With an entire area of science dedicated to the art of fitness and movement you think this question would be relatively simple to answer.

It’s also big business, many companies have declared their products to be ‘the best’ to rid you of unwanted extra weight, but there is a reason they are designed to roll under the bed, you soon lose interest and become bored. It’s this boredom that causes more weight gain than any tasty treats alone!

The best exercise to lose weight is movement, the harder, faster, longer and more often the better and it definitely need not cost a cent.

Adding music, companionship and laughter can often help turn exercise from a tedious chore into an enjoyable experience.

The key is to find a workout that gets you up, out and motivated and to do this you must enjoy it.

A sports physiologist may be able to tell you specifically the all-time best routine to drop kilos, they could describe the immediate benefits you can expect to experience, how many calories you will burn and the long term positive effects.

The bottom line is if you don’t enjoy it, you won’t do it for any sustained periods or with any regular frequency.

Committing to a fitness routine is an important step when focusing on weight loss, maintaining this commitment faithfully is crucial. Sports science and kinesiology can lend us some valuable information to help us choose the activity or even activities that will work best with our individual preferences and fitness levels.

Exercise can generally be divided into two areas; aerobic and anaerobic, and these very different types of movement have equally different impacts upon our weight and physique.

Aerobic exercise is commonly called ‘cardio’ or cardiopulmonary exercise, and as the name suggests the heart and lungs are called upon to work harder. Common examples of aerobic exercise include playing sport, walking, biking, jogging, swimming, rowing, kickboxing, aerobic classes, and cross-country skiing (or elliptical training), any activity that makes your heart rate accelerate and your lungs work harder is considered good cardio.

Anaerobic exercise is generally resistance or strength training such as lifting weights and is essential to develop and tone muscle mass. Both types of activity are critical for weight loss and should feature together in any balanced program.

We know that in order to lose weight we need to create a calorie deficit, more out than in. Unfortunately we cannot simply stop putting fuel in, we can control our diet but without energy expenditure to complement, results will ultimately be poor.

Regular structured physical activity also helps control weight by boosting metabolism and increasing insulin sensitivity, it is also extremely effective at preventing many chronic diseases and relieving stress.

Developing lean muscle will not only improve your shape, but by improving your general tone your resting metabolic rate will be maintained higher.

The best way to achieve these results is to make exercise part of your daily routine and to make it fun!

Choose exercise that suits your physical capabilities while getting your heart rate into the target zone, this is where the real calorie burning occurs.

Mix up your routines frequently and focus on quality over quantity. Generally more energy is used during aerobic sessions, so forms of cardio are viewed traditionally as the preferred exercises for weight loss.

Duration and intensity are what make a great fat burning exercise; a 30 minute run will burn as many calories as an hour long walk, great for those who like to run, but let’s face it not all of us are built for speed!

Finding your ideal weight loss program means working with your capabilities, high impact training may not be suitable for everyone for a variety of reasons.

If you like to walk mix up your routine to include some hills and add hand weights.

Aim for shorter high intensity sessions more frequently for calorie burning, but don’t discount long and steady sessions.

Build up your capacity gradually to avoid injury and loss of interest, also don’t forget regular chores or activities are a great source of exercise, mowing the lawn, dancing with the kids or taking the stairs will all add to your fitness bank balance.

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