Is this what you want?
As you step on the weighing scale and see how much you weigh, you keep asking yourself.
Your fitness journey is about to begin, but you are not sure how to get started with weight loss exercises.
It is common to get overwhelmed when starting out. Picking a routine that works for you might just be the little trick you need.
The most common weight loss exercises include swimming, cycling, weight training, and yoga. These exercise routines involve intensive activities that burn calories, making you have a lean body weight.
On the brighter side, some of these routines only need your time to get started and you can practice them with no equipment.
This article explains different weight reduction exercises, their health benefits and how to make your workouts efficient.
Effective Weight Loss Exercises
Several fitness exercise programs are effective weight loss programs. The most common exercises include:
1. Cycling
Bike riding provides a low-impact cardio workout exercise.
During cycling, your body burns excess fat, improves your fitness level, and reduces the risk of cardiovascular diseases.
Despite being a predominant outdoor activity, you can cycle indoors in gyms or at home using a stationary bike.
To get the best out of cycling, some of the recommended cycling strategies include:
- Increase your intensity. High-intensity cycling burns more calories during your weight loss journey.
The Harvard Health Letter estimates that in 30 minutes, a 125-pound person can burn 315 calories from high-intensity cycling.
| Weight | Calories burnt in 30mins during high-intensity cycling |
| 125 pounds | 315 |
| 155 pounds | 278 |
| 185 pounds | 441 |
- Practice High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT)
HIIT exercises involve doing intervals of high-intensity workouts followed by low-intensity routines.
During cycling, HIIT ensures you adequately burn excess calories in a short period.
You can do intense cardio in short bursts like high-intensity cycling in about 60 sec.
For the low-intensity routine, switch to low-resistance cycling for about 30 minutes and repeat this cycle for about half an hour.
You can do HIIT cycling both outdoors and indoors.
- Cross Training
Sometimes, you can include a variety of training exercises to incorporate with cycling. For instance, you can do outdoor cycling for 25 mins and hit the pool for 30 mins for your swimming session.
Other than helping you lose your belly fat, cross-training also improves your cycling performance.
2. Swimming
According to the personal trainer Frank Antaoian, swimming helps you lose the same amount of weight as running.
Swimming is an enjoyable activity that allows you to cool off on a sunny day while you burn calories.
To get the best during swimming, here are some tips you can employ:
- Enroll in a swimming class. To perform better swimming techniques, take up a swim class. There are several community centers where you can enroll or contact your local trainers for classes.
- Increase the intensity by swimming faster. To burn more calories, swim harder and faster. During an intense swimming workout, your heart rate increases, especially at the beginning of the session.
Increased heart rate provides more energy needed to burn excess fuel.
- Swim longer. Switch to longer swimming sessions when you are experienced enough and have mastered your techniques. High-endurance swimming keeps you in shape and maintains your physique.
- Use water weights during swimming. To tone up your muscles, combine swimming and weight lifting. It builds strength and keeps your endurance level, especially when water creates resistance.
- Start slowly and gradually increase. You can escalate your frequency and intensity of training after starting slow. For example, while starting, swim for 20 mins for two days and gradually increase to 40 mins for five days a week.
3. Running/Jogging
Running /jogging are simple weight loss exercises that require minimal equipment. You need a partner to help you cover more distance to get motivated.
Apart from losing weight, other health benefits of running include lowering your blood sugar, lowering the risk of cardiovascular diseases, and giving you more substantial muscles.
Effective jogging /running requires you to:
- Improve your diet plan. To get the best, incorporate a healthy diet plan while exercising. As much as running helps you lose weight, an effective diet plan is vital to achieving your goal.
- Employ strength training. Strength -training helps you develop strong muscles. You can increase your distance and pace if your muscles are strong enough. Alternate between running and weight lifting to build your muscles.
- Stay hydrated. After covering some distance, you must stay hydrated to catch your breath. Water refreshes your body and replaces the lost nutrients from sweating. It allows you to continue with your exercise routine.
- Run during the early hours before meal. Before breakfast, your body motivates itself to cover more distance early in the morning. More distance translates to more calories burnt.
4. Weight Training
Weight training builds up your muscles and provides the strength to perform other fitness exercises like cycling and swimming.
Harvard Health estimates that during weight training, a 155-pound person can burn up to 112 calories in 30 minutes.
Tips for building your weight training program include:
- Start small. As a beginner, start with small weights and gradually increase after gaining more muscles. This prevents you from sustaining injuries during training.
- Switch to a low-carb, high-protein diet. Amino acids from proteins build your muscles, giving you the strength for weight training.
- Pay attention to your body. Your body requires enough rest to replenish the energy lost during training.
When you feel exhausted, take a break and give yourself sufficient rest. If weight training becomes painful, switch to a more comfortable exercise routine.
5. Yoga
Yoga is effective for your physical, mental, and spiritual growth. Ideally, yoga is also a vital meditation tool that refreshes your body and improves your metabolism.
