Health Fitness

How To Boost Your Weight Loss With 6 Simple Exercises

Before thinking about losing weight, the first thing to ask yourself is: is it necessary? There are many basic ways to assess for yourself whether you are overweight, very obese, or simply healthy. Most of them are based on simple proportions of height and weight, of which the most used method is the body mass index (BMI). While none of them are 100% accurate, they do provide a good gauge of measurement. Typically, BMI overestimates the user’s weight category, placing normal people in the obesity category rather than below.

If you think you fall into the obesity category, the next question to ask yourself is whether you are losing weight for health or cosmetic reasons. If it’s simple for cosmetic reasons, then you’re probably not overweight and don’t need to lose weight. Keep in mind that exercising for weight loss is very different from exercising for good health.

If you are serious about losing weight for health reasons, you are probably dealing with a significant problem. You lack the muscle to support your own weight, and as a result, you tire too easily to maintain a sustained exercise regimen.

To help you get started, the following exercises are designed with low intensity and impact; first, to reduce the risk of injury, especially for beginners, and second, to make it possible for you to actually achieve them.

Here are 6 exercises that are simple to perform and can be done in the comfort of your home.

1) Clap above your head

This exercise is also known as the Buddha clap. You can do this exercise sitting on the floor. Start with both arms fully extended at your sides and with your palms facing the sky. While keeping your arms straight, bring both hands at a comfortable speed above your head and clap your hands. Return to the original position with your arms straight and your palms up.

This exercise seems simple enough, but this is exactly how it should be. But once you have repeated the action 10 to 20 times, you will find that it is not exactly easy. Stretches the muscles of the back and arms and works the cardiovascular system. Do 20 to 40 sets of this exercise daily.

You can also do this exercise while standing up to increase the intensity of the exercise.

2) Twinkling twinkling star

If you remember how you danced while singing the nursery rhyme, Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, then you should remember the action of the twinkling stars. This exercise is exactly that action. Spread your hands out in front of you with your fingers spread. Then just clench and unclench your cuffs (it doesn’t have to be tight) repeatedly.

Every time you clench and open your fist it counts as one. Do this 20 to 40 times a day. This strengthens your shoulders and forearms. Like the overhead clap, this exercise can be performed sitting or standing for best results.

3) ABS

Most of us should be very familiar with the abs, yet few of us know how to use this exercise correctly. There is no right or wrong way to do Crunches, but different ways of doing them have different results. Since we are looking to lose weight and strengthen muscles, we should do our abs slowly and steadily.

First, lie on the floor and with your knees bent, lift your legs so that your thighs and stomach are at approximately 90o. This is the starting position for the Crunches. Next, cover your ears with your hands and lift your upper body so that your elbows touch your knees or thighs. Hold the position for 2 seconds before returning to the starting position. During all this time, keep your legs as they were in the starting position. If you have difficulty keeping your legs elevated, you can place a cushion or chair to support your legs. Eventually, you should progress to a stage where you don’t need the support.

This exercise trains the upper abdominal muscles. Do this 10 to 20 times a day. You can alternate this exercise with alternating crunches where the right elbow touches the left knee and vice versa. The alternate crunches train the side abs.

4) Leg lifts

To get started with leg lifts, first find heavy furniture that you can grab onto. Lie down on the floor and reach out to support the furniture (preferably the furniture legs). Keep your arms half bent. Raise both legs (keeping them straight, do not bend your knees if possible) so that your thigh and stomach are approximately 90 degrees. This exercise can pose difficulties for many of us. If you find it difficult to lift both legs, you can try starting one leg at a time.

This exercise works the lower abs and is especially good for reducing abdominal or belly fat as we call it. Do this 10 to 20 times a day.

5) Knee lifters

Again, look for heavy furniture that can support your weight at home. This time you will need to hold it for support, so make sure the height is comfortable for you. Place both hands on the furniture with your body in an upright position and your legs shoulder-width apart. Begin by bending one of your knees and slowly lifting that leg up to your chest. Lower your leg slowly and proceed to repeat the action with the other leg.

Every time you raise your leg and lower it, it should count as one. Do this 20 to 40 times a day. This exercise strengthens the thigh muscles.

6) Tip Toe-ing

This exercise is similar to the Knee Raiser. Again, place both hands on the furniture to support yourself with your body in an upright position, but keep both legs together. Begin by wiggling your toes up and down. Do this 20 to 40 times a day. This exercise strengthens the calf muscles.

Each of the above exercises will take less than 5 minutes, doing all 6 should take a maximum of half an hour a day. It doesn’t matter if you are looking to lose weight or just stay active, these exercises are very helpful in staying reasonably active.

These exercises work the major muscles in your body and strengthen them for higher intensity workouts. This is very important, especially if you are obese. Since this routine is for beginners only, you should move on to higher intensity workouts after a few months for better weight loss results. However, don’t skip to start harder workouts right away! If you skip basic training, you risk injuring yourself from exercises your body can’t handle.

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