How to exercise for weight loss
How to exercise for weight loss (Thinkstock photos/Getty Images)
Weight loss is not as easy popping pills, running 10 laps, cutting out fat from your diet or starving yourself.
Weight loss is a combination of balanced eating, and full body exercise that focuses on different physical fitness aspects regularly. Above all, let's not forget the two key aspects that weight loss is impossible without - determination and patience. We give you different ways to achieve the same target - weight loss!
What is a proper workout?
Keep the following points in mind to ensure that whatever activity you do for a workout ends up being a proper workout:
- Your daily workouts should be a minimum of 20 minutes. Not necessarily at one time. - You can do two brief workouts of 10 minutes each twice a day.
- They should make you work hard i.e. they should be intense.
- It should be progressive, i.e. you must move faster or lift heavier to keep improving.
Now the problem that occurs with some people is that they are too busy to follow a structured workout routine. So what can such people do? Well honestly if you cannot find 20 minutes in a whole day to workout, then you need to re-evaluate your life! Your health must be a priority! So if you cannot workout for more than a few minutes at a time, then you can choose from the following list to get a real workout rather than walk from one room to another to get a workout.
- Wake up and do some Surya Namaskars
- Do a few sets of push ups, squats, lunges, leg raises during the commercial breaks of your favourite television program
- Throw a total of 100 kicks and punches 2-3 times a day when you find time
- If you want to get stronger then keep a heavy dumbbell ready and do 1-2 sets of 5 reps of a heavy exercise 3-5 times a day. Use a weight that is your 8 rep maximum
- Do 5 minutes of rope jumping 2-3 times a day, going fast for 15 seconds and slow for 45 seconds
You can try any activity from the above list to get a good workout. All of the above activities will not take more than 5 minutes. Just do them multiple times a day to get a total of around 20 minutes a day. Of course you will need to ensure that your diet compliments your workouts to get the best results. So do not waste any more energy with fruitless activities, do proper workouts!
Running
Running is a full body workout that keeps your muscle tone and weight control in check. An added advantage - running is fun. Whether you live in an urban jungle, a picturesque small town, or a traffic zone, there's always a place to run. But before you lace up and head out running, let's take a quick look at what we've learnt about running as a form of exercise. From top running faqs to common running mistakes, here's what you need to know about running your way to good health
Zumba
Fat and calorie burning: At its core, Zumba proposes to offer a large calorie burn through high-tempo aerobic activity coupled with interval training. Based on various factors such as body weight, gender, fitness level and other physical factors, you can burn up to 400 to 600 calories per hour.
While Zumba can offer much-needed respite for 'gym rats', it will also help kick-start your stamina, physical balance and muscle tone. Other Zumba benefits are, essentially the same as for any other good workout routine - lowering of blood pressure and increased bone density. Zumba integrates fitness moves quite effortlessly. So be ready to move to a fast latin beat while completing rhythmic push-ups against the wall! Similarly, Zumba may also include several sets of squats and plyometric jumps - all while you think you're dancing.
A full body workout: Zumba is a dance form merged with a fitness routine that touches on nearly every muscle and joint. Hips and abs are prime areas of focus, and flexibility is quite important too. Each Zumba class starts and ends with the standard warming and cooling own breathing and motion exercises.
Kickboxing
If you're looking for a great fat burning and body toning workout that keeps you coming back, then kickboxing is the workout for you. Kickboxing burns approximately 800-900 calories per hour and builds speed, agility, strength and good form through some basic moves. Moves are combined and intensified to form workout routines that could even involve sparring, if you're up for it. Kickboxing is creating waves in most Indian cities as the new get-fit-now workout routine.
Kickboxing fact: Be prepared to sweat. A lot. Remember - the slower you move, the lesser you workout and the fewer the calories burnt per hour.
Spinning
Every second gym or fitness studio offers group-spinning classes with dedicated instructors. Several outdoor cyclists opt for spinning in the monsoon or winter months as a decent alternative to outdoor cycling workouts. Choose spinning workouts if you're looking to build stamina and resistance.
Spinning fact: Be prepared for a room full of sweaty folks with loud music (sometimes even disco lights!) and an instructor with a headset. To get the most out of a spinning workout - pay attention to what the instructor says.
Cycling workouts
If it's the real thing you want, then you don't even need a gym to start sweating it out on a cycle. Try urban cycling workouts. If biking through the city makes you feel nervous, simply go for early morning rides when the streets are empty and the air is fresh. An hour of moderate cycling can burn anything from 400 to 800 calories an hour, giving you a well-rounded workout that'll grow on you as you get used to cycling through your city's streets.
Cycling fact: Invest in a good bicycle and protective gear. Time yourself, and experiment with uphill and downhill cycling - yes, your city can offer you all this and more.
Skipping workouts
If you can jump rope for 10 minutes, then the skipping workouts might help solve your dilemma of how to clock daily workouts. Skipping as a cardio activity can easily be alternated with bodyweight exercises for a home workout. Since it's quite taxing, skipping burns approx. 400-500 calories an hour. Of course, skipping for an hour is near impossible for us mortal souls, but you can target 15 minute sessions spread through the day for similar results.
Skipping fact: Target a set number of revolutions. Buy a skipping rope with an in-built counter, and set goals of 100, 200, 300, or 500 revolutions in the shortest time.
