You don’t have to exercise for hours every day though. In fact, one of the most effective exercises for weight loss should only be done every other day or every two days. While stretching and walking can and should happen every day, adding a surge-type exercise two to four times a week will help your body make the switch from burning carbohydrates for energy to burning fat. While you are exercising your body will burn carbohydrates, but thirty to sixty minutes after your workout your body switches to burning fat. The effects of a surge workout can last from 24-48 hours after working out, which is why you want to give your body some recovery time in between workouts.

What is Surge Training?

Surge exercises are characterized by bursts of activity that raise your heart rate interspersed with periods of rest that allow your heart rate to return to normal.

People who study centenarians, or people who live to be 100 years old or more, have discovered some similarities. These similarities are not genetic, and they are not related to nutrition. They are related to movement. The areas that boast the most centenarians are hilly areas, and the people living there walk up and down those hills almost every day. Walking hills gives you a surge-type exercise, because your heart rate increases as you climb the hill and then you have a break as you go down.

If you live in a hilly area, by all means take advantage of the workout there! But if you are still under stay at home orders, or prefer to exercise at home, there are many ways to get the effects of this type of exercise without leaving home. In fact, there are ways to get these effects without even leaving your chair. Running in place, or even pumping your arms vigorously in your chair, can get your heart rate up. Increase your heart rate until you’re feeling it’s a little difficult to breathe, and then take a break, about 20 seconds of activity followed by 20 seconds of rest. Do four sets of this, and then take a two to three minute break to allow your heart rate to return to normal. Then repeat this cycle two or three more times. That’s it. You don’t need special workout clothes or equipment. You don’t even need shoes! It can be done in twenty minutes or less. Your body and brain will be energized, and this energy will help you make the most of your day. 

Some other forms of surge exercises are high-intensity interval training workouts, some kinds of weight training, sprints or hills, and even just walking faster and pumping your arms for a couple of minutes while you’re on your regular walk. It really is the easiest and most effective way to reap the benefits of movement for weight loss. 

Before beginning any new exercise program, it is important to consult with your health care provider, especially if you’ve been inactive or if you have underlying health conditions. 

We know by now that 80-90% of weight loss is due to nutrition, but did you also know that only 9% of the population can maintain their weight without exercising? Exercise is an important part of a healthy lifestyle because it changes the way your body metabolizes the food you eat.