Question:

Me and my husband have decided to start excersise daily to stay fit and reduce our weight. As we dont have time for morning walks we are planning to buy one at home. We are thinking of buying an aerobic cycle. Is this a good way to burn calories or should we go for a better machine like tread mills, eliptical etc? We both need to reduce our weight around our waist, thighs. For me I need to lose weight in my superhuge arms too. So do you think an aerobic cycle would be a good investment to lose weight around the areas that I`ve mentioned? Your advice will be highly appreciated. Thanks.

Answer:

A stationary cycle is an effective piece of home exercise equipment for those interested in starting to exercise and lose weight. Stationary cycles, treadmills, and ellipticals are all appropriate pieces of home exercise equipment. Although many fitness equipment companies will advertise that their particular equipment is the most effective for weight loss, no one piece of equipment is best at burning calories. Caloric expenditure is determined much more by how vigorously (intensity) and how (duration/time) long you exercise, not the type of exercise alone.

The most important consideration would be finding exercise equipment that you like and would be willing to do. I suggest trying out each type of equipment you mentioned to see which one is most comfortable and enjoyable for you. The best exercise is the one that you enjoy enough to continue. Start at low effort levels and durations and gradually progress to more challenging workouts as you become more fit and confident.

Finally, everyone interested in exercising for weight management or weight loss should recognize that combining exercise with sensible dietary changes is the most effective way to lose weight. Exercising or dieting alone is not as effective as combining the two.

If possible, talking with a registered dietician to get appropriate dietary advice in combination with exercise will help optimize your results.

For more information:

Go to the Exercise and Fitness health topic.