Weight training
Weight training is a highly effective method to stay fit well into your middle to older years. As we age, our body's metabolic rate decreases. Through weight training, we build more muscle and evade slow metabolism since muscle burns calories more efficiently. Choose between weight training at the gym, or buying weights and following a home workout, but weight training is one of the best practices for healthy weight management, and immunity boosting.
Weight training fact: The right diet, rich in essential food groups is essential for a weight-training programme. You need to nourish your body to follow stringent weight training workouts.
Yoga
While yoga may not aid quick weight loss in its slower forms, it works wonders for joint flexibility, core strength and muscle tone. Forms like Iyengar yoga and Power yoga have made their presence felt in several new fitness studios that promise body-sculpting results as well. With 250-350 calories burnt per hour, yoga is a great way to stay in shape for those looking to maintain rather than lose. All you need is a yoga teacher and a yoga mat.
Yoga fact: Yoga also helps improve posture and breathing technique, which helps us fight daily stress more effectively.
Skipping
This is a great cardio exercise and involves a great combination of the mind and body working together. You definitely won't be thinking of the day's frustrations once you start skipping. Ensure that your rope is suitable for your height; stand on the rope's centre and bring up each side to your shoulders. The right size would be if the rope handles come up till your underarms.
Start with half skips and graduate to double skips. Your target should be to complete at least 500 revolutions in 5 minutes. This will prime you for a great workout.
Jumping Jacks
Another great primer/precursor to a great workout, the fun jumping jacks are effective in elevating your heart rate. Take a breather of at least 30 seconds before starting jacks. Ensure that you wear proper footwear with cushioned soles as your home floors won't be as workout-friendly as a gym's floors.
Remember to follow through with the full range of motion - all the way from your feet to your wrists. Keep your knees soft (not locked) and maintain a light, bounce-like gait that doesn't pause at any part of the jack for too long.
Body combat
Body combat is an empowering cardio workout, which is fiercely energetic and is inspired by martial arts. It draws from a wide array of disciplines such as karate, boxing, taekwondo, tai chi and muay thai. Supported by music, you strike, punch, and kick your way through calories in an enjoyable cardio fitness workout. Most Les Mills classes change their workouts every three months to new music and choreography.
What does a typical Body Combat class look like?
The instructor will lead you through a series of moves from a range of martial arts through music tracks. The first step is that you will learn all the moves that are to be used in that particular class and a warm up. The next phase is the fight itself using the moves you have learnt. With a focus on speed, power and endurance a series of fight combinations are unleashed. This is a non-contact fitness program but even so it helps you pack in punches and kicks and builds flexibility and agility. Finally, you take to the floor and end the workout with strength training. Stretches in the end ensure that you relax those muscles that have worked hard.
Benefits of body combat
- Improves heart and lung function and reduces the risk of heart disease
- Tones and shapes key muscle groups
- Burns calories for a leaner body
- Improves co-ordination and agility
- Improves bone density
- Improves posture and core strength and stability
- Builds self-confidence
Power Yoga
Power Yoga is a derivative of Ashthanga Yoga to make Yoga more accessible to the Western audience and to make it easier to adapt. Ashthanga Yoga involves synchronizing the breath with a progressive series of postures—a process producing intense internal heat and a profuse, purifying sweat that detoxifies muscles and organs. The result is improved circulation, a light and strong body, and a calm mind.
Power Yoga on the other hand is more of a general term to describe a vigorous, fitness-based approach to Vinyasa- style yoga. Therefore, any power yoga class can vary widely from the next.
Power yoga has gained popularity around the world because it gives you a whole body workout, with flexibility, toning, strength building, and functional movements and also elicits properties of what a good aerobics or cardio session can do. Power yoga is one of the most modern forms of yoga as it has adapted to taking all the learnings of yoga and uniting them with today's more urgent need of weight loss and fitness, by making yoga upbeat and current. The fast pace of power yoga is what makes it popular, as today most people do not feel they have had a good workout unless they have profusely sweated or had a high heart rate.
Benefits of Power Yoga
1. Burns calories
2. Increases stamina, strength, flexibility and tones our body and core.
3. Increases metabolism
4. Alleviates stress and tension and improves focus.
5. Increases flexibility and strength in glutes and other inactive muscles.
Power Yoga vs. a Good Cardio Session
While an hour of a good all out cardio session may burn twice as many calories, power yoga feeds your muscles as it works on your core and helps tone and streamline your body, and builds lean muscle. Since power yoga not only burns calories, but also builds lean muscle it is very effective for weight loss, as building lean muscle means it increases metabolism thus being more effective in burning fat.
A cardio session may burn more calories but it does not necessarily burn fat, and doing more and more cardio may even deplete your muscle reserves, which is not a good idea for long-term weight loss.
If your aim is weight loss and fat burn, 2 sessions of power yoga a week is a good addition to any routine. If you do more of cardio and haven't started lifting weights, power yoga will strengthen your body and prepare your muscles to start lifting weights. A good mix of power yoga and cardio is also a good sustainable weight loss plan.
Bootcamp
A fitness boot camp is a type of outdoor group exercise class that mixes traditional callisthenic and body weight exercises with interval training and strength training. In layman's terms it is a mix of high intensity cardio, body weight exercises, functional core workout, and sprints, which provide the interval training. All this packed into an adrenaline pumped hour. Normally these bootcamps are conducted in open maidans, or beaches, wherever there is open space and an ideal groups size is about 10 to 12 people.
