effort in order to really see lasting results. The healthiest weight loss level is roughly 1 to 2 pounds per week.

• Seek professional advice if you are obese or grossly overweight. A doctor and a personal trainer can help you determine the most effective and safest exercise regimen for your body type.

Resources

• Home fitness equipment at FitBuy.com
• Exercise equipment at GymSource.com