What's the Best Exercise to Lose Weight and Tone Up?

Getting toned by way of weight loss is a goal many of us aspire to achieve. It is a challenge that requires plenty of discipline and consistency. With some effort, you will see changes in your physique in just a few months. Most people on the path of getting toned are aware that this involves following an appropriate diet plan and exercise routine.

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How to Diet and Exercise to Tone Your Body

When it comes to following a diet, you should stay away from fads and claims of big results in a short span of time. It’s not wise to completely cut out carbs or fats either. You need to get all your nutrients in, macros and micros.

To achieve weight loss, you should eat a calorie-deficient diet with moderate carb intake and high protein intake. Getting adequate fats is also important. These quantities vary from person to person depending on age, sex, height, lifestyle, activity levels, etc. Carbs are used to fuel your body, and they are stored in your muscles as energy for later. Protein repairs damaged muscles and tissue, strengthening and sculpting them. Fats are required to facilitate the absorption of all these macros, including micronutrients such as essential vitamins and minerals.

Of course, exercise goes hand-in-hand with diet. The common misconception is that only cardio results in weight loss. However, strength training is not only helpful but also essential while trying to lose weight. It provides several benefits including:

• Retaining muscle mass

• Retaining strength

• Increasing bone mineral density

• Burning more calories

• Boosting metabolism

Studies have shown that the body burns more calories while at rest after strength training, than it does post cardio. In this way, it boosts metabolism and speeds up weight loss.

That being said, cardio does burn more calories, which gives it the upper hand as far as weight loss is concerned. However, it’s not the conventional cardio exercises like running and cycling that work best here. HIIT, or high-intensity interval training, has been proven to be more effective at toning the body, than low-intensity, steady-state cardio, or LISS.

During HIIT, the body relies on its anaerobic sources of energy to fuel itself, burning more calories than it would while performing aerobic exercise. Due to this factor, HIIT is more effective in burning calories and shedding fat.

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To sum it up, the best way to approach exercise for weight loss is a combination of strength training and cardio. But it will not produce the desired result if your diet isn’t controlled or modified. Maintaining a small deficit in calories over weeks will improve your physique and overall health.