This is what an hour of this workout may look like:
- It starts with a warm up of some light stretches and a jog around the block to get you ready for the session
- Today it could be 2 sets of hundred meter sprints and 2 sets of 50 meters. Run as fast as you can for 100 meters, take a break and run again. Then run fast for 50 meters, jog back slowly and run again for 50 meters.
- Next, everyone faces the instructor. He may ask you to do 15 pushups. Then side crawl for about 10 or 15 meters do 15 more pushups and side crawl back. Next, jump squats where you do a squat, jump up and land back into the squat. Then bear crawl to the other end, do some more jump squats and bear crawl back. Next you do a set of burpees and frog crawl to the other side, do another set of burpees and frog crawl back.
- A quick water break and some more sprints. This time it's shuttles where cones are placed equidistant from each other. So you run to the first one run back, then to the second, run back, then to the third run back and then to the last one.
- For the next drill you form a circle and we do a circuit of six to eight exercises one after the other. The circuit may have alternate lower and upper body workouts. To give you an example the workouts in this order can be - Plyometric lunges, pushups on a ball, squats with leg raise, triceps pushups, lunge with side twist and a dumbbell curl and shoulder press.
- A core session is usually thrown in every 2 to 3 sessions where you do upper and lower abs crunches, straight plank, side plank and other core workouts.
- Sometimes a game is thrown in to make it more exciting, it could be a relay, tug of war or anything that requires physical exertion.
- The session ends with a cool down where you stretch out each body part and do partner stretches.
Prison workouts
Prison workouts are highly effective and you can do them in your bedroom with next to no equipment and the time you spend on them is really up to you. They're called prison workouts, because a prisoner in a little cell can do them and still get good strength training in with no equipment. Apart from the full body functional workout from burpees, a prison workout can also be moulded to target the upper body, lower body and core separately. Here's a quick prison workout for you to try today.
Upper Body
Tricep dips: Put your hands on your chair or bed and dip your body toward the ground. Variations (from easiest to hardest) include: feet on the ground with bent knees, feet on the ground with straight legs, feet up off of the ground on another piece of furniture, and one foot on another piece of furniture while the other leg is raised in the air, alternating legs.
Pull-ups: All you need is something overhead to grab onto and heave yourself up. Hold a bar with both hands slightly wider than shoulder width. Cross your legs and now pull up your body with your arms. Ideally your chin should be the level of the bar when you pull up. If you haven't done these before try jumping up to the top and holding your body on top for a while thus building the strength required for a pull up. Another way to do an aided pull up is put one leg on a chair and perform these and slowly try shifting all your weight onto your arms and away from your legs.
Push-ups: With toes and palms only touching the floor get your body straight into a plank. Now lower your body to the floor and push up extending your arms. If you are beginning then do this with your knees on the floor and all your bodyweight on your arms.
Lower body
Squat jump: This is basically the burpee without the push-up part. Squat from a standing position until your fingertips touch the floor and then explode upwards, leaving the floor and raising your arms into the air. Land back into the squat. Repeat. Your quads will start burning quicker than you probably expect. Stop after you do about 10 of these, or when your legs are really tired.
Jump lunge: From a lunge position jump upward bringing both feet off the ground at the same time and switch your stance ending in a lunge position with your other foot now in the front. The speed and number of reps are up to you.
Core
Plank holds: Lie on your stomach; raise yourself up on your forearms (palm to elbow) and your toes. Stay in this position in a straight line or plank. Make sure that you are in a straight line and that your butt is not too high in the air. Hold for at least a minute.
Variations: do the same thing on each side with one forearm on the floor and the other arm straight on your body. Your body is now resting on the side of your right foot and on your right forearm. Hold for a minute. Then do the same on the other side.
Body pump workouts
Body Pump workouts are essentially an original barbell class which helps in shaping, toning and strengthening the entire body. It is a well-liked workout, worldwide, and is a great routine to get in shape. The basic characteristic of body pump which makes it different from other routines is the rep effect that focuses on high repetition movements with low weight loads.
Bodypump seems to be the perfect barbell meets aerobic fat loss solution. According to its teachers it is the perfect fat loss solution since it uses weights which will improve your metabolism and burn more calories. They say that one session burns an average of 530 calories.
Advantages of body pump workout: Bodypump sessions improves muscular endurance since they make you do lots of reps. It works for those who have been doing too much cardio for too long as the added weights will help add some intensity initially to get some fat off.
Resistance bands
Workouts with resistance bands are like working out at the gym, but without the weights. Resistance bands can be used for cardio as well as strength building workouts. They are light and allow you to do many exercises like bicep curls, squats, arm lifts etc. Just get yourself resistance bands from any of the sports goods stores, pack them in your travel bag and get going. Another option is the Bullworker, which works on the same principle as resistance bands- free hand against gravity. Follow the manual carefully for better results.
Home workouts
Here's a short 15 minute home workout that will tide you over. This workout is based on the simple principle of boot camp calisthenics with short, intense segments of 30 seconds to 1 minute with at least 10 seconds rest between exercises. Let's get started!
