Which Exercise Is Best For Weight Loss?

01 May Which Exercise Is Best For Weight Loss?

Posted at 06:26h in Weight Loss by

As a clinic specialising in weight loss, we often get asked by our clients if there’s a best exercise for boosting fat loss. One that will increase the speed at which our clients lose weight while following their nutrition plan. 

We have worked with hundreds of clients to help them lose weight. We’re always interested to know whether our clients are exercising and the extent to which it’s impacting their weight loss progress.

HOW MUCH DOES EXERCISE REALLY IMPACT WEIGHT LOSS?

First, let’s take a look at the extent to which exercise impacts weight loss. The evidence to support exercise having a significant effect on weight loss is not as clear cut as you may think.

Here is a review of the evidence by our colleague cardiologist Dr Aseem Malhotra. Aseem states that ‘a growing body of scientific evidence shows that exercise alone has almost no effect on weight loss’. He points to researchers who reviewed surveys of millions of American adults found that physical activity increased between 2001 and 2009, but the rise in exercise was matched by an increase in obesity in almost every state studied. Another study published in the New England Journal of Medicine in 2011 found that people who simply dieted experienced greater weight loss than those who combined diet and exercise.

HOW IS THIS THE CASE?

There are a couple of reasons for this. Firstly, when people exercise they stimulate their appetite, which often results in them eating more than they would have without working out. People also tend to overestimate how many calories they’ve burned and overcompensate by consuming more calories than they have burned exercising.

BEYOND THE BURN

Despite the fact that exercise may not have much of a direct impact on fat loss, it has many health benefits and can support your weight loss in other ways. Regular exercise will support your bone health, muscle mass and your metabolic heath in general. It also has positive benefits for your mental health.

Beyond burning calories, there is another, potentially more significant way in which exercise can support your weight loss attempts. When we exercise we naturally release endorphins. These are peptides designed to inhibit pain. They’re released in response to pain but also when we exercise. Endorphins can create a feeling of elation and elevated mood (which is no surprise, given they are opioid peptides!) Exercise is also energising. When we feel good as a result of exercising, it can reduce the desire to seek out food to make us happy and boost our energy.

FIND WHAT WORKS FOR YOU

There are certain exercises that will boost your metabolism more significantly than others. However, the best exercise we can recommend is the one that’s right for you. You could choose to go all out and do multiple HIIT classes per week, but is that sustainable? Instead, consider what you enjoy. Can you identify a form of exercise that you have fun doing and that leaves you feeling good afterwards? What are you most likely to stick to long term? 

SWITCH IT UP

There are so many ways to exercise, even if you’re not keen on the gym. Personally, I like variety so as well as working out with my trainer, I play tennis and do spin classes. I walk my dog daily and do a longer run with her a couple of times a week.

If you struggle to motivate yourself to exercise, find a way to create accountability. Consider getting a trainer, book a class or find a friend to exercise with. Accountability can make a real difference when it comes to staying committed and consistency is the key. Find something / things you enjoy, get into a regular habit and you’ll soon make regular exercise part of your routine. 

Try this quick and easy workout video in the morning to get you started on your fitness journey.

WORK WITH US

If you are looking to lose weight, we can help you overcome your weight challenges, reach your happy weight and maintain it long term. Book yourself in for a complimentary 25 mintue call or contact us and a member of our team will be in touch soon. We can talk through your challenges and explore whether one of our Intelligent Weight Loss programmes is right for you.

Print page
0 Likes


LINDA ROBINSON

Linda is our Practice Coordinator, helping to keep the clinic running smoothly.

 

Originally from Texas, Linda completed her MBA at SDA Bocconi in Milan. Linda has worked as a Strategy Consultant across multiple industries globally in cities including Kyoto, Paris, Chicago and San Francisco. She developed an interest in nutrition whilst volunteering for an organisation that provides cooking and nutrition education to children and families.

Linda is now settled in London with her husband, two children, and her very bouncy, sociable dog.

SARAH LAW

Sarah has worked with hundreds of clients over the past decade to help them live in a healthy body that they feel confident in.


Sarah spent a large part of her teens and 20’s as a professional dancer battling with orthorexia and an unhealthy relationship with food and her body. This created a desire to understand the human body more so she could finally cut through the confusion and end the cycle of yoyo dieting. This fuelled her passion to help other women do the same.

