5 Exercise Tips to Lose Weight Fast

Do you want to lose weight? Whether it's to improve your physical appearance and reduce your risk of disease and illness, slimming down can help you achieve these and other goals. According to a Pew Research survey, more than half of all U.S. adults want to lose weight. Unfortunately, though, only a small percentage of these adults take tangible steps towards achieving a slimmer waistline. By following the five tips listed below, you'll have an easier time losing those unwanted pounds and achieving your desired target weight.

#1) Start With Cardio

The first step is to slimming down is to perform cardiovascular exercises. Whether you prefer to run, swim, cycle, play tennis, etc., cardio is essential in achieving and maintaining a healthy weight because of its ability to increase heart rate. With cardio, you'll burn more calories and fat, thereby increasing your chances of weight loss success.

#2) Don't Forget Resistance Training

A common mistake that men and women make when exercising to lose weight is focusing strictly on cardio. As previously mentioned, cardio is essential to weight loss, but that doesn't necessarily mean you should overlook resistance training exercises. On the contrary, including resistance training in your regimen will further increase your chances of success. This is because resistance training, such as lifting weights, encourages more muscle mass -- and you muscle tissue naturally burns more calories at rest than fat tissue.

#3) Track the Results

You can't expect lose weight unless you know exactly how much you weight from day to day. Therefore, it's important that you track the results of your weight loss regimen. Step on the scale to weigh yourself at the same time each day, making a note of this number on a piece of paper or your smartphone. If you

#4) Exercise in a Social Settings

Studies have shown that people work out harder and more efficiently in social settings. So, rather than exercising at home alone, consider going to the gym. You can find gym memberships as cheap as $20 per month, with some gyms offering one- or two-day passes for even less. By investing in a gym membership, you'll have access to a plethora of workout equipment in a social environment that stimulates your weight loss efforts and increases your chances of success.

#5) Get Sleep

Finally, try to get plenty of sleep. I know this is easier said than done for millions of people, but sleep is critical to your weight loss success. If you don't get enough sleep at night, or enough high-quality sleep, you'll wake the following morning feeling exhausted and fatigued. And when this occurs, you probably won't spend much time exercising.