Start with a 5 minute warm up: Never forget a warm up. Jog on the spot, do knee raises, jumping jacks, or simple skipping, but move vigorously for at least 5 to 7 minutes. A warm up works like a wake-up call to your muscles, and quite literally - warms up your muscles to prepare them for the stretching, bending and lifting that is to come in the exercise. Starting a workout without a warm up can lead to muscle injury. Also, avoid stretching before a warm up, since stretching cold muscles can lead to injury as well.
Next comes the push-ups: Lie down on your stomach. Now with your palms and toes touching the floor, push up. Then with your toes firmly on the floor, bring your upper body as close to the floor as possible and push up again, fast. Complete as many pushups as you can in 30-60 seconds.
*Rest
Buckle up for the free squats: Assume a comfortable stance with your legs slightly wider than shoulder width and your toes pointing out slightly. Now push your hips back and keeping your back straight, sit down as if you are sitting on a chair. The aim is to get your hips and thighs at a 90-degree angle. Make sure your knees do not protrude beyond your feet or you're not doing it right. Now stand up using your heels to push up and squat down again. Do as many as you can for 30 to 60 seconds
*Rest
Handstands: Put your hands on the floor and your feet on the wall. Now walk your feet up and down the wall. Do as many as you can for 30 to 60 seconds
*Rest
Time for Burpees: From a standing position squat down, drop your hands to the ground and jump your feet back to assume a push-up position. Do a push-up. Jump your legs forward to between your hands then jump up into the air and land back into the squat. Do as many as you can for 30 to 60 seconds.
*Rest
High-knees or high-step run: Stand in a spot and bring your knees to the chest fast. It's a combination of running on the spot and bringing your knees high. Do this for 30 to 60 seconds.
*Rest
Inchworm: Beginning in standard push-up position, walk your feet toward your hands and then back again to initial position. Do as many as you can for 30 to 60 seconds.
Repeat this workout as often as you can in 25 minutes.
Home workouts
A 15-minute workout routine should be easy to do, shouldn't take much equipment, should be flexible in terms of space and should work the core as well as the upper and lower body. It's a program you can do at home when you're short on time, when you're on the road and don't have the time or opportunity to hit the gym or go for an outdoor workout. I'm not saying that the 15-minute routine should replace your regular workout, but it can be a solid, full body program that you can rely on in a pinch.
Think "boot camp calisthenics" with short, intense segments of 30 seconds to 1 minute with at least 10 seconds rest between exercises. Here's a simple option.
Pushups: Lie down on your stomach. Now with your palms and toes touching the floor, push up. Then with your toes firmly on the floor, bring your upper body as close to the floor as possible and push up again, fast. Complete as many pushups as you can in 30-60 seconds.
*Rest
Free squats: Assume a comfortable stance with your legs slightly wider than shoulder width and your toes pointing out slightly. Now push your hips back and keeping your back straight, sit down as if you are sitting on a chair. The aim is to get your hips and thighs at a 90-degree angle. Make sure your knees do not protrude beyond your feet or you're not doing it right. Now stand up using your heels to push up and squat down again. Do as many as you can for 30 to 60 seconds
*Rest
Handstands: Put your hands on the floor and your feet on the wall. Now walk your feet up and down the wall. Do as many as you can for 30 to 60 seconds
*Rest
Burpees: From a standing position squat down, drop your hands to the ground and jump your feet back to assume a push-up position. Do a push-up. Jump your legs forward to between your hands then jump up into the air and land back into the squat. Do as many as you can for 30 to 60 seconds.
*Rest
High-knees or high- step run: Stand in a spot and bring your knees to the chest fast. It's a combination of running on the spot and bringing your knees high. Do this for 30 to 60 seconds.
*Rest
Inchworm: Beginning in standard push-up position, walk your feet toward your hands and then back again to initial position. Do as many as you can for 30 to 60 seconds.
Repeat this 15 minute workout as often as you can in 15 minutes. The sky's the limit. You can always make up new exercises to challenge yourself as you go along. The point is, anything you do intensely for 15 minutes works to maintain fitness and now you have no excuses for not working out.
The Warrior Abs workout
The Warrior Abs workout is an intense and advanced ab routine that results in flat six-pack abs. The Warrior Abs workout aims at targeting your deepest ab fat and aids in burning fat, building full body endurance and core strength. This workout is meant for people who have a strong core and are very regular with their exercise routine. If done properly, by a person with a flexible back and good core engagement, it should be quite effective in strengthening the entire range of abdominal muscles.
A few exercises you would perform in the Warrior Abs workout. Firstly, if you are new to this workout try and pick any three exercises, such as - the pullup, squat thrust, and goblet squat. Now observe how many exercises you can perform in a good form for a minute or so. Now, when you finish doing pull ups, start doing squat thrusts and the then start doing squatting. Rest for exactly a minute and repeat the cycle. The aim is to increase your resistance slowly but steadily. A few exercises you must perform in a Warrior Abs workout are:
- Heavy strength training (especially squatting & especially front squatting)
- Unilateral exercises (single arm pressing & pulling variations, suitcase deadlifts)
- Standing or kneeling pulling & pressing exercise variations
- Olympic lift variations & combo exercises/complexes
- Weighted sled work (pushing & pulling variations)
- Planks (variations on front and side, added movement, etc.)
