To give the body an attractive shape, it is necessary to choose an optimal set of exercises that will affect all the main muscles. Standard exercise takes about an hour, it will help not only to remove extra pounds, but also to tighten sagging places. By the end of the first month, with regular classes, the results will be noticeable.
Warming up or warming up
Exercise to lose weight begins with warming up the muscles:
- you need to stand up straight and pull your hands up - if there is a feeling of warmth, then everything is done correctly;
- then walk in place for a few minutes run;
- next - warming up the muscles of the body: from a straight position, with hands on the waist, bend forward and to the side.
The total warm-up time should not exceed 5-10 minutes. Warming up helps prevent accidental injuries during the complex.
Abdominal exercises
Problem areas need more attention. This complex should not have one exercise to pull this muscle group, an integrated approach to all problem areas is needed. Otherwise, there will be a distortion of the waist silhouette due to the strengthening of one press.
Recommended exercises are presented:
- "Turn" - you need to lie on the mat, bend your legs at the knees, and put your hands behind your head. During the entrance, the head is pulled to the bottom of the legs, when exiting, the body returns to its original position.
- "Inverted twist" - in the same position, the legs are pulled up to the slightly raised head.
- "Get up" - in a supine position, hands are behind the head. During inhalation, it is necessary to raise the body and touch the legs with your fingers.
- "Lifting legs" - in a prone position, the arms are spread up and to the sides. While inhaling, you need to lift your legs and try to touch them with your fingers to the floor behind your head.
If the last option is difficult to do, then the exercises that can be implemented in the beginning are chosen.
Reduces leg volume
To improve skin color and lose extra centimeters from the legs, the following leg exercises are performed:
- forward lunges - the front of the thigh, the butt is engaged;
- melting of the limbs to the side from the treating position - the inner part of the thigh is pumped up;
- alternate lifting - the condition of the anterior part of the thigh improves;
- "bicycle" and "scissors" - inner and outer thigh muscles are activated.
From a standing position, longitudinal and transverse leg swings are performed. To reduce the size of the femoral area is used:
- the "triangle" pose from yoga;
- squat - feet shoulder-width apart, socks open;
- swinging the limbs with a small amplitude when lying on your side;
- backward movement of the limbs from the crawling position.
Strengthening the gluteal muscles requires:
- landing on the edge of the table and holding a small object between the knees;
- in a supine position, alternately pulling the knees to the chest.
You can kneel and sit alternately on one and the other side of the leg.
Raise your arms and chest
With weight loss, the first to lose kilograms are the upper limbs and chest. To increase the elasticity of the skin and muscles, exercises with dumbbells are used:
You need to lie down on a stool or 2 molded chairs. Then take a dumbbell and extend your arms to the sides, bend and connect them in front of your chest. This complex is repeated 50 times, helping to train the chest muscles.
In a standing position, various actions are performed with dumbbells. Lifting the arms up and down, spreading to the sides and returning to the opposite position at chest level is allowed.
Exercises for the shoulder girdle area include the following exercises:
- You need to kneel and lean on straight arms. The inclination to the floor occurs with the limbs bent at the elbows, then - back to the first position. A total of 25 approaches are used.
- Push-ups are done from a table or the back of a sofa with straight legs and back. 15 repetitions are performed.
- In a standing position, arms are extended, held parallel to the floor. Synchronous circular movements are made with a small radius, up to 30 times in a row. Then, you can do a similar exercise, with an increase in the range of motion of the hands.
- You need to stand up straight, put your hands on your shoulders. Circle movements are made alternately in each direction, as many as 20 times.
Exercise simultaneously strengthens the chest muscles, allowing the breasts to become firm and elastic. After getting used to the specified exercises, they can be complicated with dumbbells. During exercise, it is important to monitor breathing.
Allowed changes in the complex
Do not immediately try to do exercises to lose weight completely. Excessive load will cause injury and deterioration of the general condition. An untrained body must gradually get used to the training process, with a gradual increase in the number of approaches.
Initially, restrictions on motor activity are used:
- instead of running - a long walk;
- all swings by the upper and lower limbs are done slowly, with an acceptable amplitude;
- pauses are made between exercises - to rest for a while;
- when working with dumbbells, it is forbidden to work to wear - a gradual increase is better reflected in condition and appearance;
- after training, you can not continue to move to daily affairs, you need rest.
