As a booming trend, workouts have recently replaced diets, becoming the top approach to losing weight.
However, among thousands of workouts available out there, choosing the best ones for an effective weight loss journey is not easy at all.
Read more to understand this three most essential workouts types and specific workouts built to boost your weight loss process.
Aerobic workouts
Known widely as cardio or cardiovascular workouts, aerobic are simple movements that increase heart rate and make you breath deeply for an extended period of time.
Running, swimming, cycling or brisk walking are examples of this specific type of workouts.
The harder the exercise gets, the more fat the body burns before, during and after it.
Here are 2 most effective for weight losing among all aerobic workouts.
Swimming
This is crazy:
1 mitunes of fast swimming burns 14 calories.
As a matter of fact, swimming is a total body workout which push muscles to work hard to keep the body float on water.
The best way to do it:
If you’re not a strong swimmer, have swim intervals and change swimming pace regularly from full speed to slow speed for a better result of the workout session.
Cycling
According to Just Not Sports, Cycling is classic for a workout.
However, if you are cycling to lose weight, cycling duration is more important than cycling distance.
The fitness level will be raised when you log more miles in less time. For example, finishing 2 km in 30 minutes is better than 2 km in a full hour.
The best way to do it:
Firstly, add hills into your cycling route. This would increase strength in your lower body, push the body to burn more calories and increase the aerobic capacity.
Secondly, leave your earbuds at home. It is very important to see and hear everything around you.
Thirdly, try to apply intervals into your cycling habits as well, for example, 1-3 miles with high speed in a few minutes time.
Strength workouts
This typical type of workouts helps in building healthier muscle tissues and increasing the amount of lean tissue to the body.
The more lean tissues the body own, the more calories it burns even when at rest.
It is easier to focus on areas such as arms, legs, and abs when building a strength workout routine.
Here are two of the most essential strength workouts for a better heading weight loss.
Squats
Squats focus on major muscles on the lower part of our body, help in shaping firm bottoms and thighs.
The best way to do it:
- Start with feet hip-width apart, arms either at your sides or holding weights. Keeping your weight in your heels, begin lowering your legs and raising your arms in front of you.
- Keeping your back straight, lower until your thighs are parallel to the floor. Keep your knees in line with your toes the entire time.
- Maintain an even pace and rise back to a standing position. Repeat 3 sets of 15 reps.
Plank
By planking correctly, you are strengthening the abnormal muscles.
It also reduces back pain, improves your balance and posture as well as effectively tone your belly.
The best way to do it – a standard plank
- Plant the hands directly under the shoulders like you’re about to do a push-up.
- Ground the toes into the floor and squeeze the glutes for easier stabilization of the body. Your legs should be working in the move too; careful not to lock or hyperextend your knees.
- Neutralize the neck and spine by looking constantly at a defined spot about a foot beyond the hands. Your head should be in line with your back.
- Hold the position for 20 seconds. As you get more comfortable with the move, hold your plank for as long as possible without compromising form or breath.
Flexibility workouts
Being a very easy part along the weight loss the path, this type of workout is the most neglected one.
It helps maintain a good range of motions in our joints, keep muscles loose and healthy and largely relieve stress from severe weight loss.
Here is some detailed information on how to perform flexibility workouts, mostly stretching exercises to lose weight properly and healthily.
Stretching
Flexibility exercises are not big calorie burners.
A 125 pound would only burn 70 calories in every 30 minutes stretching.
However, with the mentioned great impact on one’s health during workouts, stretching is needed.
The best way to do it
We are providing an example of a 30-minute stretching routine ready to be practiced at least 2 times a week.
This would ease the hardship on your stretching, making it easier to follow and more correctly and fully conduct.
- Full body roll. Stand tall and reach your arms towards the sky. Then relax the arms and roll the spine down. Let your arms relax towards the floor. Keep the knees bent to protect your back. Hold the position while continue to breathe for 5-15 seconds then slowly roll back up and repeat.
Hip and inner thigh stretch. In a seated position, bring the soles of the feet together in front of your body so that your legs form a triangle. Keeping the spine long, tilt forward from the hips, bringing your chest closer to the floor. It’s normal if you can’t bend very far. Remember to keep breathing as you hold the stretch for 15-30 seconds.
Neck and shoulder stretch. In a seated or standing position, gently tilt the chin towards your chest and feel a gentle release in the back of the neck. Then slowly and carefully roll the head to the left and to the right to stretch the sides of the neck. You may feel the stretch into the top of each shoulder.
Crescent moon stretches. Reaching the arms over your end, gently curve the body into the shape of a C (or a crescent moon) by bending the body to the left and then to the right.
Chest opener. In a seated or standing position, clasp the hands together behind your back. Feel the front of the chest open and stretch. Hold for 5-10 seconds.
Notes on using workouts to lose weight
Here are some notes for better usage of workouts in weight loss.
- Enjoyment is the key to sticking to an exercise plan. Choose an activity you enjoy, not one you think is ‘good for you’.
- Be realistic about your current health and level of fitness. If you are a beginner, the physical demands of certain activities may be too much at first. Choose a gentler alternative and work your way up.
- Track your workout routine. This can either be done by a phone application or by handwriting. Efficient tracking would help you visualize the results, the routine and further fixings easier.
Conclusion
Workouts are the best way to lose weight and still benefit our body at the same time.
Just Not Sports Hope this article would come in handy along with your weight loss journey.
Thanks for your reading and see you on another topic.
