How much exercise do I need in order to lose weight fast? Here are 20 of my favorite exercises for weight loss that you can do at home.
One of the best things to result from COVID-19 is the sheer amount of virtual exercise options available to us that are convenient and on our schedule.
Yet, the more choices you have when it comes to exercise, the more confused you may be when it comes to which exercise is BEST for weight loss.
Thank you to all the home cooking, quarantine baking, and the COVID-19 pounds you gained.
Before we talk about the best exercise for weight loss at home, let’s examine how much exercise impacts weight loss in general.
Exercise for Weight Loss
If you have ever joined a gym, studio or fitness challenge, you probably were told that committing to a fitness schedule of 3-4 classes per week would be sufficient for you to lose weight.
Most of these promises center on the idea that exercise burns calories.
While this is true, especially if you focus on high intensity exercises such as HIIT or cardio-based exercises, most of our calorie burning occurs just from existing.
Our total energy expenditure consists of 3 things: 1) basal metabolic rate 2) energy used to eat and 3) physical activity.
Of those 3 energy sources, physical activity comprises only 10-30% of total energy expenditure. And some of that physical activity includes normal everyday movements such as fidgeting, walking, etc.
Find out your basal metabolic rate using this calculator (also gives you an idea of calories you should target for a weight loss plan).
How, then, does burning calories through cardio exercise impact your ability to lose weight?
A recent 10-month study examined how cardio affected 141 obese or overweight people. They were split into three groups and not told to reduce calorie intake.
- Group 1: Burn 400 calories doing cardio, 5 days a week
- Group 2: Burn 600 calories doing cardio, 5 days a week
- Group 3: No exercise
Group 1 participants lost 4.3% of their body weight, while those in group 2 lost a little more at 5.7%. The control group, which didn’t exercise, actually gained 0.5%.
From this study, we can see that burning 200 more calories per weekly exercise can help you lose 1.4% more weight. If you currently weight 200 pounds, this comes to about 2.8 pounds over 10 months.
Can you consistently exercise at a high enough intensity 5 days a week over a period of 10 months? And, would that extra 3 pounds (or almost 12 pounds over time) be compelling enough for you to continue? Well, that depends on your weight loss goals.
It should be noted that this study was done in overweight folks. Because of their greater basal metabolic needs (bigger bodies burn more calories at rest), a change in activity could make a bigger difference in their results than someone who only has 10 pounds to lose.
That is why you can see shows like The Biggest Loser, with participants who are losing 20 pounds in one week. Not only are they exercising very intensely, but they are on strict diets (and also have claimed to be using various drugs, supplements, diuretics and scale-tricking techniques).
Exercise may also have impacts on hunger and appetite, but not in a positive way.
While the hunger hormone, ghrelin, does appear to decrease after intense exercise (a concept known as “exercise anorexia”), ghrelin returns within the half hour afterwards. This is the exact time most trainers encourage you to eat something. If you tend to eat more as a “reward” for working hard, this may be counter-intuitive for you.
I have felt this effect post-run when I was training for my half-marathon. In fact, as I was an obese runner, I rarely felt hungry in the 1-2 hours after my runs. My hunger did come back within the 3-4 hours afterwards, though!
Also, women have been shown to be hungrier after working out than men, and leaner people may become less hungry than obese people. If you are a woman who is obese, this is not good news for you!
As a member of the National Weight Control Register (NWCR), which studies the habits of losers who have since maintained their weight loss, I want to highlight one of the most important benefits of exercise that have nothing to do with weight loss.
Exercise has long been known to help with weight maintenance. In the NWCR, 90% of participants reported exercise to achieve long-term weight loss maintenance, with an average 383-calorie energy expenditure 7 days/week. Further, research based on the NWCR showed that both high- and low-exercise groups were able to maintain weight loss for 3 years.
Personally, exercise is critical for my weight maintenance of 20 years. Considering that most people are great at losing weight, but struggle with maintaining that loss, I want to support their overall desire to sustain their weight loss success over time.
Best Exercises for Weight Loss
Now that we know how exercise could impact weight loss and weight maintenance, which exercises are best?
We have seen that increased cardio could have a positive impact on weight loss, based on calorie burn. So, which cardio exercises are BEST for calorie burn?
Cardio Workouts
Women’s Health identified these 9 top calorie-burning cardio exercises:
- Jumping rope
- Stair Sprints
- Kickboxing
- Cycling Intervals (think spin class)
- Running
- Kettlebell circuit
- Stationary bike
- Rowing machine
- Swimming
What do you notice about these cardio activities? Aside from the jumping rope, stair sprints and running, they require some sort of expensive equipment (or good weather conditions).
Also, some of these exercises tend to be very repetitive. Who can jump rope for at least 30 minutes at a time? Or, who can run up stairs over and over (who isn’t Rocky)?
Not to mention some of these exercises may not be ideal for someone who has aggravated injuries or is obese. Stair sprints are a GREAT workout, but no good for those with poor balance or bad knees.
I used to run pretty regularly, and while I enjoyed it, I now have arthritis in my knee and have to revisit low impact activities.
