When it comes to losing weight aerobic exercise seems to be by far the best weight-losing exercise. A study from Duke University discovered that overweight people who did 133 minutes of aerobic exercise a week - which amounted to 12 miles of walking, running or swimming - lost weight, while those who did 180 minutes of resistance training didn't lose a pound. In fact, some who did weight training actually increased their weight as they built muscle mass. Strangely, those who did double the amount of exercise - 133 minutes of aerobics and 180 of resistance training every week - didn't lose any more weight than those who just did aerobics. It seems that unlike aerobic exercise resistance training doesn't alter the resting metabolic rate in a way that helps you lose weight.
Aerobic exercise is also good for your mind. Older people who do regular aerobic exercise also maintain better working memory, attention and an ability to switch easily between tasks.
