6 Best Exercises Weight Loss Efforts

Embarking on a weight loss journey can feel like navigating a complex maze, but incorporating the right exercises can illuminate your path to success. The power of physical activity in achieving and maintaining a healthy weight is undeniable, and for those in the United States looking to shed pounds, understanding which exercises are most effective is a crucial first step. This guide will walk you through six of the best exercises that can truly make a difference in your weight loss efforts. Remember, the key to lasting success lies not just in the intensity of your workouts but also in their consistency and how well they fit into your lifestyle. Let’s explore how combining different types of activities, from invigorating cardio to muscle-building strength training, can help you reach your goals and foster a healthier, happier you. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the American Heart Association (AHA) provide valuable guidelines for adults aiming for weight loss, emphasizing a combination of moderate and vigorous aerobic activity along with muscle-strengthening exercises.1 The following table summarizes their key recommendations:

Incorporating these recommendations into your routine can significantly impact your weight loss journey, providing a structured approach to achieving your fitness goals.

Best Exercises

When it comes to effective exercises for weight loss, starting with activities that are accessible and can be easily integrated into your daily life is a smart move. Two such best exercises are brisk walking and swimming, both offering significant benefits for calorie burning and overall health.

Exercise 1: Brisk Walking

Brisk walking stands out as one of the most accessible and effective exercises for weight loss. It’s a moderate-intensity aerobic activity that efficiently burns calories.1 The beauty of walking lies in its simplicity; it requires no specialized equipment beyond a comfortable pair of shoes.1 You can easily weave it into your daily routine, whether it’s a walk during your lunch break, an evening stroll around your neighborhood, or even incorporating more steps into your commute.1 The American Heart Association specifically recommends walking as a great way to start your fitness journey.1 To get a better understanding of the calorie expenditure involved, consider the following estimates based on different walking speeds and body weights 8:

To perform brisk walking correctly, aim for a pace of at least 2.5 miles per hour, where you can still talk but not sing.1 Maintain good posture by standing tall with your head up, looking about 10 to 20 feet in front of you.9 Keep your shoulders relaxed and let your arms swing naturally at your sides, which can help propel you forward.9 Focus on landing on your heel and then rolling forward onto the ball of your foot, pushing off with your toes.9 A slight forward lean from your ankles can also help engage your core muscles.12 To stay motivated and track your progress, consider using a reliable Fitness Tracker like the Fitbit Inspire 3, which can monitor your steps, distance, and calories burned. This can provide valuable feedback and encouragement as you incorporate brisk walking into your weight loss plan.

Exercise 2: Swimming

Swimming emerges as another excellent choice for one of the best exercises for weight loss, often hailed as a “perfect workout” by Harvard Health.13 It’s a full-body, low-impact activity that burns a significant number of calories.2 Engaging nearly every muscle in your body, swimming is particularly beneficial for individuals with arthritis or joint issues due to its gentle nature.13 You can vary the intensity of your swim, incorporating interval training for an added boost to your calorie burn.1 The following table provides an estimate of calories burned per hour for different swimming intensities based on body weight 2:

For beginners, focusing on the freestyle stroke with proper technique is a good starting point. Maintain a streamlined body position on the water’s surface, looking down at the bottom of the pool to keep your head and spine aligned.18 Breathe by exhaling underwater and then turning your head to the side to inhale during your arm stroke.20 Reach forward with one arm, letting your hand enter the water just slightly beneath the surface.21 Pull your arm through the water in a smooth motion, keeping your elbow high to maximize propulsion.21 Kick your legs in a flutter motion, ensuring they remain relatively straight and propel you forward.19 Coordinate your arm movements with your breathing and leg kick for a fluid and efficient stroke.19 Using a comfortable pair of Aegend Swim Goggles will significantly enhance your swimming experience by providing clear vision and protecting your eyes, allowing you to focus on your technique and enjoy your workout.

Best Exercises to Boost

To really ramp up your weight loss efforts, incorporating strength training exercises is essential. These best exercises to boost your metabolism and burn more calories, even at rest, include bodyweight squats and push-ups.

Exercise 3: Bodyweight Squats

Bodyweight squats are a fantastic strength training exercise that can significantly boost your weight loss efforts. By building muscle mass, squats help increase your metabolic rate, leading to more calories burned throughout the day.22 This compound exercise works major lower body muscle groups, including your quadriceps, glutes, and hamstrings.25 The convenience of bodyweight squats is another significant advantage, as they can be performed virtually anywhere without the need for any equipment.25 As a compound movement, squats engage multiple joints and muscles simultaneously, making them highly efficient for burning a substantial number of calories.27

To perform a bodyweight squat correctly, start by standing with your feet shoulder-width apart, with your toes pointing slightly outward for balance.26 Engage your core muscles to stabilize your torso and keep your back in a straight, neutral position throughout the movement.30 Lower your hips back and down as if you were about to sit in a chair, making sure to keep your chest lifted and your gaze forward.29 Pay close attention to your knees, ensuring they track directly over your toes and do not collapse inward or extend excessively beyond your toes.29 Aim to lower your hips as far as is comfortable while maintaining proper form, ideally until your thighs are parallel to the floor.29 To return to the starting position, push firmly through your heels, engaging your glutes as you straighten your legs.33 Maintaining proper form is crucial to prevent knee injuries and to ensure you are effectively engaging the targeted muscle groups.26 Using a comfortable Yoga Mat can provide cushioning and stability during your squats, especially if you are exercising on hard flooring, making your workout safer and more comfortable.

