The best overall exercise plan for weight loss is a combination of aerobic exercise, such as brisk walking, cycling or swimming, and full-body strength training twice a week.
If you want one exercise to start with, choose brisk walking. It is low impact, easy to repeat and simple to progress by walking for longer or adding a more demanding activity. A 2024 systematic review of 116 randomized trials involving 6,880 adults found that higher amounts of aerobic exercise were generally linked with lower body weight, waist circumference and body fat.
Exercise increases calorie use, but weight loss usually requires both regular activity and an eating pattern that reduces total calorie intake.
Best Exercises for Weight Loss at a Glance
| Exercise | Best for | Main limitation |
|---|---|---|
| Brisk walking | Beginners, consistency and lower-impact exercise | Takes more time than vigorous exercise |
| Cycling or swimming | People who prefer low-impact cardio | May require equipment or facility access |
| Jogging or running | Burning more calories in less time | Higher impact and injury risk for some people |
| HIIT | Short, demanding workouts | Harder to recover from |
| Strength training | Preserving muscle during weight loss | Usually burns fewer calories during the session than cardio |
Why Brisk Walking Is the Best Starting Exercise
Brisk walking is moderate-intensity aerobic exercise when it makes you breathe harder while still allowing you to talk. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention lists brisk walking as one way for adults to reach their weekly activity target.
You can:
- Walk outdoors, use a treadmill or fit short walks into your daily routine
- Increase the duration as your fitness improves
- Choose walking instead of running to reduce impact
- Split one longer walk into shorter sessions
- Repeat the activity often without needing long recovery periods
The number of calories burned per minute matters less than whether you can keep doing the activity. A manageable workout that you repeat is often more useful than a harder session that causes pain, excessive fatigue or loss of motivation.
What Exercise Burns the Most Fat?
Moderate-to-vigorous aerobic exercise has the clearest weight and fat-loss evidence when looking at exercise alone. Examples include brisk walking, jogging, running, cycling, swimming, rowing and using an elliptical machine.
The 2024 review found that weight, waist size and body fat generally fell as weekly aerobic exercise increased, with improvements continuing up to about 300 minutes per week. At least 150 minutes per week was linked with meaningful reductions in waist size and body-fat measures.
Running is not automatically better than walking. A slower activity performed regularly can lead to better long-term results than a demanding workout that causes pain or gets abandoned after a few weeks.
Why Strength Training Belongs in a Weight-Loss Plan
Strength training is not usually the fastest way to reduce scale weight, but it can help you maintain muscle as your weight decreases. Options include weight machines, free weights, resistance bands and body-weight exercises such as squats, push-ups and lunges.
Aim for strength training at least two days per week. Work the major muscle groups:
- Legs and hips
- Back
- Chest
- Shoulders
- Arms
- Abdomen
Maintaining muscle can support strength, physical function and body composition, even when the number on the scale changes slowly.
Is HIIT Better Than Walking or Running?
HIIT can support weight loss, but it is not required and is not the best starting point for everyone.
High-intensity interval training alternates short periods of hard effort with easier recovery periods. It can fit a demanding workout into less time, but current evidence does not show that everyone needs HIIT to lose weight. Recent research describes HIIT as an option for modest fat loss, while moderate-intensity continuous exercise may suit people with lower exercise tolerance.
HIIT may suit you if you already exercise regularly, enjoy intense workouts and can perform them without joint pain or excessive fatigue. Brisk walking, cycling or swimming may be a better choice if you are new to exercise, significantly overweight, returning after an injury or still building basic fitness.
How Much Exercise Should You Do for Weight Loss?
A practical weekly target for most adults is:
- 150 to 300 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise, such as brisk walking or cycling
- Strength training on at least two days
- More activity if weight loss is slow and your body tolerates the increase
The 150-minute target is mainly a general health recommendation. People trying to lose a substantial amount of weight, or maintain weight loss, may need more than 300 minutes of moderate-intensity activity per week.
A Simple Weekly Plan
- Monday: 30-minute brisk walk
- Tuesday: 20 to 30 minutes of full-body strength training
- Wednesday: 30-minute brisk walk, cycling session or swim
- Thursday: Rest or an easy walk
- Friday: 30-minute brisk walk
- Saturday: 20 to 30 minutes of strength training plus an easy walk
- Sunday: Longer walk, cycling session or another aerobic activity you enjoy
If you are inactive, start with 10 to 15 minutes and build gradually. Short sessions still count. Regular activity is more useful than occasional exhausting workouts.
The Best Choice by Situation
- New to exercise: Brisk walking
- Joint pain: Swimming, cycling or an elliptical machine
- Limited time: HIIT or vigorous cycling, if you already have a fitness base
- Want to preserve muscle: Full-body strength training alongside aerobic exercise
- Dislike gyms: Walking, running, hiking, home resistance bands or body-weight training
- Need an easy habit to maintain: The activity you enjoy and can schedule regularly
Bottom Line
For most people, brisk walking is the best place to start. Build toward 150 to 300 minutes of aerobic activity each week, then add full-body strength training twice weekly. The right plan is the one your joints, schedule and preferences allow you to repeat.
If you have heart disease, uncontrolled high blood pressure, diabetes, a significant injury or another chronic condition, speak with a healthcare professional before beginning vigorous exercise.