Whether you are obese or just need to lose a few pounds to get to your ideal weight, exercise must be part of the equation. There are multitudes of exercises that will make a difference, but it can become overwhelming when you aren’t sure where to begin. You may end up paying for costly personal trainer sessions at your local gym or end up taking no action at all. Our weight loss doctors can help.

If you’re new to the exercise world, you may want to break the process down into concepts before you settle on specific exercises or programs to help you lose weight. Here are three that will help point you in the right direction.

Keep It Real

Being realistic with your exercise goals, with your body and with your needs will help you lose weight faster. It’s wonderful to have lofty weight loss goals at the beginning, but more often than not, people tend to lose interest after a while or become discouraged because their goals and what they are capable of don’t match.

That’s not to say you shouldn’t be conscientious or pushes to achieve more, but if you are 75 pounds overweight and expect to run a 4-minute mile within 3 months, it probably isn’t going to happen. Take a look at the reality of your situation, be honest with yourself and create your weight loss plan accordingly.

Working Large Muscle Groups

Once you have created a plan, make sure it includes exercises that work the larger muscle groups in your body. These include your quadriceps, hamstrings, buttocks and back muscles. If weight loss is the goal and you have a lot of weight to lose in order to achieve it, spending time doing biceps curls isn’t going to make much of a dent. If you are using resistance training in your weight loss plan, exercises like squats, leg presses, rowing, lat pulldowns and deadlifts will work the larger muscles and give you the most bang for your buck.

Stick to What You Love

Finding exercises that you actually enjoy will help you stick to a plan and achieve the highest level of weight loss. This may involve taking classes like yoga or martial arts, lifting weights, walking and hiking or playing a sport. Swimming is another exercise that works larger muscle groups and is effective for overweight participants.

Following these concepts will help you reach your weight loss goals, but whatever concepts, methods or techniques you choose, it is important to remember that you have to make it happen. Our team at Optimal Body is here to help.