16 Best Exercises to Lose Weight

Published on August 6, 2021 at 4:58 pm by Manal Shahid in Lists, News

In this article, we will be looking at the 16 best exercises to lose weight. If you want to skip our detailed analysis on the importance of exercise, you can go directly to the 5 Best Exercises to Lose Weight.

Exercise is a significant part of a healthy lifestyle. A sedentary lifestyle can not only cause obesity, but it can also increase the risk of chronic illnesses. According to the American Council on Exercise, exercise is a form of physical training of your body which can improve muscle definition, boost metabolism, preserve lean mass, and help in weight loss. Moreover, exercise has been proven extremely beneficial for mental health as well as it helps people unwind and manage stress. However, the U.S Department of Health and Human Services has reported that around 80% of American adults are not getting enough exercise.

People are becoming less active since the second half of the 20^th century and prefer sticking to their leisurely ways. According to the CDC, the average percentage of American adults that fulfill the necessary physical activity guidelines is only 22.9%. This is not very surprising as we are already witnessing automated processes taking care of everyday mundane tasks which means that people generally stay inactive for a longer time.

There have also been some changing trends regarding exercise all over the world. Driven by the pandemic, 2020 has seen a plethora of digital exercise solutions and has changed the fitness landscape. It is the era of digitization, and the fitness industry has also adapted to the changing circumstances with new methods such as live streams and on-demand fitness platforms which are helping people exercise. Moreover, home fitness and digital workouts are becoming the norm and are set to be a dominant trend in the years to come. Many health and fitness companies have also adapted to these changing trends. For example, Planet Fitness, Inc. (NYSE: PLNT) has created an online workout portal and an app with hundreds of exercise videos for its users. Similarly, WW International, Inc. (NASDAQ: WW) has a digital program with weight tracking tools and a 24/7 coach available for their customers. You no longer require a gym membership or a personal trainer for getting into shape. Many home exercises can easily be performed in the comfort of your home. These exercises not only make you fit but can be highly effective in helping you shed those extra pounds.

Losing weight may not be an easy process but with an effective workout routine alongside a healthy diet, anyone can achieve their goal weight. In fact, only focusing on reducing your diet can lead to muscle loss. However, including an exercise plan along the diet can reduce the amount of muscle lost in the process. Exercise also improves body composition by helping you lose fat instead of muscle. Since a healthy diet is an important part of weight loss, many people are making the switch to healthy, organic, and plant-based products. Beyond Meat, Inc. (NASDAQ: BYND) is a California-based food company that has popularized the use of plant-based meat products in the US and around the world. These meat substitutes are healthier alternatives for meat lovers who want to lose weight. Similarly, Herbalife Nutrition Ltd. (NYSE: HLF) provides meal replacement products, protein shakes, weight loss enhancers, and healthy snacks which help in weight management and targeted nutrition.

Studies have shown that people who exercise for one hour every day have not only lost weight but have also kept it off for several years. Joseph E Donnelly, the director of the Center for Physical Activity and Weight Management at the University of Kansas Medical Center, says that exercising regularly can help reduce almost 5 to 7% weight loss in almost anybody.

Finding a physical activity that you enjoy doing will help you include it in your daily lifestyle. Generally, a steady weight loss of 1 to 2 pounds in a week is considered to be safe and is recommended for long-term weight maintenance. Moreover, the weight loss process varies from individual to individual and can be affected by other factors such as gender, body size, metabolic changes, and diet, etc.

It is important to note that different exercises are meant for different purposes. Some exercises focus on developing your strength, some focus on toning the muscles, while others can help you burn calories and reduce weight.

With this context in mind, let’s now discuss our list of the 16 best exercises to lose weight.

16 Best Exercises to Lose Weight

16. Plank

Strengthening your core is an important part of any workout and the plank is an ideal exercise to help develop your core muscle strength and stability. Planks is a strength-building exercise that can boost calorie burn and help in weight loss. It is mostly used in Pilates and yoga and engages the back, legs, arms, and abs. It targets the internal abdominal muscles and helps ease lower back pain.

To perform a plank, you need to lie on the mat face down with your elbows on the floor. Then, you push your body off the floor and keep it in a straight line while resting on your elbows. Holding a plank for a minute can burn two to five calories depending on the bodyweight of the individual. It is one of the best exercises to lose weight.

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15. Lat Pulldown

The Lat Pulldown helps work the major back muscles to strengthen them. To perform a lat pulldown, hold the bar with your arms wider than the shoulders and bend the elbows, pulling the bar towards your chin. Doing this exercise for 30 minutes at a moderate pace can burn around 224 calories. It is not only a great strength-building exercise but can also be effective in a weight loss workout routine when combined with different exercises.

