How to Lose Weight With Daily Gym Workouts

It is true that overtraining can lead to fatigue and the possibility of getting injured, but you do not need to always work out at a high intensity. Just by going to the gym and doing something every day, you will always keep your body and mind geared toward weight loss. Couple your daily visits with a healthy eating plan and proper sleep to maximize your results.

Step 1

Start your workouts with dynamic stretches to loosen up your connective tissues. Perform side bends, heel lifts, arm crossovers, shoulder circles, forward leg swings, reverse lunges and alternating toe touches to target your whole body. Aim for 10 to 12 reps with each stretch.

Step 2

Choose a type of cardio machine you like. Spend one to two minutes on each machine, learning how to start it and use it properly. Pick the one that you like the best. Deploy the services of a personal trainer or staff member for assistance if need be.

Step 3

Perform a cardiovascular workout four days a week. Step onto your machine and begin exercising at a light pace for five minutes to slowly raise your core body temperature. Increase your speed to a point at which you are breaking a sweat and stay there for the rest of your workout. To lose weight, the Centers for Disease Control recommends 60 to 90 minutes of cardio per session.

Step 4

Step into the weight room to build muscle. Lift weights two days a week on nonconsecutive days to increase your resting metabolic rate and burn more calories around the clock. Do exercises that target as much of your body as possible, such as bench presses, shoulder presses, lat pulldowns, tricep pushdowns, bicep curls and leg presses. Perform 10 to 12 reps and do three or four sets of each exercise. Keep your rest breaks 60 seconds or less to keep your heart rate up.

Step 5

Attend yoga classes twice a week. When you feel less stressed, you may find it easier to stick with healthy eating and exercise habits. Do yoga on your days off from cardio and weight training. This will also improve your flexibility and allow your muscles time to recover.

Tip

Dynamic stretching gets your body warmed up for exercising motions.

If you like a group atmosphere, substitute one or two of your cardio days a week with a cardio class geared for fat burning. Your gym may offer step aerobics, kickboxing, Latin dance or a toning class.

If you do not like yoga, see if your gym offers any other type of mind and body classes, such as tai-chi or meditative breathing.

Warning

Check with your health-care provider before beginning an exercise program for the first time or if you have been away from fitness programs for a while, or if you have any chronic health issues.