The increased fast pace of living and sedentary lifestyle has contributed to the epidemic of obesity we are witnessing in adults and in children. According to recent statistics, an average 160 million Americans are suffering from obesity daily. Unfortunately, weight that is excessive and left unchecked, increases your risk of heart disease, diabetes and hypertension requiring chronic medication to manage.
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The only way to effectively lose the weight and keep it off is through diet and exercise. While this may seem like a lot of hard work, by remaining focused and dedicated to your goals you can achieve incredible transformative results.
[BUTTONS2]Working out isn’t enough on its own to make weight loss happen. There’s so much else that goes into weight loss and body fat loss; in fact, exercise isn’t even technically necessary in many cases. If you want to lose weight—and it’s totally cool if you do and totally cool if you don’t—adopting healthy eating habits has got to be step numero uno. To get technical, you need to create a calorie deficit, which means using more calories in a day than you consume—and the consumption part plays a much bigger role in that than burning calories in the gym, or while carrying your groceries home, or any of the other myriad ways you put your muscles to work each day. Other lifestyle habits, like sleep and stress management, and health conditions (think thyroid issues, to name just one of many) also affect your weight. Point is, weight loss is a complicated and extremely personal journey that doesn’t look or work the exact same way from one person to the next.
And before we get into it any further, I’d be remiss not to point out another really important detail here: Weight loss isn’t for everyone. For some people, it’s actually much healthier to ignore your weight altogether, or never think about calories, or focus on literally anything else. That’s especially true if you have a history of disordered eating; if that’s you, you should talk to your doctor before going on any weight-loss plan at all. In fact, even if you don’t have a history of disordered eating you should talk to a doctor about losing weight in a healthy way.
And once you’ve done all that, there are some additional things you should know about workouts and weight loss.
The Best Exercises You can Perform at Home for Weight Loss
Squats
Squats are the most versatile and easiest exercise techniques to perform. Simply bend your knees and as far as you can and push upwards. Once you have managed to perform a few sets without discomfort, incorporate weights to develop muscle tone and strength.
Get on the Treadmill
If you have a treadmill at home, that is great. If not, a run or brisk walk around the block will do. Either way, the purpose is to improve your cardiovascular activity. Keeping moving on a treadmill provides strict discipline to push to reach that 10 or 15 minute mark while a walk around the block is relaxing and provides some scenery along your exercise. Whichever you choose, stick to your days and times to encourage healthy changes.
Lunges
Lunges are easily performed in the comfort of home. Combine with a resistance band to maximize the amount of calories burned. You can perform a set of traditional or cross lunges. These movements have been created to assist in improving overall movement, strength and tone.
CrossFit
There’s a reason CrossFit has become such a booming part of the workout industry—it works, so long as you don’t overdo it. Workouts are varied—you may be doing anything from kettlebell swings to rope climbs and box jumps to front squats—and the routines are designed to be short and intense. The most important thing to find when looking for the box (CrossFit slang for “gym”) that fits you best: a well-informed coach who can explain and modify the moves, and make sure that you don’t push yourself to the point of injury.
Yoga
OK, so yoga alone isn’t a great workout for weight loss. But Rilinger says it can be a secret weapon in your weight loss arsenal because it keeps you flexible and healthy for your other, more intense workouts (like that boot camp class). But that’s not all. “Yoga requires balance and stability, which promotes functional strength, and it helps our mental health,” she says. Aim to squeeze it in at least once a week. And if you can’t make it to the studio, there are plenty of flows you can do at home.
Performing various home workouts can provide incredible fitness opportunity and help you on your journey to achieving fitness and weight loss.