We’ve gathered some of the most effective weight-loss exercises so you can pick the ones that suit your lifestyle best. If you’re doing interval training, do the exercise for 30 seconds every minute, and rest for the remaining 30 seconds. As you get stronger, you can gradually increase the amount of time you spend exercising to 45 seconds with 15 seconds of rest. Make sure you’re working at your maximum capacity during the activity part of the interval-you should be breathless by the end.
If you want to boost your metabolism, interval training is a great way to do it. Here are some of the best exercises for losing weight.
Running
Though you may have mixed feelings about it, running is one of the most efficient ways to burn calories. You don’t need any fancy equipment, just a good pair of shoes. To make the time pass more quickly, try running at different speeds. For example, in “fartleks” (a Swedish term meaning speed play), you can pick up the pace every other street light or fire hydrant, and then slow down after passing the next one.
Varying your workouts is the best way to burn calories while running, says Natalie Dorset, a running coach in New York. If you do the same workout every week, your body won’t have anything to adapt to. Try running at different speeds within a workout, doing some bursts of faster running, and mixing up the types of runs you do.
“Sprinting can help you engage your core muscles, and it also involves shorter bursts of running at higher intensities,” says Chris Ryan, one of the trainers who founded MIRROR. He also points out that running slowly isn’t very demanding physically, but running quickly at 80% of your maximum speed is much harder and puts more stress on your body. This can help condition your body to deal with this kind of stress. “It’s definitely worthwhile to get used to feeling uncomfortable while running, so try sprinting on a track or soccer field next time instead of running on the road,” he suggests.
Jumping Rope
Indoor spin instructor and personal trainer Nicole Murray says that jumping rope for 15 minutes is a full-body workout that gives you a great calorie burn. Murray aims for 10 sets of 100 jumps, with a short break in between each set, two times a week. Beginners can start off with fewer sets and work their way up, she says.
High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT)
High-intensity interval training (HIIT) workouts are great for weight loss because you can burn a lot of calories in a short amount of time. According to Jill Anzalone, group fitness and personal trainer in Massachusetts, HIIT is effective for weight loss because it produces a high level of EPOC (excess post oxygen consumption). This means that you continue to burn calories even after the workout is over.
Low-intensity cardio
According to Jennifer Blackburn, a group fitness instructor, cycle coach, and personal trainer, low-intensity cardio workouts are safe and effective for all levels, can help you burn calories and lose weight, and can be done four to five days a week for 45 to 60 minutes. Some examples of low-intensity cardio workouts include jogging, cycling, power walking, or a fun cardio dance class. As you get stronger, Blackburn recommends adding light weights to a cycle class, power walking on a treadmill taking your incline all the way up, or adding intense bursts of work for 30 seconds with a 30-second rest.
Strength Training
If you want to build lean muscle mass and keep your metabolism high, strength training is a good option. Having more muscle means having less fat, because muscle burns more calories than fat.
According to Wolff’s law, bones grow stronger in response to the forces placed upon them. Therefore, resistance training helps prevent osteoporosis by causing bones to grow in response to the added force. Additionally, resistance training works on force production to maintain shoulder, hip, and spine strength, which enables your whole body to lead a healthier life long into your later years.
Kickboxing
Kickboxing is an excellent way to exercise your whole body, lose weight, gain muscle, and relieve stress. Power comes from your legs to throw punches with your arms, including jabs, crosses, hooks, and uppercuts. Coordination and endurance are also necessary for success in the ring and in other sports.
Ryan describes kickboxing as an excellent way to tone your core, legs, and specifically your obliques, while also improving your balance, coordination, and proprioception.
Spinning
Ryan says that spinning is a great way to burn calories and build endurance, and it is also relatively low impact. He adds that when you engage your biggest muscles, you can set off hormones that produce more muscle, which helps to burn fat across your whole body.
If you do not enjoy running, an alternative low-impact option that will raise your heart rate is spinning.
While speed is a important factor in spinning, it is not the only thing. Practicing good form and engaging your whole body, not just your legs, is key to an efficient and quick spin. When you push the pedal down with each stroke, make sure to squeeze your inner thighs.
Mountain climbers
According to Edwards, mountain climbers are great for fat loss and working your entire body from a cardiovascular and muscular perspective. To do them, start in a plank position with your hands underneath your shoulders and your belly button drawn up and out of the air. Then alternate driving your knees into your chest. Edwards suggests aiming for 20 a day, five days out of the week for weight loss.
Yoga
Pabon says that while yoga may not be seen as a great fat-burning workout, it is a fantastic addition to anyone’s workout regimen. He explains that it teaches individuals how to control their bodies, breathing, and minds, which are skills that will translate well into other types of workouts and everyday life. Pabon adds that yoga is also great for your recovery.
