Modern lifestyle has drastically changed our way of living and now everything is full of conveniences, but it has reduced our daily physical activity level. This has resulted in many health complications like obesity, hypertension, high blood pressure, sleep apnea, etc. and the only solution for all these problems is to live a healthy life which includes proper diet and daily exercise. Many people agree with the healthy diet part, but a bit reluctant towards the exercise thing out of habit, tight schedule or lack of knowledge. But one should understand that it is impossible to achieve overall fitness without exercise.
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Here are some weight loss exercises which you are familiar with and have done them in some part of your life.
Walking
You are doing this since you have taken your first steps and do it every day for various activities. But have you ever tried this set of leg movement to burn your calories. This is the ideal exercise and doesn’t require any mechanical setting in order to do that. You just need a nice pair of shoes and you are ready to shed your bulk. It is the most effective low intensity weight loss practice which improves the overall fitness of the body without causing any stress or injury. Studies states that walking at a speed of four miles per hour can burn 5 – 8 calories per minute or 225 – 360 calories in 45 minutes walk. This means that if you spend 45 minutes on walking, then you can lose approx. One pound per week. So try to walk at every opportunity like going to grocery shopping, giving files to the colleague, taking stairs to go to the upper floors etc.
Running
You must have enjoyed the chase game with your friends in childhood. The feeling of being chased and challenging your friend to catch you used to give immense pleasure. It is true that you are not a kid anymore, but you can still enjoy the air going past you and the coolness of morning mist on your face by going on a morning run in the park or around the neighborhood. This physical activity can burn 600 calories per hour and helps you in gaining strong bones and connective tissue, improved blood circulation, toned calf muscles. This is also a budget exercise because it also requires only nice pairs of shoes to protect your joints as it is a high impact exercise. The expert recommendation about this exercise is that you should not stretch before running, but you should warm up first by marching at one place by bringing your knees up high or walking for 5 – 10 minutes. Try to include intervals in your running as it can burn a large number of calories by improving your resting metabolism and increasing muscle mass.
Jumping or rebounding
Do you remember the last time you jumped? It may be on your graduation day or when your girlfriend has accepted your proposal. Whatever the reason may be but if you look at this expression of joy as an exercise, then it is the best thing you will do for you. Scientists believe that 10 minutes of jumping in a day can work on 60 trillion cells of your body. The gravitational pull sucks out the toxins in our body during a jump. The body becomes weightless when it is suspended in the air, which enables the lower pressure in the cells to increase the movement of nutrients around and into the cells. It is also known to increase the lymph or tissue fluid flow by 15 – 30 times as compared to normal flow rate. So, go and buy a mini trampoline (which are about 3 inches in diameter and 9 meter high) and enjoy the benefits of rebounding with the whole family in your backyard or garden.
Skipping rope
Which exercise equipment costs less than twenty dollars, can be used by the whole family and by any age group, very portable and improves overall fitness while toning up the body? The answer is a skipping rope. It is a good exercise for strengthening the whole body and burn lots of calories. Since you are putting a direct stress on your knees, ankles and hips, therefore you should consider some precautionary measures before starting this exercise which are:
- Use a beaded rope as it retains its shape and easy to control, unlike a lightweight cloth or vinyl rope.
- Stand in the middle of at least four by six foot area and there should be at least 10 inches space left above your head
- Choose a wooden floor or plywood made surface to jump and never try to jump on the surfaces of carpet, grass, concrete or asphalt because carpet can reduce the impact, tangle your shoes and make you fall. Grass surface can be slippery due to humidity in the soil. Concrete and asphalt surface are too hard can injure your feet.
- Hold the handles before stepping on the rope and adjust its length so that the handles reach your armpits and wear proper shoes preferably cross training shoes.
This exercise has multiple benefits like:
- It can burn 800 – 1000 calories per hour
- Strengthen bones and prevent bone density related problems
- Improves cardiovascular health, posture, coordination and balance
- Enhance attention, concentration and mental skills
- Increase insulin production and control the blood glucose level
Jogging
Jogging is a lighter form of running and one can do it for longer periods while maintain a pace. If it performed for longer distances than it will come under aerobic endurance training. The American Cancer Society has suggested that 30 minutes of jogging five days a week can prevent various types of cancer, such as cancer of lung, colon, breast and prostate. A report of BMC public health states that outdoor jogging can increase energy and concentration improves cardiovascular system and reduces the ageing effect. This exercise can burn up to 398 calories per hour, so get ready with your running shoes to lose a pound per week by jogging.
Cycling
The bicycle is the most Eco friendly transportation and a good low impact activity with lots of benefits. It is less exhaustive than running and it feels easier on the joints. It can burn about 372 – 1100 calories per hour depending upon various factors like your weight, speed and the path you are riding on. It affects the lower body muscles and tones them up while improving the cardio muscular system. It can also save you money on transportation if you use it to go to your workplace.