- Turkish getups or sandbag getups & most kb & sandbag exercises actually
- Ab wheel rollouts
- Low back extension variations
- Chops & other rotational movements
- Paloff presses
- Leg lifts progressing into "dragon flags"
- Knee tucks
- Hollow rocks
- Reverse crunche
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What is a proper workout?
Keep the following points in mind to ensure that whatever activity you do for a workout ends up being a proper workout:
- Your daily workouts should be a minimum of 20 minutes. Not necessarily at one time. - You can do two brief workouts of 10 minutes each twice a day.
- They should make you work hard i.e. they should be intense.
- It should be progressive, i.e. you must move faster or lift heavier to keep improving.
Now the problem that occurs with some people is that they are too busy to follow a structured workout routine. So what can such people do? Well honestly if you cannot find 20 minutes in a whole day to workout, then you need to re-evaluate your life! Your health must be a priority! So if you cannot workout for more than a few minutes at a time, then you can choose from the following list to get a real workout rather than walk from one room to another to get a workout.
- Wake up and do some Surya Namaskars
- Do a few sets of push ups, squats, lunges, leg raises during the commercial breaks of your favourite television program
- Throw a total of 100 kicks and punches 2-3 times a day when you find time
- If you want to get stronger then keep a heavy dumbbell ready and do 1-2 sets of 5 reps of a heavy exercise 3-5 times a day. Use a weight that is your 8 rep maximum
- Do 5 minutes of rope jumping 2-3 times a day, going fast for 15 seconds and slow for 45 seconds
You can try any activity from the above list to get a good workout. All of the above activities will not take more than 5 minutes. Just do them multiple times a day to get a total of around 20 minutes a day. Of course you will need to ensure that your diet compliments your workouts to get the best results. So do not waste any more energy with fruitless activities, do proper workouts!
Running
Running is a full body workout that keeps your muscle tone and weight control in check. An added advantage - running is fun. Whether you live in an urban jungle, a picturesque small town, or a traffic zone, there's always a place to run. But before you lace up and head out running, let's take a quick look at what we've learnt about running as a form of exercise. From top running faqs to common running mistakes, here's what you need to know about running your way to good health
Zumba
Fat and calorie burning: At its core, Zumba proposes to offer a large calorie burn through high-tempo aerobic activity coupled with interval training. Based on various factors such as body weight, gender, fitness level and other physical factors, you can burn up to 400 to 600 calories per hour.
While Zumba can offer much-needed respite for 'gym rats', it will also help kick-start your stamina, physical balance and muscle tone. Other Zumba benefits are, essentially the same as for any other good workout routine - lowering of blood pressure and increased bone density. Zumba integrates fitness moves quite effortlessly. So be ready to move to a fast latin beat while completing rhythmic push-ups against the wall! Similarly, Zumba may also include several sets of squats and plyometric jumps - all while you think you're dancing.
A full body workout: Zumba is a dance form merged with a fitness routine that touches on nearly every muscle and joint. Hips and abs are prime areas of focus, and flexibility is quite important too. Each Zumba class starts and ends with the standard warming and cooling own breathing and motion exercises.
Kickboxing
If you're looking for a great fat burning and body toning workout that keeps you coming back, then kickboxing is the workout for you. Kickboxing burns approximately 800-900 calories per hour and builds speed, agility, strength and good form through some basic moves. Moves are combined and intensified to form workout routines that could even involve sparring, if you're up for it. Kickboxing is creating waves in most Indian cities as the new get-fit-now workout routine.
Kickboxing fact: Be prepared to sweat. A lot. Remember - the slower you move, the lesser you workout and the fewer the calories burnt per hour.
Spinning
Every second gym or fitness studio offers group-spinning classes with dedicated instructors. Several outdoor cyclists opt for spinning in the monsoon or winter months as a decent alternative to outdoor cycling workouts. Choose spinning workouts if you're looking to build stamina and resistance.
Spinning fact: Be prepared for a room full of sweaty folks with loud music (sometimes even disco lights!) and an instructor with a headset. To get the most out of a spinning workout - pay attention to what the instructor says.
Cycling workouts
If it's the real thing you want, then you don't even need a gym to start sweating it out on a cycle. Try urban cycling workouts. If biking through the city makes you feel nervous, simply go for early morning rides when the streets are empty and the air is fresh. An hour of moderate cycling can burn anything from 400 to 800 calories an hour, giving you a well-rounded workout that'll grow on you as you get used to cycling through your city's streets.
Cycling fact: Invest in a good bicycle and protective gear. Time yourself, and experiment with uphill and downhill cycling - yes, your city can offer you all this and more.
Skipping workouts
If you can jump rope for 10 minutes, then the skipping workouts might help solve your dilemma of how to clock daily workouts. Skipping as a cardio activity can easily be alternated with bodyweight exercises for a home workout. Since it's quite taxing, skipping burns approx. 400-500 calories an hour. Of course, skipping for an hour is near impossible for us mortal souls, but you can target 15 minute sessions spread through the day for similar results.
Skipping fact: Target a set number of revolutions. Buy a skipping rope with an in-built counter, and set goals of 100, 200, 300, or 500 revolutions in the shortest time.
Weight training
Weight training is a highly effective method to stay fit well into your middle to older years. As we age, our body's metabolic rate decreases. Through weight training, we build more muscle and evade slow metabolism since muscle burns calories more efficiently. Choose between weight training at the gym, or buying weights and following a home workout, but weight training is one of the best practices for healthy weight management, and immunity boosting.