What about swimming, which is friendly to those with joint issues?
Unfortunately, unless you have an Olympic-sized pool in your backyard and Mediterranean weather all year, this may not be an option for you. Swimming is my favorite activity– but most outdoor pools and lakes were restricted during the pandemic, and indoor pools also have limited schedules.
Overall, the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) states that less than 150 minutes per week of moderate or vigorous physical activity like cardio is probably not enough for weight loss.
Therefore, choose a few cardio activities from the list above that you enjoy and incorporate them at least a few days a week. Maybe you choose to swim one day, jump rope at least a couple of days, run up the stairs a few times a day (challenge your kids to a race!), or find a rowing machine or stationary bike at a local gym that follows strict distancing and cleaning protocols.
Don’t have stairs in your home? Find a local school with stadium seating, and enjoy this high intensity stair workout.
HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training)
I have written extensively about HIIT. What you need to know about HIIT is that it can burn even more calories than traditional cardio activities, is helpful for those who get bored easily, and requires less time for calorie burn.
HIIT workouts require you to perform at about 80-90 intensity for shorter periods of time, with rest in between. Unlike cardio activities which maintain a steady state of 60-70% intensity, HIIT is anaerobic. This means that HIIT is not exclusively fueled by oxygen, but also uses stored carbohydrates.
Check out these HIIT benefits here or time-saving tips here.
I have long preferred HIIT over traditional cardio activities, partly because as an entrepreneur with two kids, my time is precious. Plus, if I can get the wonderful benefits of cardio in half the time, I’m going to do it!
There are many free online YouTube videos with a variety of HIIT workouts. Most HIIT-based workout include simple movements that you remember from childhood gym- like jump rope, long jump, high knees, sprint in place, jumping jacks, etc.
Because HIIT is fast-paced, it can be challenging to create your own HIIT workout (though not impossible). Here is a graphic that gives you several options to create your own HIIT at home routine from PiecesinProgress:
Weight training
Don’t just focus on cardio- weight training can also help with weight loss!
While cardio tends to burn more calories during the actual activity, weight training has been shown to increase your calorie burn while at rest. That is, it can increase your basal metabolic rate!
During 24 weeks of weight training, weight training led to a 9% increase in resting metabolism in men, and almost 4% in women. If you are a woman, this may not be very compelling for you.
Until you hear that weight training doesn’t just improve your resting metabolism- it also burns calories up to 38 hours AFTER you finish lifting.
Specifically, research has shown that you burn more calories in the hours following a weight training session, compared to a cardio workout.
When it comes to weight training, it is important to start with your largest muscle groups (i.e., your legs and core), which will burn more calories than smaller muscle groups (i.e., arms).
There are entire workouts designed around weight training, including my favorite Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle by Tom Venuto. Find one that includes movements both that you enjoy and that challenge you. For example, I would rather deadlift all day than do a single pull-up. But, both are part of a comprehensive weight training program.
Some of my favorite weight training exercises using only your bodyweight are demonstrated in the following graphic from DareBee. Want to pump it up? Use ankle weights, resistance bands or dumbbells and build those muscles.
The Best Combo Exercises
Just like diets, there is no one-fits-all solution when it comes to exercise for weight loss. Yet, combining the best elements of both cardio and weight training has worked for many people (including myself!).
One large 8-month study in 119 overweight or obese adults found the best body composition changes in an exercise group that included cardio plus weights. Not only did they lose weight and fat, but they gained muscle.
What does that mean for you? Less weight, leaner muscles, and perkier butts, flatter stomachs, and stronger thighs.
The best way to combine both cardio plus weights in a single workout is to do circuit training (which may also be called “bootcamp”). The formula for circuit training is to do a segment of cardio, followed by core, then specific muscle group training (arms or legs).
You can do this combo of moves based on repetitions or minutes, before moving on to the next segment of exercises. This type of training is helpful with a timer, so you don’t have to think as you are doing the moves. As for the entire workout? You could choose an AMRAP-style, which stands for as many reps/rounds as possible, or set a desired time frame, such as 30 minutes.
The good news is- you rarely need to budget an hour for this type of training, due to the intensity involved.
If you want to really maximize the effectiveness of circuit training, you can use weights for the core or muscle groups or choose to do a compound movement instead of just arms -or- legs. A compound movement works more than one muscle group or joint, such as a Bulgarian split squat with bicep curls.
Here are 6 other compound moves to add to add to your circuit training (as shown on Livestrong):
- Step-up to overhead press
- Bench press to leg raise
- Walkout plank to push-up
- Shoulder tap to push-up
- Push-up to row
- Dumbbell squat to overhead press
Here are 5 of my favorites:
- Single-legged deadlift to tricep push-back
- Back lunge with side twist
- Push-up with knee tuck
- Glute bridge with chest press
- V sit with twist
When it comes to exercise for weight loss, the most important part of your strategy would be to have a plan. Including cardio exercises, weight training, and compound movements will help you create a plan to exercise for weight loss.
If you would like assistance in creating your own home fitness routine, let’s chat in a complimentary Discovery call. I work with many folks who do not go to a gym, but still make movement a priority in their lives.