Aerobics, step class, Tae Boe, pilates, yoga, Tai Chi, running, jogging, stair climbing- the list goes on and on. With all of the different kinds of exercise available today it is no wonder why people are confused.

So, what is the best?

Before we answer this question let us look at some facts.

Fact: Muscle is your best ally in your war on fat. Preserving and building lean muscle tissue will increase your metabolic rate (the rate at which your body burns calories) and promote long term, lasting fat loss.

Fact: Beginning at age 40 in women and at 60 in men, we lose six to eight percent of our muscle per decade. However, after only two months of strength training, women recover a decade of loss and men recover two decades.

Fact: Aerobic training (running, step class etc.) burns calories for the time that you spend doing the activity and for a period of time slightly thereafter.

Fact: Resistance (load bearing) training burns calories for the duration of time spent performing the exercises and for a period of time thereafter. However, with resistance training you have the added bonus of increasing lean muscle tissue, which in turn will raise your resting metabolic rate causing you to burn more calories all day long- even while you sleep!

The Answer

The best exercise for long- term fat loss and health is a combination of exercises with resistance training at the foundation of your entire program. This type of program design and structure will allow for the three components to an effective program (strength, flexibility and cardiovascular) to be fully developed producing a leaner, stronger more flexible body!