Weight training fact: The right diet, rich in essential food groups is essential for a weight-training programme. You need to nourish your body to follow stringent weight training workouts.
Yoga
While yoga may not aid quick weight loss in its slower forms, it works wonders for joint flexibility, core strength and muscle tone. Forms like Iyengar yoga and Power yoga have made their presence felt in several new fitness studios that promise body-sculpting results as well. With 250-350 calories burnt per hour, yoga is a great way to stay in shape for those looking to maintain rather than lose. All you need is a yoga teacher and a yoga mat.
Yoga fact: Yoga also helps improve posture and breathing technique, which helps us fight daily stress more effectively.
Skipping
This is a great cardio exercise and involves a great combination of the mind and body working together. You definitely won't be thinking of the day's frustrations once you start skipping. Ensure that your rope is suitable for your height; stand on the rope's centre and bring up each side to your shoulders. The right size would be if the rope handles come up till your underarms.
Start with half skips and graduate to double skips. Your target should be to complete at least 500 revolutions in 5 minutes. This will prime you for a great workout.
Jumping Jacks
Another great primer/precursor to a great workout, the fun jumping jacks are effective in elevating your heart rate. Take a breather of at least 30 seconds before starting jacks. Ensure that you wear proper footwear with cushioned soles as your home floors won't be as workout-friendly as a gym's floors.
Remember to follow through with the full range of motion - all the way from your feet to your wrists. Keep your knees soft (not locked) and maintain a light, bounce-like gait that doesn't pause at any part of the jack for too long.
Body combat
Body combat is an empowering cardio workout, which is fiercely energetic and is inspired by martial arts. It draws from a wide array of disciplines such as karate, boxing, taekwondo, tai chi and muay thai. Supported by music, you strike, punch, and kick your way through calories in an enjoyable cardio fitness workout. Most Les Mills classes change their workouts every three months to new music and choreography.
What does a typical Body Combat class look like?
The instructor will lead you through a series of moves from a range of martial arts through music tracks. The first step is that you will learn all the moves that are to be used in that particular class and a warm up. The next phase is the fight itself using the moves you have learnt. With a focus on speed, power and endurance a series of fight combinations are unleashed. This is a non-contact fitness program but even so it helps you pack in punches and kicks and builds flexibility and agility. Finally, you take to the floor and end the workout with strength training. Stretches in the end ensure that you relax those muscles that have worked hard.
Benefits of body combat
- Improves heart and lung function and reduces the risk of heart disease
- Tones and shapes key muscle groups
- Burns calories for a leaner body
- Improves co-ordination and agility
- Improves bone density
- Improves posture and core strength and stability
- Builds self-confidence
Power Yoga
Power Yoga is a derivative of Ashthanga Yoga to make Yoga more accessible to the Western audience and to make it easier to adapt. Ashthanga Yoga involves synchronizing the breath with a progressive series of postures—a process producing intense internal heat and a profuse, purifying sweat that detoxifies muscles and organs. The result is improved circulation, a light and strong body, and a calm mind.
Power Yoga on the other hand is more of a general term to describe a vigorous, fitness-based approach to Vinyasa- style yoga. Therefore, any power yoga class can vary widely from the next.
Power yoga has gained popularity around the world because it gives you a whole body workout, with flexibility, toning, strength building, and functional movements and also elicits properties of what a good aerobics or cardio session can do. Power yoga is one of the most modern forms of yoga as it has adapted to taking all the learnings of yoga and uniting them with today's more urgent need of weight loss and fitness, by making yoga upbeat and current. The fast pace of power yoga is what makes it popular, as today most people do not feel they have had a good workout unless they have profusely sweated or had a high heart rate.
Benefits of Power Yoga
1. Burns calories
2. Increases stamina, strength, flexibility and tones our body and core.
3. Increases metabolism
4. Alleviates stress and tension and improves focus.
5. Increases flexibility and strength in glutes and other inactive muscles.
Power Yoga vs. a Good Cardio Session
While an hour of a good all out cardio session may burn twice as many calories, power yoga feeds your muscles as it works on your core and helps tone and streamline your body, and builds lean muscle. Since power yoga not only burns calories, but also builds lean muscle it is very effective for weight loss, as building lean muscle means it increases metabolism thus being more effective in burning fat.
A cardio session may burn more calories but it does not necessarily burn fat, and doing more and more cardio may even deplete your muscle reserves, which is not a good idea for long-term weight loss.
If your aim is weight loss and fat burn, 2 sessions of power yoga a week is a good addition to any routine. If you do more of cardio and haven't started lifting weights, power yoga will strengthen your body and prepare your muscles to start lifting weights. A good mix of power yoga and cardio is also a good sustainable weight loss plan.
Bootcamp
A fitness boot camp is a type of outdoor group exercise class that mixes traditional callisthenic and body weight exercises with interval training and strength training. In layman's terms it is a mix of high intensity cardio, body weight exercises, functional core workout, and sprints, which provide the interval training. All this packed into an adrenaline pumped hour. Normally these bootcamps are conducted in open maidans, or beaches, wherever there is open space and an ideal groups size is about 10 to 12 people.
