The Best Exercises to Lose Weight and Stay Active

There isn't a secret pill that will instantly shed pounds, and losing weight is harder said than done. As an alternative, you must consume less calories than you expend. This calls for a balanced diet, as well as cardio and weight exercise.

Ready to lose those extra pounds? Here are some of the top aerobic and strength-training activities for losing weight, along with advice on how to stay active all day.

The Best Exercises to Lose Weight and Stay Active

4 cardio exercises for weight loss

Your heart rate increases during cardiovascular exercises (or simply "cardio"). These are some of the most efficient exercises for losing weight because they increase your heart rate, which burns more fat.

According to the Mayo Clinic, you need up to 300 minutes of moderate physical exercise each week to lose weight or keep it off. This takes place five days a week on average for 60 minutes.

Divide your cardio into three short exercises a day if you're busy. As an illustration, you might walk for 20 minutes during your lunch break, exercise for 20 minutes before bed, and repeat.

Excellent cardiac exercises to aid with weight loss include:

1. Low-intensity cardio

You can lose weight without engaging in vigorous activity. Low-intensity cardio can also help you burn calories and lose weight if you're a novice or have physical limitations.

Jogging, biking, power walking, swimming, and aerobics are some of the exercises on this list. As you become used to your new regimen, start out slowly and gradually increase the intensity.

Five days a week, aim for 60 minutes of low-intensity cardio. Carry hand weights when jogging, strolling, or doing aerobics as your physical fitness improves.

2. Jump rope

Jumping rope not only increases your heart rate and coordination, but also helps you burn roughly 1,300 calories each hour due to its intensity.

• Jump for 8 to 10 reps to warm up.
• After that, leap without stopping for 1.5 minutes.
• Repeat after a 15–30 second break.
• Finish three sets.

You can alter your regimen as well. Jump one set while standing still, one set while using both legs, and one set while using just one leg.

3. Burpees

Squats, leaps, and pushups are combined in burpees. Because you work out many muscle groups, including your chest, legs, and core, you effectively burn fat from your entire body.

• 30 seconds of 10 reps followed by 30 seconds of break.
• Repeat five times.

4. High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT)

Due to its potential to boost fat reduction and calorie burn, this cardio exercise has become more and more popular. It entails short bursts of vigorous exercise that raise your heart rate, followed by a 15-second rest period.

If you don't have a lot of time, HIIT is fantastic. You can work out for a shorter period of time while still getting in a more challenging and demanding workout. As a result, hours after your workout you'll still be burning calories.

Here is an illustration of an HIIT workout:

• Kicks to the butt for 45 seconds, followed by a 15-second break.
• Next, do 45 seconds of leaping lunges, then 15 seconds of rest.
• Burpees for 45 seconds, followed by 15 seconds of rest.
• Repeat for ten to twenty times.
• Incorporate additional exercises like jump squats and mountain climbers.

Alternatively, you might try performing an HIIT workout on a treadmill:

For five minutes, warm up.

• After that, sprint for a full minute at a high rate of speed.
• After 30 seconds of walking, sprint for a minute at a high rate of speed.
• Finish eight to ten sets.

5 strength-training exercises for weight loss

Don't overlook weight training or strength training when trying to lose weight, even though strength training alone doesn't produce quick results.

These workouts help rev up your metabolism. According to Stephanie Blozy, a specialist in exercise science and owner of Fleet Feet in West Hartford, Connecticut, you will burn more calories both when exercising and at rest since they help you develop lean muscle mass.

Excellent weightlifting and strength-training routines to aid in weight loss include:

1. Kettlebell swings

Your heart rate will rise during this strenuous, all-over workout while your arm and leg strength improves and your core strength grows.

• Swing a kettlebell with two hands for 20 seconds.
• Take 8 seconds to relax.
• 8 times total.

Blozy advises lifting heavier weights more quickly to increase your heart rate and complete a cardio-intensive workout.

2. Pushups

Pushups are a great exercise for strengthening your upper body, stabilizing your core, and adding muscle to your arms.

If you're just starting out, do three sets of 10 repetitions. After each set, take 60 to 90 seconds to relax. As your strength increases, gradually up the amount of repetitions.

3. Lunges

Because you can perform lunges forward, backward, with weight or without weight, Blozy explains, "I enjoy the alternatives lunges bring." Hold a kettlebell or weight plate next to your chest for the weighted variant, or hoist the weight overhead for an even greater challenge.

• Perform 1 set of 8–12 lunges on each leg.

4. Step-ups

Step-ups are another excellent workout that Blozy suggests doing to strengthen your legs while also stabilizing your core and lower back muscles. Start with a low step height (6 to 12 inches) and work your way up to something higher (like 24 to 30 inches).

1. Perform 5 sets of 5–10 repetitions on each side.

Do you want to make things difficult? According to Blozy, you can add weight by holding a dumbbell or kettlebell next to your chest or in each hand. "Your pulse rate will increase, and you'll start to perspire in addition to your quadriceps burning.

5. Deadlifts

Blozy also offers deadlifts as a workout to tone your upper and lower body while losing fat. In order to make it feel more like cardio than weight training, she advises lowering the load to 50 to 70 percent of your maximum and increasing the reps.

1. Complete 1–3 sets of 10–20 repetitions.

Simple ways to be active every day

Look for other methods to be active each day in addition to a regular exercise regimen and a nutritious diet.

Keep in mind that you'll burn more calories the more you exercise. This will enable you to lose the most weight possible and move closer to your objective.

• While on the phone, during the intermission of a show, or during commercial breaks, pace the room.
• Instead of using the elevator, use the stairs.
• Cars should be parked in the back of garages.
• Purchase a fitness tracker. Some activity trackers alert you when you've been inactive for too long. These notifications prompt you to move.
• Make plans to go on walks with your employees.
• Sit in your seat and fidget by tapping your hand, swinging your knee, or contracting your abs.
• Fidgeting may result in an additional 350 calories being burned each day for obese persons, claims one study Trusted Source.

Take the bus or metro one stop earlier and continue walking the remaining distance to your destination.

While preparing meals or performing other domestic tasks, wear headphones. You'll be inspired to move or dance as a result.

• As a family, go for a dog walk.

Sleep enough

Sleep well the night before exercising as well. When you're groggy or worn out, working out is more difficult. Get a workout/accountability companion as well. This person inspires you to achieve your fitness objectives.

Make it fun when you can

Finally, pick exercises you love doing. Take a dancing class if you detest routine aerobics programs. Having fun makes staying active simpler.