Weight Loss Exercises at Home for Beginners

by Harsh Kushwah

Common misconceptions about fitness are that you need a gym, a fancy product or a secret celebrity tip to get results for weight loss.

The reality is that it is the effort and consistency that will produce results. What prevents many people from beginning their new workout regime is the time and effort it takes to travel to the gym!

Gyms have not been around forever. Humans managed quite well before gyms and obtained their required movement in other ways. So it is possible to get great results by staying at home and committing to a consistent exercise program for weight loss.

Your home exercise routine can improve your health, looks and life without ever setting foot in a formal fitness centre.

The Gym Experience

Gyms are great – if you can access one!

But they are not for everyone. Anyone who has attended the gym regularly will know the same people are always there – they love it!

But, not everyone is not attracted to the mirrored walls of their local fitness facility. If you have significant weight to lose, the gym may not be the best place to start for your confidence. It’s hard to expose yourself if you are a beginner. The gym can sometimes seem like a cave of experts, and you are an unfit imposter.

The gym is essentially appealing for the range of equipment on offer. Not many of us can have the same setup at home. Some people use the public space as motivation and even a social hangout.

But for those who prefer private places or the outdoors, the gym may not be an ideal option. Apart from gyms being an unsuitable workout environment for some, other factors can keep you at home.

• You may not have suitable gym facilities in your town
• The cost is prohibitive
• The climate in your area prevents regular sessions (excessive snow, cold or heat waves)
• You have health conditions that prevent travel to a gym
• Your fitness levels are low, and you cannot use sophisticated machines yet

Why exercise at home?

Exercising at home to lose weight is an excellent option for most people. There is no need for equipment to lose weight and get fit. One reason is that you can do cardio exercises without a gym – a simple walk, run, cycle or swim anywhere you can access the space.

If you can’t swim or don’t have a bike, simply walking around a shopping mall or up and down your street will make a difference to your weight loss efforts. You can also follow an online cardio routine in the comfort of your own home.

For strength training, without the equipment, there is your new secret weapon – bodyweight training.

Bodyweight training has shown to be as effective as gym weight programs.

Utilising the weight and resistance of your body weight (instead of machines), you can effectively build muscles and core body strength. Increasing muscle mass and incorporating cardio into your weight loss routine can get results for those who can commit to the regime.

Bodyweight exercises are FREE and require no equipment. Hence, totally ideal to be one of your weight loss exercises at home. It can be as little as 15 minutes – do it while you watch TV or listen to a few of your favourite songs!

The Best Weight Loss Exercises at Home

As recommended by Dr. Ted Naiman (Follow on Twitter @tednaiman), the exercises below have variations, depending on your level of fitness and strength.

He recommends completing the set about 2-3 times per week. A single set means 10-15 times of repetitions of an exercise.

The recommendation is to perform the moves ‘to failure.’ In other words, keep going until you cannot do anymore! Dr Naiman points out that intensity is more effective than duration.

1. Sit-ups: Can be a V-sit position or regular sit-ups)

2. Squats: A ‘slow’ squat progressing to single-leg squats when strength increases

3. Push-ups: For beginners, this may start with a wall push-up or using a bench, progressing to floor pushups

4. V-shape or Pike push-up: A variation of a pushup that utilises a pushing motion off the ground from a v-shape position)

5. The ‘Superman’: Lie on the ground face-down, and stretch your legs and arms upwards for as long as you can (working the back muscles)

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Additional Exercise (requires a bar)

See, if a doctor cannot easily find the solutions, it’s no wonder many of us remain confused with the amount of conflicting health information available today!

The Best Exercise Routine

What’s the old saying – the best exercise routine is the one you will actually DO!

If you are serious about weight loss or need to do something to prevent a serious health problem, you should give the above-mentioned weight loss exercises at home a try. Do not let excuses or lack of resources stop you from improving your life. Losing weight can improve many aspects of your life, some of which will surprise you.

You deserve to dedicate 15 minutes a day to health. Besides that, you also need to focus on your diet. You can do calorie-count and diet tracking easily using any Mobile App. One such app is MyFitnessPal. If you know the right ones, apps can really help you in the journey of self-improvement and care.

Disclaimer: This information is for general education. For individual advice, see the appropriate health professional for assessment.

References:

1. https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/fitness/in-depth/weight-training
2. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c57p605PDZc