The 9 Best Weight Loss Exercises

You can reduce your weight by engaging in a variety of physical activities that increase your calorie burn. Your starting weight, age, diet, and expected weight loss will all affect how much weight you lose.

Over half of all American adults, it is estimated, attempt to lose weight every single year.

Aside from dieting, one of the most popular strategies used by those trying to lose weight is exercise. It burns calories, which is important for weight loss.

Exercise has many other benefits than helping you lose weight, such as increased mood, stronger bones, and a lower chance of developing many chronic conditions.

Here are the most popular 9 weight loss exercises.

1. Walking:

Weight is one of the excellent activities for losing walking.

For those who have never exercised before, it's a practical and easy way to get started without feeling overwhelmed or needing to acquire equipment. Additionally, because it is a lower-impact exercise, your joints are not overworked.

According to Harvard Health, a 155-pound (70-kg) person walks for 30 minutes at a leisurely 4 mph (6.4 km/h) to burn roughly 175 calories.

In a 12-week study involving 20 obese women, it was discovered that walking for 50 to 70 minutes three times a week decreased body fat and circumference of the waist by 1.1 inches (2.8 cm) and 1.5%, on average, respectively.

You can easily fit walking into your normal daily routine. To increase the number of steps you take each day, take up walking during your lunch break, climb the stairs at work, or go on extra walks with your dog.

Start by setting a goal to walk for 30 minutes, three to four times per week. As you get fitter, you can gradually increase the period or frequency of your walks.

 

2. Jogging:

Jogging is a well-liked and convenient type of exercise that provides a variety of health advantages, including better cardiovascular fitness and weight loss.

Running steadily at a pace that is slower than an all-out sprint is jogging. When you jog, you keep your speed between 4-6 mph (6.4-9.7 km/h), which gives your muscles and cardiovascular system efficient exercise.

A 30-minute jog at a speed of 5 mph (8 km/h) can burn about 288 calories for a person weighing 155 pounds (70 kg).

Over time, regular running can help reduce visceral fat, improving general health.

To start jogging as part of your routine, schedule doable workouts three to four times each week for 20 to 30 minutes.

3. Running:

Running is a high-impact, high-intensity exercise that has a considerable influence on both cardiovascular fitness and weight loss.

Running implies going at a quicker pace than jogging—typically greater than 6 mph (9.7 km/h). This increased speed raises the workout's intensity, which can improve calorie burn and provide cardiovascular benefits.

Running for 30 minutes at a speed of 6 mph (9.7 km/h) can burn about 360 calories for a person weighing 155 pounds (70 kg). Running is a good option for people trying to get fitter overall or lose weight because of the higher calorie expenditure.

4. Cycling:

Cycling is a well-liked exercise that increases fitness and can help in weight loss.

Cycling is typically an outdoor exercise, although stationary bikes are common in gyms and fitness centers, allowing you to pedal indoors.

A 155-pound (70 kg) person is thought to burn about 252 calories per 30 minutes of moderately paced cycling on a stationary bike or 288 calories per 30 minutes of 12–13.9 mph (19–22.4 km/h) cycling, based on Harvard Health.

Cycling is fantastic for losing weight, but studies have also shown that regular cyclists are more physically fit overall, have improved insulin sensitivity, and have a lower risk of developing heart disease, cancer, and death.

5. Weightlifting:

Lifting weights is a popular choice for people who desire to lose weight.

For 30 minutes of weight workouts, a 155-pound (70-kg) person burns approximately 108 calories.

Also, weightlifting can increase your resting metabolic rate (RMR), or how many calories your body burns at rest, by improving muscle growth and strength gains.

One 6-month study found that performing strength-based workouts for just 11 minutes, three times per week, led to an average 7.4% improvement in metabolic rate. In terms of this study, the increase is equivalent to an extra 125 calories burned per day.

Additionally, studies show that, in comparison to aerobic exercise, your body keeps burning calories for many hours after a weightlifting workout.

6. Interval training:

Interval training, also known as high-intensity interval training (HIIT), is a wide term for short bursts of intensive activity followed by recovery periods.

A HIIT workout may burn a lot of calories and usually lasts between 10 and 30 minutes.

HIIT burns 25–30% more calories per minute than other forms of exercise, such as weightlifting, cycling, and treadmill jogging, according to research involving 9 active males.

This indicates that HIIT can help you exercise less while increasing your calorie burn.

Studies show that HIIT is particularly effective for reducing belly fat, which has been related to a number of chronic diseases.

7. Swimming:

Swimming is an excellent way for getting in shape and reduce weight.

According to Harvard Health, swimming for 30 minutes will result in an average calorie burn of 216 for a 155-pound (70-kg) person.

Your ability to burn calories while swimming may have an impact.

In a 12-week test of 24 middle-aged women, swimming three times a week for 60 minutes dramatically reduced body fat, increased flexibility, and decreased various heart disease risk factors, including high blood pressure.

Swimming also benefits your joints because it is a low-impact exercise. For those who suffer from injuries or joint pain, it is a fantastic choice.

8. Yoga:

Yoga is a popular type of physical activity that decreases stress.

Although not commonly associated with weight loss exercises, it does burn a decent number of calories and has many other advantages that can help with weight loss.

According to Harvard Health, 30 minutes of yoga can result in an average calorie burn of 144 for a 155-pound (70-kg) person.

Two 90-minute workouts with yoga each week resulted in higher waist circumference reductions than the control group, by an average of 1.5 inches (3.8 cm), according to a 12-week study of 60 obese women.

Yoga can teach mindfulness and lower stress levels in addition to burning calories, according to studies.

9. Pilates:

Pilates is a wonderful activity that is good for beginners and could aid with weight loss.

Pilates might not burn nearly as many calories as aerobic exercises like running, but because it's often enjoyable, it's simpler to maintain over time.

Performing Pilates movements for 90 minutes three times per week significantly decreased waist, stomach, and hip circumference, based on an 8-week study of 37 middle-aged women, compared to a control group that performed no exercise during the same period.

Pilates can help with weight loss, lower back pain relief, improved overall fitness, and increased strength.

Combine Pilates with a healthy diet or additional types of exercise, like weightlifting or cardio, to boost weight loss more quickly.