Many women struggle with expanding hips and waistlines, especially as they age. Eating a nutritious diet and participating in activities that promote calorie burning can help with weight loss. The best workout program for you depends on your current level of health, fitness goals and individual interests. Consult your doctor before you begin your new workout program, especially if you have any health problems or medical conditions.
Water Workouts
Water exercises are beneficial to women of various fitness levels. Water provides resistance and buoyancy, elements that promote calorie burning while providing a level of comfort for women with physical complaints due to aging, arthritis or pregnancy. Join a water aerobics class or start your own workout with simple water walking exercises. Stand at chest level in a swimming pool and march quickly to the opposite side. Increase your calorie burn by swinging your arms back and forth from your shoulders. Add resistance tools, such as ankle weights and hand fins, to increase the difficulty of your water workout. Build up to about 20 minutes of continuous exercise, repeating your water workout at least three times each week.
Walking
Not all weight reduction workouts require special equipment. Walking is an effective way to manage your weight, improve your mood, lower your blood pressure and reduce your risk of type 2 diabetes. Start slowly and build up to include at least 30 to 60 minutes of walking in your daily activities most days of the week. Increasing the intensity and duration of your walks can increase the amount of calories you burn. Begin each walking session with about five minutes of slow walking to warm up your muscles. Follow with five minutes of stretching, focusing on your calves, quadriceps, hamstrings and sides. Follow your brisk walk with five minutes of slow walking, ending with five additional minutes of stretching.
Weight-training
While some women worry that working out with weights may result in bulky muscles, this type of resistance training can encourage your body to burn fat, even while you rest. According to Women’s Health, strength training can help boost your metabolism by increasing muscle tissue. Begin by incorporating three weight-training sessions into each week. For the best calorie burn, include moves that incorporate several groups of muscles such as squats and lunges. Perform about 12 repetitions using weights heavy enough to make your final repetition difficult to complete.
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