Badminton
This is a kids’ favorite sport and gives you a full mind and body workout. It is found that 30 minutes of badminton session after warm up in a day can give you multiple benefits. It increases the good cholesterol level in the blood and thus improves the blood circulation and heart health. Regular playing of badminton can make you reduce weight and prevents osteoporosis irrespective of sex and age of the person. It makes you feel strong, focused, motivated, ward off the anxiety and stress, removes sleep deprivation and minimize the chances of pre-existing illness.
Swimming
This is a great aerobic exercise for every age group and even people with physical limitations like people suffering from arthritis, obesity and musculoskeletal problems and pregnant ladies. You can lose weight even if you are not a good swimmer. If you know how to propel yourself in water from one end of the pool to the other then also you can burn lots of calories. A vigorous swimming session can burn approximately 400 – 700 calories per hour. This exercise affects all major muscle groups of your abdominals and back muscles to your arms, legs, hips and glutes. All kinds of swimming help you in losing pounds of weight and tone up your body.
Kettlebell
Kettlebell is a hardcore workout and burns up to 400 calories in 20 minutes while improving balance and posture of the body. It targets on all major muscle groups and stabilize them. The equipment required in this exercise is a Kettlebell which is a cast iron ball with single handle. This is not like the traditional weight, which are evenly distributed thus you need to stabilize it and counterbalance the weight of it. Since it involves the whole body therefore it will enhance your metabolism and burn more calories. If you have never used a Kettlebell before then you should take a professional guidance from a gym trainer about the proper form and safety guidelines.
Treadmill rounds
A treadmill is a great equipment to lose weight, but it can be boring most of the times and there comes the treadmill rounds which include floor workouts in between running on treadmill. The combination of treadmill running and floor workout gives you a full body workout. Each of these rounds is brief but intense to combat the boredom. In the first round, you have set the treadmill’s speed at 10.5 miles per hour and spend 30 seconds on it and then do 10 pushups followed by 10 lunges. Do the same set of exercise for 2 reps and if you are a beginner then do one rep only. The second round also consists 30 seconds running on treadmill at 11 miles per hour speed followed by 10 curls with weight and then 10 crunches. The third round also involves 30 seconds running, but at the speed of 11.5 miles per hour. Perform 10 pushups and 10 squats to finish this round.
Step aerobics
This exercise as the name suggests, requires a step or elevated surface and one foot should be always either on the step or on the ground. It works on the lower body especially the muscles of leg, hips and bum and core muscles. Studies suggest that a 45 minute of step aerobics can burn up to 550 calories per hour. This exercise should be performed under guidance of a professional because it puts more force on the knees and proper landing of the whole foot on the step is necessary otherwise it can cause injuries like Achilles tendonitis, shin splints or stress fractures.
Pushups
The most low budget exercise which doesn’t need even a pair of shoes is pushed up. It just takes you and the floor beneath you and gives you loads of benefits. You have to do 50 pushups and you will burn 100 calories while building muscle mass. It also affects various muscle groups like the muscles of your core, ABS, chest, shoulders, triceps, lower back and glutes. It gives you a chiseled physique by strengthening and toning up your body. The best part is that you can do it anywhere and anytime.
Elliptical trainer
An elliptical trainer is equipment which gives you a full body workout unlike the treadmill because it comes with movable handles which gives you an upper body workout as well. It targets various muscle groups of legs, front and back side of it by its adjustable rack feature. You can also select the intensity level of the workout and it can burn about 600 calories in an hour.
High intensity interval training
This exercise has many advantages and an enhanced fitness level in short span of time is among one of them. It increases your aerobic capacity in only two weeks. This HIIT (High intensity interval training) includes brief but intense workouts followed by lower intensity period or rest. It will give you amazing benefits if you do this for 20 minutes for three days a week.
Crossfit
This is high intensity training and suggested for those who have earlier experiences of weight training and other workouts. It is designed in such a way that you will never lose interest because it includes many activities into single fat burning session and works on different aspects of the body like physical fitness, including endurance, flexibility, speed, power and cardio respiratory fitness.
Yoga
Yoga is a practice which helps you to achieve physical, mental and emotional wellness and prevents you from ailments and if you have any pre-existing ones in you then it helps you to recover from them. It has various benefits, but the major ones are:
- Improves flexibility
- Builds muscle mass and strength
- Rectify the poster
- Protects and strengthen the spine
- Improves the health of internal organs and systems related to them
- Boost immunity and drains the lymph
- Maintains the hormonal balance
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Keep a check on physical, physiological and psychological well being.