Male or female, you may be looking to lose weight before you get to a stage where the extra pounds get noticed. Yet we all have busy lifestyles and things to keep up with, so sometimes our fitness routines get left behind.
You may have had every intention of joining a gym when the year started, but it’s nearly swimsuit season, and you still haven’t set foot in one. The good news is that you don’t have to. While a fitness routine does mean commitment, it doesn’t have to mean that you have to commit to a gym.
Home exercises are possible, and you’ll be happy to know that there are many options that don’t even require you to spend any money unless you want to.
If you’ve been looking for ways to lose weight, you can stop feeling overwhelmed about which gym to join, as these following 10 home exercises are perfect for your summer body goals:
1. Yoga
Everyone likes to do yoga to learn new ways to work their bodies or to stretch and gain flexibility. Many people like to do it to connect to their breathing and their soul. Did you know that it can actually help you to lose weight?
There are many different techniques and forms of yoga, but the ones that are especially beneficial to weight loss are Bhunjangasana, Balasana, Tadasana, and Padmasana [1]. Some people like to go to yoga studios, but you can easily use apps for yoga or even lookup free programs online.
2. Sit-ups
Do you have a great body that you’ve been working on but a stubborn pooch? Been there and have done that. A great way to burn that extra bit of belly fat that is holding for dear life is to do crunches. Crunches can help you finally get rid of that pooch that may have you unbuttoning your pants after a meal.
If that’s not working, take a look at your diet and see if you’re having an adverse reaction to something you’re eating. Build up to 1000 crunches a day. It may sound like a lot, but once you actually build-up to it, you’ll discover that your abs look amazing.
3. Planks
Planks can be a challenge at first, but once you learn how to do them, you’ll see the results. Who knew that holding your body in one place could help you lose weight? Surprisingly it can. It helps you to not only reduce back pain, but it works all the major muscles, so you’re getting a full-body workout when you do a plank.
4. Lunges
Don’t have gear but you want to burn muscles? You can do it by working out in your living room. Forward lunges across the span of the biggest room of your house or in the yard can not only help strengthen your thighs and legs, but they are also good for your core. A strong core is necessary for a strong body.
Side note: your glutes are also going to thank you for this exercise and in the process of strengthening your body, you’ll see that you will be firming up that fat, making you appear more lean and trim.
5. Circuit training
Changing up the intensity in your workout is important for weight loss. A leisurely jog may feel good but if you want to burn more calories, switch between walking and then fast sprints of running. Or you can do Hiit exercises for the circuit training you need to burn fat quickly and effectively.
Some people who have been runners for many years of their lives reach a plateau when it comes to losing weight by running. If you fall into this category, you may want to consider doing circuit training instead of running for a time to see how it affects your body. You can easily do this at home.
6. Cardio Activity
Cardio is very helpful for weight loss and general, with countless studies proving the effectiveness [2]. Choosing an activity you love can help you to lose weight. For some, it’s mountain biking, for others it’s rowing.
Do you have a preferred method of working out? Go ahead and do your favorite activity and do it as often as you can. Before you know it, you may have dropped plenty of weight.
If you have a neighborhood swimming pool, this is yet another great calorie-burning cardio workout that you can do without having to go to a gym. Plus, it will feel good during the summer months to get in the water.
7. Walking
The times when I’ve lost the most weight was during experiences or circumstances where I was “forced” to walk from one place to the next, such as when traveling or living abroad and I didn’t have a vehicle.
I walked anywhere and everywhere, and before I knew it, I had lost up to 10lbs. In a society where we use cars much more than we should, it can be easy to skip out on walking but taking the time to walk to your grocery store or to pick up the kids from the nearby school could actually be what’s missing in your weight loss routine.
Take a walk as often as possible. You’d be surprised at the benefits you’ll receive [3]—especially if your job requires you to sit down for many hours.
8. Bear Crawls
The bear crawl is very helpful for your knees, hip mobility, and it helps in weight loss as it strengthens your arms, shoulders, and chest. Toning is a very big part of weight loss, and if you’re not the kind of person who loves going to the gym, this could be a good alternative.
9. Running
Running is easy. Some people hate it, and others love it, but one can be sure that it’s a great way to burn calories. Plus, it’s free and doesn’t require equipment or a gym for you to do it. Get outside in your neighborhood and simply run around the block. Whether you’re male or female, the results are the same: calories burned and endorphins released; who wouldn’t want that?
10. Jumping
One of the things that can help you to lose weight is to do high-intensity workouts. HIIT workouts are very popular for weight loss as they often include very high-intensity exercises. Jumping is a great way to add high-intensity to your routines.
From step-up jumps to box squat jumps and even jump roping, there are many ways that jumping may be the ideal exercise that will help you reach your fitness goals.
Extra Tips For Weight Loss At Home
The above-mentioned exercises are all good ideas for losing weight without having to join a gym. They make life easier for you and also save some money. Unfortunately, just doing these exercises isn’t the end-all to your weight loss frustrations.
Here are some tips for making sure that you lose the weight you want to while doing the above-mentioned exercises:
Eat Right
Eating right is so important to weight loss. In fact, you can work out as hard as you want to, but if you don’t focus on your diet, you won’t get too far. Eating right isn’t about cutting out all carbs and sugars. It’s about understanding your body’s personal needs. Once you start eating the food that is right for you, and the nutrients you need, you should start seeing a lot of weight loss, in conjunction with these exercises.
Exercise Daily
It’s easy to get caught up in your busy life, but the key to losing weight with these home exercises is to do them consistently. It can be a challenge, but make sure to dedicate at least 30 minutes a day to your workout routine. Your body will thank you.
Get Some Rest
Sleep well. It’s very important for your health and even for weight loss. A tired body will be looking for energy, and it will often crave unhealthy sugars and carbs to make this happen.
Weight loss is possible. It just takes some discipline in both working out and eating right. If you want to achieve your fitness goals, start out small at the beginning and work towards your goals slowly but surely.
Rome wasn’t built in a day, and neither will your body be as toned and trim as you want it to be right away, but with the time you’ll see the benefits, as you stick to your commitment. And if you want a little helping hand, then check out these female supplement tips.
Conclusion
Are these workouts and exercises doable for you? Have you been looking to lose weight? What’s been stopping you? Do the activities that you love and focus on eating right, and everything should fall into place. Stay active most of all, and your body will thank you!