How Much Exercise Do You Need in a Day if You Want to Lose Weight?

Wondering how much daily movement you need to engage in in order to see weight loss results? It’s true that as we age, metabolism slows down, but it’s a snowball effect. The less you move, the slower your metabolism goes. However, once you start moving again, you can jump-start the calorieburning process. The CDC recommends 60 to 90 minutes of exercise per day. As explained in the linked article below, that 60 to 90 minutes doesn’t have to happen all at once. “Three brisk walks a day in the morning, afternoon and evening count as enough exercise to keep weight off, with moderate calorie reduction.”

The general rule of thumb is to ingest fewer calories than you burn off. But calorie counting does not hold appeal for a lot of people. In fact, it may even be so confounding that some just give up without even trying. A much better strategy is to relearn your approach to eating meals. Chewing slower, being mindful about the feeling of fullness... eating meals off a smaller plate and using fresh veggies as filler are a few ways to do portion control without having to count calories. Instill healthy eating practices for weight loss, without feeling obligated to turn every meal into a math project.

Most cardio machines like Stairmasters, ellipticals and bikes supply a readout of how many calories you’re burning and other important stats such as your heart rate. However, this may deter some people who do not feel confident in their athletic ability and are likely to lose focus when it comes to weight loss goals.

What if you aren’t able to sustain elevated heart rate as the cardio readout shows? This can cause some people to give up, but they don’t have to. If you’re the type who feels intimidated by the gym or is not likely to follow through with complicated exercise routines, then these readouts might actually become a procrastination tool for you instead of the motivator they’re billed as. No need to set yourself up for failure unnecessarily. It may just be easier to commit to a half an hour of cardio several times per week and leave it at that. Your plan to get moving can include a simple jog around the block, or trying out an aerobics class, exercise video, or other exercise like a dance class.

The truth is that not everyone is motivated by the numbers, and some might even find them off putting especially if they’re not mathminded.