If you are only just embarking on your weight loss journey, you may well be exploring how you can introduce more exercise into your routine. However, hitting the gym can feel intimidating. Joining a class might be off-putting if you don’t feel you’re that fit.
So, how can you start to introduce more movement into your weeks as part of a healthy weight loss program, perhaps alongside weight loss injections or other support?
The following are some of the best exercises to undertake when you are starting out on your weight loss journey. Remember, what works for you might be different to what works for others. Tailor your activity to suit you and your weight loss goals.
Walking
Walking is one of the best forms of exercise to introduce into your life when you are focusing on losing weight. Why? Because it’s so easy to incorporate for one.
Making simple changes to your routine – such as getting off the bus a couple of stops early, or walking to the supermarket instead of taking the car – can make more difference than you might imagine.
On average, we burn 200–350 calories per hour on a walk. Of course, how many calories you burn depends on the intensity of your exercise and whether it’s on flat or hilly terrain. You can use a calculator to work out how much you’re burning each day if that motivates you.
Strength training
This doesn’t mean going to the gym and reaching straight for the heaviest weights! In fact, you don’t have to go to the gym at all at the beginning of your weight loss journey.
There are a host of simple strength exercises you can easily perform at home each day and if you stick to a short routine you’ll notice that you get stronger relatively quickly. The likes of press ups and squats can be broken down into less strenuous movements.
As a result, you can start at whatever level suits your current fitness and build up from there. Eventually you might want to join a gym to access a range of weights and weighted equipment, but at the start of your journey that’s not a necessity!
Yoga
Depending on the type of yoga class you attend, you can burn a reasonable amount of calories while enjoying the added benefits to your mental wellbeing and flexibility. As with strength training, start at a level that suits you.
Join a gentle Hatha yoga class to learn the basics and understand how classes work. Once you build up your confidence, you might want to consider trying a stronger practice – such as Ashtanga or Vinyasa flow.
One of the best parts of yoga is that it works your mind as well as your body. When you’re focusing on holding a more challenging posture, often your mental noise quiets. You’re also combining movement with mindful breathing, which can help calm your nervous system and alleviate stress.
Given that research indicates chronic stress can contribute to weight gain, yoga could help you start to see changes in your weight because you feel less stressed, as well as because you are moving more.