This is what an hour of this workout may look like:
- It starts with a warm up of some light stretches and a jog around the block to get you ready for the session
- Today it could be 2 sets of hundred meter sprints and 2 sets of 50 meters. Run as fast as you can for 100 meters, take a break and run again. Then run fast for 50 meters, jog back slowly and run again for 50 meters.
- Next, everyone faces the instructor. He may ask you to do 15 pushups. Then side crawl for about 10 or 15 meters do 15 more pushups and side crawl back. Next, jump squats where you do a squat, jump up and land back into the squat. Then bear crawl to the other end, do some more jump squats and bear crawl back. Next you do a set of burpees and frog crawl to the other side, do another set of burpees and frog crawl back.
- A quick water break and some more sprints. This time it's shuttles where cones are placed equidistant from each other. So you run to the first one run back, then to the second, run back, then to the third run back and then to the last one.
- For the next drill you form a circle and we do a circuit of six to eight exercises one after the other. The circuit may have alternate lower and upper body workouts. To give you an example the workouts in this order can be - Plyometric lunges, pushups on a ball, squats with leg raise, triceps pushups, lunge with side twist and a dumbbell curl and shoulder press.
- A core session is usually thrown in every 2 to 3 sessions where you do upper and lower abs crunches, straight plank, side plank and other core workouts.
- Sometimes a game is thrown in to make it more exciting, it could be a relay, tug of war or anything that requires physical exertion.
- The session ends with a cool down where you stretch out each body part and do partner stretches.
Prison workouts
Prison workouts are highly effective and you can do them in your bedroom with next to no equipment and the time you spend on them is really up to you. They're called prison workouts, because a prisoner in a little cell can do them and still get good strength training in with no equipment. Apart from the full body functional workout from burpees, a prison workout can also be moulded to target the upper body, lower body and core separately. Here's a quick prison workout for you to try today.
Upper Body
Tricep dips: Put your hands on your chair or bed and dip your body toward the ground. Variations (from easiest to hardest) include: feet on the ground with bent knees, feet on the ground with straight legs, feet up off of the ground on another piece of furniture, and one foot on another piece of furniture while the other leg is raised in the air, alternating legs.
Pull-ups: All you need is something overhead to grab onto and heave yourself up. Hold a bar with both hands slightly wider than shoulder width. Cross your legs and now pull up your body with your arms. Ideally your chin should be the level of the bar when you pull up. If you haven't done these before try jumping up to the top and holding your body on top for a while thus building the strength required for a pull up. Another way to do an aided pull up is put one leg on a chair and perform these and slowly try shifting all your weight onto your arms and away from your legs.
Push-ups: With toes and palms only touching the floor get your body straight into a plank. Now lower your body to the floor and push up extending your arms. If you are beginning then do this with your knees on the floor and all your bodyweight on your arms.
Lower body
Squat jump: This is basically the burpee without the push-up part. Squat from a standing position until your fingertips touch the floor and then explode upwards, leaving the floor and raising your arms into the air. Land back into the squat. Repeat. Your quads will start burning quicker than you probably expect. Stop after you do about 10 of these, or when your legs are really tired.
Jump lunge: From a lunge position jump upward bringing both feet off the ground at the same time and switch your stance ending in a lunge position with your other foot now in the front. The speed and number of reps are up to you.
Core
Plank holds: Lie on your stomach; raise yourself up on your forearms (palm to elbow) and your toes. Stay in this position in a straight line or plank. Make sure that you are in a straight line and that your butt is not too high in the air. Hold for at least a minute.
Variations: do the same thing on each side with one forearm on the floor and the other arm straight on your body. Your body is now resting on the side of your right foot and on your right forearm. Hold for a minute. Then do the same on the other side.
Body pump workouts
Body Pump workouts are essentially an original barbell class which helps in shaping, toning and strengthening the entire body. It is a well-liked workout, worldwide, and is a great routine to get in shape. The basic characteristic of body pump which makes it different from other routines is the rep effect that focuses on high repetition movements with low weight loads.
Bodypump seems to be the perfect barbell meets aerobic fat loss solution. According to its teachers it is the perfect fat loss solution since it uses weights which will improve your metabolism and burn more calories. They say that one session burns an average of 530 calories.
Advantages of body pump workout: Bodypump sessions improves muscular endurance since they make you do lots of reps. It works for those who have been doing too much cardio for too long as the added weights will help add some intensity initially to get some fat off.
Resistance bands
Workouts with resistance bands are like working out at the gym, but without the weights. Resistance bands can be used for cardio as well as strength building workouts. They are light and allow you to do many exercises like bicep curls, squats, arm lifts etc. Just get yourself resistance bands from any of the sports goods stores, pack them in your travel bag and get going. Another option is the Bullworker, which works on the same principle as resistance bands- free hand against gravity. Follow the manual carefully for better results.
Home workouts
Here's a short 15 minute home workout that will tide you over. This workout is based on the simple principle of boot camp calisthenics with short, intense segments of 30 seconds to 1 minute with at least 10 seconds rest between exercises. Let's get started!
Start with a 5 minute warm up: Never forget a warm up. Jog on the spot, do knee raises, jumping jacks, or simple skipping, but move vigorously for at least 5 to 7 minutes. A warm up works like a wake-up call to your muscles, and quite literally - warms up your muscles to prepare them for the stretching, bending and lifting that is to come in the exercise. Starting a workout without a warm up can lead to muscle injury. Also, avoid stretching before a warm up, since stretching cold muscles can lead to injury as well.
