Aerobics and weight loss

Aerobic exercises are brisk exercises, such as running or swimming, that make your heart and lungs work hard, increasing the amount of oxygen circulating through your blood. When combined with a low-calorie diet, aerobics can lead to significant weight loss. To lose weight with aerobics, you'll need to burn more calories than you consume and exercise regularly. Gradually increase the duration and intensity of your aerobic workouts for even greater weight loss.

Your Current Weight

Your current weight might impact the amount of weight you lose doing aerobics. The more you weigh, the more calories you'll burn with aerobics. For example, a 200-pound person who does low-impact aerobics for 1 hour will burn approximately 450 calories, while a 130-pound person who does the same will burn about 300 calories. This is because your weight is a factor in determining your basal metabolic rate -- the higher your weight, the more calories you'll typically burn. Over a month, assuming extra calories aren't consumed, the 200-pound person will lose about 4 pounds, while the 130-pound person will lose approximately 2.5 pounds.

 

Type of Aerobics

The type of aerobics you do also affects the number of calories you burn and how much weight you lose. Low-impact aerobics are easier on the joints and burn less calories than high-impact aerobic activities. Low-impact aerobics are a good choice for individuals who are older, obese or pregnant. A 150-pound person who does high-impact aerobics for an hour will burn approximately 480 calories, while the same person doing low-impact aerobics for an hour will burn about 340 calories. Extremely intense aerobic activities, such as a Zumba and spinning, can burn up to 800 calories an hour.

Time and Frequency

The amount of time you spend doing aerobics will also affect the amount of weight you lose. If you weigh 150 pounds and do high-impact aerobics for 30 minutes three times each week, you'll lose a little less than a pound over a month. On the other hand, if you do high-impact aerobics for an hour six days a week, you'll lose over 3 pounds each month. Keep in mind that in order to lose 1 pound in a week, you must burn 500 more calories than you consume every day.