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14. Thrusters

Thrusters are a combination of a shoulder press and a squat. It engages all the major muscle groups in the body and helps strengthen your core, grip strength, glutes, quads, and shoulders. Although is exercise can be difficult to do, it helps build muscle strength as well as burns calories. Thrusters can also be done with barbells or dumbbells to make them more intense. They can burn almost 298 calories in under minutes, making it one of the 16 best exercises to lose weight.

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13. Lunges

Another useful exercise that can help with weight loss is lunges. People who can maintain their balance can easily complete a lunging exercise without much struggle. Walking lunges are relatively low impact but have amazing toning benefits for your body. On the other hand, jumping lunges can be challenging and can help burn more calories in a shorter time span. Lunges are a great exercise for exercising your balance as well as engaging the quads, glutes, and hip muscles. A 150-pound person can burn approximately 275 calories in a 30-minute lunging workout.

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12. Jumping Jacks

Jumping jacks is one of the most popular warm-up exercises. They are simple to perform and can be done anywhere. They are also easily incorporated into any workout routine. Low impact jumping jacks can be an ideal exercise for people who suffer from joint problems. However, high-impact jumping jacks are the most effective weight loss exercise which burns way more calories. Doing jumping jacks for 10 minutes can burn almost 100 calories. However, these exercises cannot be done for a long time, and it is best to combine them with other exercises for a balanced workout. Jumping jacks engage the upper body, abs, legs, and the entire cardiovascular system, making it one of the best exercises to lose weight.

11. Jump Squats

Jump squats are a variation of the traditional squat which is already a popular exercise for sculpting and reshaping. However, jump squats are a powerful calorie-burning exercise that is mostly incorporated in high-intensity workout regimens. They are high in difficulty level but can help you burn calories faster. Performing 30 jump squats in sets of ten with a 30-second rest between can help you burn almost 100 calories. To make this exercise more intensive, try doing higher reps or shorter rest periods to push your body further and increase the calorie burn. Jump squats will not only help you remain in shape but is also one of the best exercises to lose weight.

10. Swimming

Swimming is not only fun to do but it can have great weight loss effects for your body too. It is a low-impact workout that improves muscle strength, lung, and heart capacity, and blood flow, while burning energy. It is also a less stressful exercise for your body and is ideal for those who suffer from limited mobility or joint problems. For 30 minutes of swimming, the average number of calories burned is 200. At least 20 to 30 laps should be covered for an ideal swimming workout. Another benefit of swimming is that it can alter your body shape, making it more elongated, thinner, and fitter making it one of the best exercises to lose weight.

9. Burpees

Burpees are one of the quickest calorie-burning exercises and are a must in any weight-loss workout routine. They get the heart pounding and helps build a lot of lean muscle. Walk-out burpees can be a low impact variation on the exercise which is suitable for beginners. However, regular burpees are high impact. To do one, you need to start from a plank position, then jump to your hands, and finally jump upright. It engages the core, legs, and chest muscles in your body and gets you sweating in no time. In 30 minutes, performing burpees can burn from 135 to 355 calories depending on the intensity and your body weight.

8. Shadow Boxing

Shadow boxing is a cardio-vascular exercise that engages the arms and legs and is an essential part of any bodyweight workout. It is basically used by professional boxers to warm up their muscles and joints before they start boxing. Shadow boxing can burn almost 300 calories in half an hour. You can also alternate between low and high-intensity punching for a cardio-style workout which will keep your heart rate up and help you shed those extra pounds.

7. Mountain Climbers

Another cardio exercise that is effective in weight loss is the mountain climber. It can easily double as a full-body workout since it engages your butt, hamstrings, and obliques. Mountain climbers engage your entire body which means that it can burn a lot of calories in a short time. To do the exercise, start in a plank position and drive the right knee towards the chest and then bring it back to the plank. Repeat the same for the other leg. This exercise can burn approximately 240 to 355.5 calories in only 30 minutes, making it one of the best exercises to lose weight.

6. Butt Kicks

Butt kicks are a simple yet effective cardio exercise that is part of most high-intensity workout routines. Similar to high knee running, doing butt kicks at a high intensity can help burn a lot of calories in very little time. According to Healthline, 30 minutes of performing high-intensity butt kicks can burn from 240 to 355.5 calories. To perform this exercise, lift one heel towards your hip and bring it down and repeat with the other foot. To increase the intensity, alternate rapidly between the two legs. Butt kicks are one of the 16 best exercises to lose weight.

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