TRX Bodyweight Workout
A TRX Bodyweight workout is great for weight loss, as it uses your body weight against gravity and challenges your muscles in a different way to traditional bodyweight training, according to Jessica Mazzucco, a New York City certified fitness trainer and CEO and founder of The Glute Recruit. Many gyms have TRX stations, or the bands can be ordered online to be fastened to a ceiling, wall, door, or tree.
Rowing
As you stand up, you use your arms to pull the handle toward your lower stomach. If you aren’t using your gym’s rowing machine, you’re missing out on a great opportunity to work on your cardio and strength. This machine works your quads, glutes, hamstrings, core, arms, and back, and you will get sweaty. Most people think that the power to row comes from your arms, but it actually mostly comes from your legs. Engage your quads and glutes to drive your legs back and pull the handle toward your chest. Stand up and use your arms to pull the handle toward your lower stomach.
Rowing can help you lose weight because it is a combination of cardio and strength training. You focus on pulling and opening up your hips and shoulders. This also works your heart and lungs. Many people have desk jobs which can cause their backs to round. Rowing helps correct this by opening your spine, hips, and shoulders.
Elliptical
Do not be tricked by the elliptical! It may look like an easy machine, carelessly spinning your legs while watching TV or reading a newspaper. Nevertheless, if you turn up the resistance and work at a difficult pace, it will leave you out of breath. “Riding the elliptical at an easy pace will not do much, but the magic starts happening when the lungs start working and the blood starts pumping,” Ryan says. Be sure to stand up straight to stretch your abs and use your upper-body muscles. Using the handles and swinging your arms will help you burn more calories.
Dorset argues that machines such as the elliptical can help you to lose weight whilst protecting your body from excessive stress: “The elliptical is great for providing a low-impact workout whilst maintaining fitness,” Dorset says. “It is especially good for helping to prevent injury when starting to run again after recovering from an injury.”
StairMaster
Steps are designed to be short so that you have to use additional muscles, like your glutes, quads, and calves, to bring your entire body up.
Climbing stairs or using a StairMaster is a great way to work the biggest and strongest muscles in your body, says Ryan. This will keep your metabolic rate high and your body strong and toned.
Battle Ropes
Battle ropes are a great full-body strength training and cardio workout that don’t require much effort. Working at a high intensity will increase your heart rate in a short amount of time.
Ryan describes how much fun he has slamming heavy ropes and how satisfying it is. He explains how it not only benefits him physically, but also allows him to take out his frustrations from the day.
To use a rope properly: hold each end of the rope with one hand, stand with your feet shoulder width apart, bend your knees slightly, keep your chest up, and alternate whipping your arms to send waves to the rope anchor. Experiment with different tempos and movements, whipping faster with one arm and slamming the rope hard with the other.
Swimming
If you don’t like the way running impacts your body, swimming is a great alternative. It’s a low-impact workout that incorporates cardio and strength training. Additionally, water provides resistance, which forces you to use more muscles and be more efficient with your oxygen use. If you need more motivation to swim, being in the water around 78 degrees will actually help you burn more calories than being on land. Your body has to work harder to stay warm in water, resulting in more calorie and fat burning.
Swimming is a good exercise for people to do because it works the whole body and helps build strength and endurance.
Kettlebell Workout
Mazzucco explains that kettlebell workouts are some of the best for weight loss because they help burn a lot of calories while developing muscle. She says that this form of strength training also causes your body to burn calories even after the workout is finished, which is very beneficial for weight loss. To get the most benefit from kettlebell workouts, she recommends doing them three to four times per week.
She recommends starting with the following routine:
KB Swing (3 sets of 20)
KB single arm row (3 sets of 12)
KB Goblet squat (3 sets of 12)
KB Shoulder Halo (3 sets of 12)
KB Single leg deadlift (3 sets of 12)
KB Standing single arm press (3 sets of 12)
Joe Szadok says that kettlebell swings can help you burn calories and build muscle if you do them correctly. He notes that many people make the mistake of squatting instead of hinging at the hips, which reduces the effectiveness of the exercise. To do the exercise properly, he recommends using your legs to generate power, and squeezing your glutes as you come forward.
Boxing
Tommy Dibernardo, a personal trainer and retired professional MMA fighter, says that boxing is a great way to lose weight. He explains that it is one of the highest calorie-burning cardiovascular exercises. When trying to lose fat, burning the proper calories is a must. Even a short session of boxing can get you burned calories. Dibernardo adds that you can shadowbox using dumbbells for an even greater burn.
