Which sport is most effective for weight loss?

Which form of exercise is most effective for weight loss?

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Short answer: The best forms of exercise for weight loss are a combination of cardio and strength training. Running, swimming and HIIT burn the most calories, but the form of exercise that you can stick to every week always gives the best results.

Exercise enhances the effects of weight-loss medication and helps to preserve muscle mass whilst losing weight. But what are the best forms of exercise for weight loss? There is no one-size-fits-all answer, as it depends on your starting point, your preferences and how you exercise in combination with your treatment. In this blog post, you can read what the research says about the most effective forms of exercise, and why the best form of exercise is ultimately the one you can stick to.

What makes a form of exercise effective for weight loss?

A form of exercise is effective for weight loss if it helps you create an energy deficit, preserve muscle mass and stick with it in the long term. Calorie expenditure is only part of the picture: the effects on hormones, muscle mass and recovery are at least as important. As the guidelines based on this evidence state, the total volume of exercise over time is more important than the intensity during a single training session. Consistency is the most underestimated variable in any training programme.

Which sports burn the most calories for weight loss?

Running, rowing, swimming and cycling are among the sports with the highest calorie burn per hour. A comprehensive review study shows that aerobic exercise consistently leads to weight loss and fat burning in overweight individuals, particularly when the intensity and duration are sufficiently high. The absolute calorie burn varies greatly from person to person, depending on body weight, fitness level and training intensity. Someone who has only just started exercising often burns relatively more calories during the same activity than someone who has been training for a long time, simply because of their higher body weight.

Why is strength training crucial for weight loss?

Strength training is crucial because it preserves muscle mass whilst you are losing weight, and muscles increase your resting metabolic rate. Comparative studies show that strength training not only improves body composition but also has a positive effect on metabolic markers such as insulin sensitivity. This is particularly relevant when using GLP-1 medications, where appetite suppression can sometimes lead to insufficient protein intake: without enough protein and muscle stimulation, you lose not only fat but also muscle mass. Two to three strength training sessions per week are sufficient to achieve this effect.

Is walking enough to lose weight?

Walking is an excellent starting point, particularly for people who have just started or have limited fitness. Calorie expenditure per hour is lower than with more intense forms of exercise, but the cumulative effect over several days is significant. If you want to know how many steps a day help with weight loss, the answer is nuanced: more steps help, but regularity and pace also play a part. For people who are already active, it is best to combine walking with another form of exercise to enhance the results.

What is HIIT and does it work well for weight loss?

HIIT stands for High-Intensity Interval Training: short bursts of maximum effort alternated with recovery periods. A meta-analysis showed that HIIT improves insulin sensitivity and aids fat burning, even compared with prolonged moderate-intensity cardio training. The advantage is that it is time-efficient: a twenty-minute session can produce similar effects to an hour of moderate-intensity cardio training. Anyone using GLP-1 medication should avoid scheduling HIIT immediately after an injection or a meal, as intense exercise can increase the risk of nausea.

What is the best sport when you’ve just started?

The best sport when you’re just starting out is one that’s easy to get into and carries a low risk of injury. Walking, cycling or swimming are good choices as they are gentle on the joints and easy to build up gradually. As the guidelines based on this evidence state, it is more effective to build up an exercise routine over weeks and months than to start intensively and give up prematurely. Start with three sessions a week for thirty minutes, and gradually add strength training once your body has got used to the exertion.

How do you combine exercise with weight-loss medication?

Combining exercise with weight-loss medication enhances the effect on weight loss, but requires practical consideration. GLP-1 medicines such as semaglutide, liraglutide and tirzepatide can cause side effects such as nausea or diarrhoea, particularly when the dose is increased. Intense exercise immediately after an injection or shortly after a meal can exacerbate these side effects, so it is best to schedule your training sessions for a different time. Tirzepatide also increases the heart rate by an average of three to five beats per minute, which is relevant during higher-intensity cardio training: bear this in mind when assessing the strain on your body. Adequate fluid intake is particularly important if you are combining exercise with medicines that may cause gastrointestinal side effects.

Diet and lifestyle when using GLP-1 also play a role here: the appetite-suppressing effect of GLP-1 medicines can sometimes make it difficult to consume enough protein. Without sufficient protein intake in conjunction with exercise, you will lose not only fat but also unwanted muscle mass. Make sure you consume at least 1.2 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day, spread across your meals, and discuss this with your treating doctor. The Pharmacotherapeutic Compass highlights this interaction between diet, muscle preservation and medication use as a relevant part of treatment.

The best sport is the one you can keep up with

Theory is valuable, but you do exercise with your body, not with a spreadsheet. Research shows that the combination of HIIT and strength training is most effective for both fat loss and metabolic health, but this combination only works if you do it every week. Someone who walks briskly three times a week and does light strength training twice a week achieves better results than someone who starts an intensive training programme once in a while and gives up after two weeks.

At Goodweigh, we don’t just look at weight-loss medication, but at the bigger picture: diet, exercise and guidance. Through personalised weight-loss guidance, your treatment team will help you incorporate exercise in a way that suits your life, your body and your pace. Would you like to find out more? Take a look at the Goodweigh programme and discover how we guide you.

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