Which exercise is good for Weight Loss ? (Cardio Workout Vs Strength training Vs Yoga for weight loss)

Fitness is not about being better than others but to be better than yourself than your previous or current self. In that desire to lose weight  we often just end up copying some one . Your choice of  workout may be influenced by a celebrity you admire , or a friend or a relative or another family member . Let others not decide what will be good for your  fitness . Here in this article we will help you decide about which exercise is good for Weight Loss ? Cardio Workout v/s Strength training v/s Yoga for weight loss. Which exercise will benefit you more and lead you towards fitness.

It is a written fact that exercise is good for your mental health, good to unwind and manage stress. Studies show people who work out on a regular basis have up to a 50% lower risk of dying from host of illnesses.

These days most of us are leading a very sedentary yet very stressful lifestyle. People don’t have time for themselves. But as awareness of health and fitness is increasing people are finding time for themselves. There are so many fitness institutions available offering different forms of exercises. So we will help you decide which exercise is good for Weight Loss ? That is Cardio Workout v/s Strength training v/s Yoga for weight loss.

Which exercise is good for Weight Loss ?

The effects of exercise on weight loss or gain varies from person to person. Many of us experience fast weight loss or plateau where weight doesn’t budge or some may experience weight gain. This is mainly because each person takes up different workouts as per their comfort level. Also the lifestyle of each and every individual varies. All these have a combined effect on weight.

Aerobic exercises promote fat loss, strength training leads to toned body muscles and yoga increases flexibility. All these workouts have 1 major outcome of weight loss, but change in the body composition differs. The best tool to assess which exercise is good for weight loss is by measuring your waist and body fat percentage regularly.

Cardio Workout v/s Strength training v/s Yoga for weight loss. To decide which one is better , let us see each one of them separately .

Cardio workouts and weight loss:

Cardio workouts are everybody’s favourite fitness mantra. It is very effective for weight loss. Walking, jogging, cycling, swimming, Skipping, dance and zumba are categorized as cardio workouts.

How does Cardio workout help in weight loss?

• Cardio workouts increase your heart rate and push your heart to its maximum capacity.
• This in turn leads to burning of calories. Higher the intensity more are the calories burned.
• Cardio workouts focus on the fat loss in the body.
• The fuel required for cardio workouts uses fats as the source of energy.
• There is minimum or no effect on the muscle tissue for weight loss.
• Studies show cardio workout is beneficial for abdominal obesity.
• A mere half hour to 45 minutes workout 5 days a week shows a significant change in the body fat.
• It is also good to control your blood sugars and blood pressure.

Strength training And Weight loss :

Aerobic exercise leads to weight loss but is weak in toning muscles. It burns fat slow and does not  increase the lean body mass. Loss of muscle leads to slowing down of metabolism. This is when you reach a plateau where the weight gets stuck.

How does Strength training workout help in weight loss?

• Lifting weights tones the muscles and increases muscle strength.
• With age we tend to lose muscle mass and put on fat mass.
• Thus, taking up strength training prevents sarcopenia, a condition where you lose muscle mass during old age.
• More muscles ensures more burning of calories.
• This in turn reduces fat deposition of unwanted extra calories.
• Studies show the metabolic expense of a muscle is greater than of fat. The more muscle you have the more calories you burn even at rest.

It is also true that though you will experience fat loss, the scale will not show similar result. You might not show much loss on scale but you gain toned healthy fit muscle.

While doing strength training you can increase the intensity, reps, move quickly during each set and every few weeks increase the weight. Strength training doesn’t always mean to join gym. You can do home workouts without any fancy instruments. You can start with squats, lunges, plank, push ups and crunches. As you become more comfortable with increased reps you can add new exercises with help of certified professional.

Smart way to lose weight

• Adding small bouts of cardio workouts in between will further burn more calories.
• You can sprint for 5 minutes or spot jog for few minutes or start with jumping jacks or burpees.
• These will increase the heart rate and burn more fat for fuel along with increased metabolism of worked up muscles.

Strength training also prevents our skin from sagging after the major weight loss. Toned muscles give tensile strength to skin.

Yoga and Weight Loss:

Yoga is a beautiful harmony of body, mind and soul. It heals the body and treats the illnesses from its roots. Yoga refreshes mind and reduces stress. So while deciding Which exercise is good for Weight Loss ? (Cardio Workout v/s Strength training v/s Yoga for weight loss), Yoga is a win win .

How does Yoga help in weight loss?

• Yogasanas aim at cleansing your inner mechanism, strengthening the core, increasing stamina and flexibility and increasing your metabolic rate.
• Yoga involves twisting of the body, forward and backward bends, inversions that help to fire unused muscles and facilitate weight loss.
• The pranayama if performed daily first thing in the morning helps burn fats and makes lungs stronger day by day.
• This in turn boosts stamina and increases the metabolic rate of the body to lose weight.
• Like we all know suryanamaskar is most beneficial for weight loss. Not only just weight loss but also to treat back issues, joint problems, flexibility and immunity.
• Setubandhasana reduces fat below the belly and area under hips.
• Veerbhadrasana, shwanansana, bujangasana, pavanmuktasana, konasana are a few asanas to help weight loss that cover major fat deposit areas.
• Read –Top 10 yoga poses for weight loss.

Start with the basic asana and breathing techniques to kick start weight loss programme. Yoga will first target internal organs recovery and then switch to enhancing outer beauty of an individual. A proper guidance from a professional will give you a remarkable result.

Each and every aasana affects 1 or more areas of body.

 End note:

Before you decide Which exercise is good for Weight Loss ? (Cardio Workout v/s Strength training v/s Yoga for weight loss). You need to be clear about your fitness goal . Decide whether you are targeting fat loss or weight loss or muscle bulking or toning the body. Each and every exercise helps in all of the above but with various intensity. Even if any form of exercise is less effective for weight loss, it still has other beneficial effects for the body and brain. For healthy weight loss and toning of the body a perfect blend of each and every form of exercise will give magnificent results. Any workout is beyond just weight loss. It contributes in total mental and physical well being.