One of the primary reasons many people exercise is in order to lose a little weight. Some go about this by spending hours in the gym, running or biking their way to a slimmer frame. But is this the best way to go about dropping the pounds?

It is becoming more and more widely known that although there are fantastic benefits to cardiovascular exercise (namely exercising the heart and lungs), purely using this form of exercise may not be entirely effective for weight loss. In order to really achieve your goals, add lots of heavy resistance exercises in to you routine!

By making your muscles larger, the body has the capacity to burn many more calories each day simply to maintain itself. This is turn will mean the metabolic rate of the body is raised, thus helping weight loss. When combined with a healthy balanced diet, adding weight lifting into your regime can really make a big difference on the scales.

It is fairly well known that the benefits of exercise extend beyond the physical shape of the human body – there are numerous benefits for the mental health of the body too.

By increasing the amount of exercise a person does, they are immediately helping the body to deal with stress. Exercise releases chemicals called endorphins which make us feel happy. If you are going through a stressful time, try going out for a brisk walk – not only will the fresh air clear the mind, but the endorphins released will have you feeling calmer in no time.

It is also well known that exercise can help to improve the quality of sleep for a person. By exercising lightly during the day, the body becomes more prepared for sleep at night. It has also be found that people who exercise have deeper sleep and tend to have more regular sleep patterns. Sleep is important for the body to regenerate and to heal itself.