Exercise 4: Push-ups

Push-ups are another excellent example of the best exercises to boost your weight loss by building upper body strength and engaging your core. This strength training exercise effectively works multiple muscle groups, including your chest, shoulders, and triceps, while also engaging your core for stability.36 Building muscle mass through push-ups contributes to an increased metabolic rate, which helps in burning more calories.23 A significant advantage of push-ups is their versatility, as they can be easily modified to suit various fitness levels.36 Whether you are a beginner or more advanced, there’s a push-up variation that can challenge you.

For beginners, starting with modified push-ups on your knees is a great way to build strength. Begin on your hands and knees, positioning your hands shoulder-width apart with your fingers pointing forward.40 Lower your chest towards the floor by bending your elbows, ensuring your body maintains a straight line from your head to your knees.36 Then, push yourself back up to the starting position.41 As you gain strength, you can progress to standard push-ups on your toes. Start in a plank position with your hands shoulder-width apart, fingers pointing forward, and your body in a straight line from your head to your heels.38 Lower your chest towards the floor by bending your elbows, keeping your body straight throughout the movement.36 Finally, push back up to the starting plank position.41 For both modified and standard push-ups, remember to keep your core engaged by drawing your belly button towards your spine.36 Avoid letting your hips sag or rise excessively 36, and keep your head in a neutral position, looking down towards the floor.36 Tuck your elbows in at an approximate 45-degree angle rather than flaring them out to the sides.36 Investing in a set of adjustable Dumbbells like the Bowflex SelectTech 552 can further enhance your upper body workouts, allowing for progression with exercises like dumbbell rows, which complement push-ups, or even for more advanced push-up variations using the dumbbells for added depth or instability.

Exercises

Rounding out our list of effective weight loss exercises are two more impactful options: a beginner-friendly HIIT workout and lunges. These exercises offer diverse benefits, from high-intensity calorie burning to targeted lower body strength development.

Exercise 5: Beginner-Friendly HIIT Workout

For those looking for a highly efficient way to burn calories, High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) is an excellent choice. This type of workout involves short bursts of intense exercise followed by brief recovery periods, making it incredibly effective for weight loss in a relatively short amount of time.16 HIIT workouts are known to boost your metabolism, leading to a continued calorie burn even after you’ve finished exercising – a phenomenon known as Excess Post-exercise Oxygen Consumption (EPOC).48 Additionally, incorporating HIIT into your routine can significantly improve your cardiovascular health and overall endurance.24 The versatility of HIIT allows you to use bodyweight exercises, making it a convenient option to do in the comfort of your own home.49

Here’s a sample beginner-friendly HIIT routine that you can try for 15-20 minutes:

Begin with a 5-minute warm-up that includes light cardio exercises like jogging in place, jumping jacks, and arm circles.46 Then, cycle through the exercises listed in the table, alternating between 30 seconds of high-intensity work and 30 seconds of rest. Repeat this circuit 2 to 3 times based on your fitness level. Finish with a 5-minute cool-down of gentle stretching.11 Remember to adjust the intensity and duration based on how your body feels. A reliable Fitness Tracker such as the Fitbit Charge 6 can be invaluable during HIIT workouts, allowing you to monitor your heart rate and estimate your calorie burn, helping you stay within the target intensity zones for optimal results.

Exercise 6: Lunges

Lunges are a highly effective lower body exercise that offers numerous benefits for weight loss. They primarily target your quadriceps, glutes, and hamstrings, contributing to the development of lean muscle mass.25 Building muscle is crucial for increasing your metabolism, which helps your body burn more calories even when you are at rest.22 Beyond muscle building, lunges also play a significant role in improving your balance and coordination.13 The versatility of lunges is another advantage, with various forms such as forward, reverse, side, and walking lunges, allowing you to target different aspects of your lower body.54

To perform a forward lunge correctly, begin by standing with your feet hip-width apart.58 Take a large step forward with one leg.58 Lower your body until both of your knees are bent at approximately a 90-degree angle.58 Ensure that your front knee stays behind or directly aligned with your toes, and your back knee hovers just above the ground.62 Maintain an upright posture with your core engaged throughout the movement.58 Push off with your front foot to return to your original standing position.54 Alternate legs with each repetition.54 Pay close attention to your knee alignment and strive for controlled, smooth movements to protect your knee joints and maximize muscle activation.59 For beginners, using a comfortable Yoga Mat like the Gaiam Essentials Thick can provide extra cushioning under your back knee, especially when performing lunges on hard surfaces, enhancing your comfort and allowing you to focus on proper form.

Conclusion

Incorporating these six best exercises into your routine offers a comprehensive approach to weight loss. From the accessibility of brisk walking and the full-body engagement of swimming to the metabolism-boosting power of bodyweight squats and push-ups, and the efficiency of beginner-friendly HIIT and targeted strength of lunges, this variety ensures you are working different muscle groups and keeping your body challenged. Remember that consistency is paramount. Making these exercises a regular part of your week will yield the most significant results. Don’t hesitate to start with the exercises that feel most manageable for your current fitness level and gradually incorporate others. The best exercises to boost your progress often include strength training and high-intensity interval training, so aim to include them as you become more comfortable. By embracing these exercises and staying committed to your fitness journey, individuals across the United States can achieve their weight loss goals and build a foundation for long-term health and well-being. Even small, consistent steps will lead to significant progress over time, so take that first step today and empower yourself to a healthier future.

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