Next comes the push-ups: Lie down on your stomach. Now with your palms and toes touching the floor, push up. Then with your toes firmly on the floor, bring your upper body as close to the floor as possible and push up again, fast. Complete as many pushups as you can in 30-60 seconds.
*Rest
Buckle up for the free squats: Assume a comfortable stance with your legs slightly wider than shoulder width and your toes pointing out slightly. Now push your hips back and keeping your back straight, sit down as if you are sitting on a chair. The aim is to get your hips and thighs at a 90-degree angle. Make sure your knees do not protrude beyond your feet or you're not doing it right. Now stand up using your heels to push up and squat down again. Do as many as you can for 30 to 60 seconds
*Rest
Handstands: Put your hands on the floor and your feet on the wall. Now walk your feet up and down the wall. Do as many as you can for 30 to 60 seconds
*Rest
Time for Burpees: From a standing position squat down, drop your hands to the ground and jump your feet back to assume a push-up position. Do a push-up. Jump your legs forward to between your hands then jump up into the air and land back into the squat. Do as many as you can for 30 to 60 seconds.
*Rest
High-knees or high-step run: Stand in a spot and bring your knees to the chest fast. It's a combination of running on the spot and bringing your knees high. Do this for 30 to 60 seconds.
*Rest
Inchworm: Beginning in standard push-up position, walk your feet toward your hands and then back again to initial position. Do as many as you can for 30 to 60 seconds.
Repeat this workout as often as you can in 25 minutes.
Home workouts
A 15-minute workout routine should be easy to do, shouldn't take much equipment, should be flexible in terms of space and should work the core as well as the upper and lower body. It's a program you can do at home when you're short on time, when you're on the road and don't have the time or opportunity to hit the gym or go for an outdoor workout. I'm not saying that the 15-minute routine should replace your regular workout, but it can be a solid, full body program that you can rely on in a pinch.
Think "boot camp calisthenics" with short, intense segments of 30 seconds to 1 minute with at least 10 seconds rest between exercises. Here's a simple option.
Pushups: Lie down on your stomach. Now with your palms and toes touching the floor, push up. Then with your toes firmly on the floor, bring your upper body as close to the floor as possible and push up again, fast. Complete as many pushups as you can in 30-60 seconds.
*Rest
Free squats: Assume a comfortable stance with your legs slightly wider than shoulder width and your toes pointing out slightly. Now push your hips back and keeping your back straight, sit down as if you are sitting on a chair. The aim is to get your hips and thighs at a 90-degree angle. Make sure your knees do not protrude beyond your feet or you're not doing it right. Now stand up using your heels to push up and squat down again. Do as many as you can for 30 to 60 seconds
*Rest
Handstands: Put your hands on the floor and your feet on the wall. Now walk your feet up and down the wall. Do as many as you can for 30 to 60 seconds
*Rest
Burpees: From a standing position squat down, drop your hands to the ground and jump your feet back to assume a push-up position. Do a push-up. Jump your legs forward to between your hands then jump up into the air and land back into the squat. Do as many as you can for 30 to 60 seconds.
*Rest
High-knees or high- step run: Stand in a spot and bring your knees to the chest fast. It's a combination of running on the spot and bringing your knees high. Do this for 30 to 60 seconds.
*Rest
Inchworm: Beginning in standard push-up position, walk your feet toward your hands and then back again to initial position. Do as many as you can for 30 to 60 seconds.
Repeat this 15 minute workout as often as you can in 15 minutes. The sky's the limit. You can always make up new exercises to challenge yourself as you go along. The point is, anything you do intensely for 15 minutes works to maintain fitness and now you have no excuses for not working out.
The Warrior Abs workout
The Warrior Abs workout is an intense and advanced ab routine that results in flat six-pack abs. The Warrior Abs workout aims at targeting your deepest ab fat and aids in burning fat, building full body endurance and core strength. This workout is meant for people who have a strong core and are very regular with their exercise routine. If done properly, by a person with a flexible back and good core engagement, it should be quite effective in strengthening the entire range of abdominal muscles.
A few exercises you would perform in the Warrior Abs workout. Firstly, if you are new to this workout try and pick any three exercises, such as - the pullup, squat thrust, and goblet squat. Now observe how many exercises you can perform in a good form for a minute or so. Now, when you finish doing pull ups, start doing squat thrusts and the then start doing squatting. Rest for exactly a minute and repeat the cycle. The aim is to increase your resistance slowly but steadily. A few exercises you must perform in a Warrior Abs workout are:
- Heavy strength training (especially squatting & especially front squatting)
- Unilateral exercises (single arm pressing & pulling variations, suitcase deadlifts)
- Standing or kneeling pulling & pressing exercise variations
- Olympic lift variations & combo exercises/complexes
- Weighted sled work (pushing & pulling variations)
- Planks (variations on front and side, added movement, etc.)
- Turkish getups or sandbag getups & most kb & sandbag exercises actually
- Ab wheel rollouts
- Low back extension variations
- Chops & other rotational movements
- Paloff presses
- Leg lifts progressing into "dragon flags"
- Knee tucks
- Hollow rocks
- Reverse crunche
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