Forget crash diets or diet pills. If you want to lose weight in the healthiest way possible, you have to sweat it out. Exercise not only blasts fat, it also revs up your metabolism and improves your overall fitness to synergistically melt away those extra pounds -- for good.

But what's the most effective exercise for weight loss? It's the one that you enjoy and will continue to do regularly. "You have a much better chance of staying consistent," explains Shondelle Solomon-Miles, certified professional trainer and author of The Ultimate Fat Loss Guide, which is really the secret to long-term weight loss. "So, if you hate jogging, but you enjoy biking, then bike."

How much exercise for weight loss?

According to the American College of Sports Medicine, overweight adults need at least 250 minutes per week -- equal to 50 minutes of exercise five days a week -- to lose significant weight. If you're underfit, start small and gradually build up to 250 minutes. For weight maintainance, 150 minutes per week of moderate exercise is recommended.

The whole idea about exercise is to expend calories to create a deficit -- when you burn more calories than you consume, you lose weight. And when it comes to burning the most calories, aerobic (cardiovascular) exercises top the list. "Aerobic exercise includes activities like running, stair climbing, dancing, biking and swimming. Essentially any exercise that makes you sweat," adds Solomon-Miles.

Aim to do more aerobic exercises to blast fat, but for best results, include strength or resistance training such as weight lifting 3 days a week, too. The latter will help increase muscle mass and tone up your body, says Solomon-Miles.

Mix things up

To keep things from becoming monotonous, it's also important to mix up your exercise routine, and this is where cross-training can be helpful. Cross-training involves doing a range of different activities during your workouts -- such as 15 minutes of biking, 15 minutes on the treadmill and 15 minutes of rowing -- to recruit different muscle groups. Here are some aerobic options to try (and estimated calories burned for a 150-pound person):

• Brisk walking - 271 calories per hour
• Running - 571 calories per hour
• Elliptical training - 464 calories per hour
• Stair climbing - 643 calories per hour
• Jumping rope - 714 calories per hour
• Biking - 500 calories per hour
• Rowing - 500 calories per hour
• Tennis - 572 calories per hour
• Swimming - 500 calories per hour
• Aerobics - 357 calories per hour