 

Sarah specialises in supporting women who are struggling to lose weight due to underlying health issues. She’s helped many women manage their weight during and after the menopause, as well as clients with thyroid disease and immune system dysfunction. Sarah loves food and sharing healthy recipes with her clients. Her aim is to ensure that clients don’t feel deprived and instead, achieve their weight loss and health goals in a positive and sustainable way.

 

To enquire about working with Sarah, please contact us.

AILSA HICHENS

 

Ailsa is one of our most experienced practitioners. She specialises in helping clients to lose weight, develop a healthy relationship with food and finally feel comfortable in their skin. Ailsa’s mission is for everyone she works with to enjoy the journey and that working with a nutritionist should not be a punishment, but your access to a new possibility.

 

Ailsa is not only an experienced weight loss nutritionist, she is also a skilled coach. She helps our clients overcome emotional eating, destructive habits and self-sabotaging behaviours that have prevented successful weight loss in the past. Ailsa has spent years in clinic working with clients who have experienced yo-yo dieting and have discovered that long term weight loss is not just about eating less until you can stand it no longer.

 

Working with Ailsa you will be comprehensively supported, not only in improving your nutrition and lifestyle, but also your eating habits and your relationship with food. When you work on all these elements together, the results can be truly astonishing.

 

To enquire about working with Ailsa, please contact us.

Test Nikki is our Practice Manager, managing our team of practitioners and heading up the day-to-day running of the business. Nikki is involved in the strategic development of our practice, coming from a strong business background in town planning. A Florida girl, Nikki relocated to the UK in 2014 with her husband and two children.

NIKKI ANDRIANI

Nikki is our Practice Manager, managing our team and heading up the day-to-day running of our clinic.

 

Coming from a background in town planning, Nikki is involved in the strategic development of our practice, continually ensuring we are delivering the very best service to our clients.


A Florida girl, Nikki relocated to the UK in 2014 where she lives with her husband, two children, and her rescue dog Skyy.

STÉPHANIE ACHAR

Stéphanie is a skilled nutritional therapist and functional medicine practitioner with additional training in eating disorders, disordered eating and obesity. She believes that working towards both physiological and mental health is key in achieving optimum wellbeing.

 

Stéphanie’s personal experience of emotional eating and the ongoing struggle to find the right support led her to combine the science of nutrition with behavioural coaching to motivate and empower her clients. She specialises in helping people who struggle with their weight and their relationship with food. She helps them develop a healthier and more peaceful relationship with food and their bodies.

 

To enquire about working with Stéphanie, please contact us.

INNA WEARN

Inna is passionate about supporting women on their journey to improved health and wellbeing. She believes that the solution to effective weight loss does not lie in ever more restrictive diets, but a more sophisticated approach that optimises health and vitality, as well as promoting effective weight loss.

 

Working with Inna you will benefit from her in-depth knowledge of female health and hormones. She will support you in developing a healthy diet, lifestyle and mindset that ensures you reach your ideal weight and maintain it in the years to come.

 

Inna is passionate about food with a wide repertoire of delicious healthy recipes and meal ideas to ensure your weight loss journey is as enjoyable as possible!

 

To enquire about working with Inna, please contact us.

ANIA MASON

 

Ania is a firm believer that improving your health and losing weight should be a positive, empowering journey, not one centred around deprivation.

 

After being diagnosed with two autoimmune conditions in her twenties, Ania spent several years educating herself on the power of food and nutrition. She put it all into practise and changed her diet and lifestyle, reversing her endometriosis and thyroid disease. After experiencing such a significant improvement in her health, Ania had a big desire to help others. She embarked on a four year journey to study nutrition, graduating from the Institute for Optimum Nutrition with distinction.

 

Ania specialises in autoimmunity and works with clients who have underlying health issues preventing successful weight loss. Her expertise enables her to successfully support our clients with conditions such as hypothyroidsm (underactive thyroid), PCOS and diabetes. 

 

To enquire about working with Ania, please contact us.

Get weekly weight loss & wellness updates.

Subscribe and receive your free download:

 

7 STEPS TO INTELLIGENT WEIGHT LOSS