While many people may not widely consider yoga intense cardio, specific yoga practices allow you to burn excess calories.
Postures like Ashtanga and power yoga, which are mainly offered in hot studios, involve high-energy movement and flexibility to tone up your muscles.
Other common yoga practices include:
- Plank Pose to strengthen your core and build your abdominal muscles.
- Trikonasana/Triangle pose to reduce your belly fat and improve your overall blood circulation.
- Sarvangasana/Shoulder stand pose to balance your thyroid levels and improve the body’s metabolism.
What are the Benefits of Weight loss Exercise?
Other than losing weight, fitness exercises like yoga, weight training, and cycling have several health benefits.
Some of the health benefits are:
1. Improving Your sleeping pattern
After an intense workout program, you become exhausted and quickly fall asleep.
According to Charlene Gamaldo, MD, at Johns Hopkins Centre for Sleep, you need to listen to your body and see how well it responds to sleeping after workouts.
Exercises calm your brain and improve your mood. For better sleep, your brain needs to be relaxed.
2. Weight loss exercises improve your metabolism
Intense cardio exercise burns calories and provides the energy used in the body’s metabolism.
Exercise significantly lowers the risk of metabolic infections like diabetes and high blood pressure.
3. Exercise is good for your mental health
Exercise improves your mood, boosts your self -esteem, and helps you manage depression.
During a workout, your body releases endorphin hormones that ease pain and lower your stress levels.
4. Manage Obesity
Weight reduction exercises help you manage obesity, which brings several health complications.
Having a proper exercise routine helps you burn the excess fat from your body and improves your metabolism.
Exercises regulate the hormonal balance. For example, it reduces the stress hormones which may cause emotional eating and regulates insulin production to prevent obesity.
Tips for Effective weight loss Exercises
Achieving the best results for weight loss not only requires an effective exercise routine but also other lifestyle changes.
To make the best out of your workout routine, here are some steps for the best results:
1. Incorporate a healthy diet plan
A balanced diet is crucial for your workout sessions and for the weight loss program.
With a correct diet plan, you get the fuel and energy you need to undertake an intensive exercise routine.
It also prevents you from taking in too much calories to ensure you don’t gain excess weight.
Taking on a low-carb diet with high proteins and more fruits and vegetables ensures you reduce your weight and maintain a lean body mass while working out.
Examples of food you can take are:
- Dairy
- Eggs
- Whole grains
- Beans
- Bananas
- Grapes and oranges
2. Track your Progress while setting Realistic Goals
When setting on a fitness journey through a weight loss exercise, planning is key.
Set realistic goals by starting with easy exercise routines and gradually increase your steps after getting more comfortable.
Starting small always keeps you motivated, allowing you to track the progress as you celebrate your small wins.
A vigorous exercise when starting out can cause pain and injuries, preventing you from achieving your weight-loss and fitness goals.
Keeping a workout journey or even using a fitness app are some of the best ways of tracking your weight loss journey.
3. Consistency is key!
To get the best out of of your weight loss exercises, keep it a habit.
Consistently workout by donating a routine and sticking to it. Consistency allows your body to burn more calories, while a routine helps you maintain your exercise schedule.
Learn to choose what works for you. For example, you can plan your weight loss exercises in the morning at a specific time and keep the routine over a period .
4. Rest Up
After a consistent workout plan, you need to listen to your body and have sufficient rest time.
Adequate rest time allows your body to recover and build energy for the next session.
Resting also allows you to avoid injuries.
5. Consult a fitness professional
When getting started with an exercise routine, an expert advice will go a long way in achieving your goals.
Things might be a little overwhelming initially. A fitness professional will work with you to advice on the kind of training which suits you and also provide nutritional support.
Through personalized programs and lifestyle recommendation, the professional creates a workout plan for you and educates you on different programs.
Engaging a fitness coach makes your weight loss journey easy through expertly curated programs designed to bring the best out of you.
Conclusion
There are several weight loss exercises to reduce your weight and make you much healthier.
For better results, combine different routines, set realistic goals, track your progress, consult a fitness professional and improve your diet by eating healthy meals.
Not only do workout exercises help you reduce weight, but they also improve your mental health, increase your metabolism, and help you sleep better.
If you are looking to build your muscles and reduce your weight, perform high-intensity routines.
Finally, always remember to take enough rest when you feel pain or discomfort while working out.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Can You lose weight while gaining muscles?
Yes, several fitness activities, like weight training, build up your muscles while burning up excess calories to maintain a lean body.
- Apart from weight reduction, what are the benefits of weight loss exercises?
Weight reduction exercises reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases, improve your metabolism, and lower your stress and anxiety levels.
- Which is the best weight reduction exercise?
Different routines are effective in reducing your weight. To burn more calories, perform high-intensity exercise routines and cross-training for better results.
- How do you make your weight loss exercises efficient?
For best results in your workout routine, incorporate a healthy diet, have enough rest, stay consistent, set realistic goals by tracking your progress, and consult a fitness professional.