After adapting to light loads, you can try to do a complete set of exercises for weight loss. To get the maximum effect, patients should carry out exercises regularly, check their regular menu and drink enough fluids. If during the class you feel dizzy or dark in the eyes, you need to interrupt them and rest.
All materials presented on the site are for educational purposes only and are not intended for medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Site administration, editors and authors of articles are not responsible for any consequences and losses that may arise when using site materials.
7 home exercises to help you stay fit
Regular exercise is key to relieving stress and promoting physical and mental health. People who balance between personal and professional responsibilities often do not have enough time to pay attention to their physical form. You may not be able to go to the gym regularly or go for a run every day, but you don't have to worry. There are exercises you can do at home without any equipment that can keep you fit.
How to start exercising?
Exercise at home requires no additional equipment and is easy because you don't have to go back and forth to the gym. But there is also a weakness in the fact that there is often no motivation and systematic for such training. What needs to be done so that training at home brings maximum benefit and pleasure?
Find enough space to exercise
It could be in your bedroom, living room, or even in the hallway. At the very least, it should have enough space for the mat and so that you can stretch your arms in all directions without hitting anything.
Plan your training
Set a day and time to exercise and draw your attention to it with an alarm clock or a reminder on your smartphone. If you're having trouble getting motivated, work with a family member or friend. Fitness tracking apps or exercise apps and videos can also help you motivate yourself to exercise.
Don't forget to warm up and cool down
Walking, cycling or running in place are great warm-up options. Light stretching and walking in place are great ways to cool down and get your heart rate back up after exercise.
Use your body weight
Bodyweight exercises, when used correctly, can be just as effective at building muscle mass as lifting weights. By varying your workouts and increasing the intensity or duration over time, you'll get the most out of them. Remember:
- Use planks, lunges, squats, stair climbers, and push-ups as alternatives to free bodyweight strength training.
- Increase the effectiveness of your weight training by increasing the number of repetitions of each exercise and decreasing the rest between sets.
- Learn proper exercise techniques to avoid injury. Watch instructional videos and read resources about the biomechanics of movement. It is very important to understand which muscles and how they work in a particular exercise, with the understanding of this process comes the awareness of correct movement.
Diet plan for exercise at home
Nutrition before training
As physical activity increases, active calorie burning increases. The goals of proper nutrition can be different: someone wants to lose weight, someone wants to gain muscle mass, and someone wants to improve their health.
To lose weight, you need to be in a significant calorie deficit.
So what can you eat before exercise to get the fat burning process going and working for you? If you do not have problems with the health of the gastrointestinal tract, then the option of exercising on an empty stomach is available to you. Please note that such training should be of low intensity and not exceed 40 minutes in time. Make sure to drink water before and during this exercise.
Most of those who play moderate intensity sports and regularly do short exercises (no more than 40 minutes) during the day should pay attention to the correct water balance (400-600 ml an hour and a half before and 150 ml every 20 minutes. physical activity). But for those who exercise for 30 to 60 minutes, a light snack that contains mostly carbohydrates can help.
If the activity is planned for longer or with a high energy cost, then you do not need to worry about the calorie content of the food, the more important aspect here is the time of the snack - it should be no later than an hour before physical activity. activity.
Choice of food to eat before training:
- Protein shakes are the perfect combination of carbohydrates, proteins and fluids to fuel your strength training.
- Greek yogurt with berries: This mixture is rich in vitamins and minerals, as well as carbohydrates and proteins. This will provide both a quick burst of energy (thanks to carbohydrates) and long-term energy (thanks to protein), and will also protect your muscles from wasting away.
- Carb Protein Bars: Make sure they contain macronutrients for optimal energy and muscle protection (many low-carb protein bars. Check product labels).
- Nuts. They contain a large amount of fat, but also protein and calories necessary to gain muscle mass. For those whose goal is to lose weight, this snack option is not suitable. Do not eat more than seven nuts an hour before exercise, otherwise you are guaranteed weight and indigestion.
Nutrition after training
Exercise usually depletes glycogen. The first 30 minutes after exercise provide an opportunity for recovery due to factors such as increased blood flow and insulin sensitivity. This increases glucose uptake and cellular glycogen recovery. Give your body a big post-workout recovery boost with these protein- and carb-rich snack options:
- Yogurt with granola and blueberries.
- Peanut or almond butter.
Make sure you drink water as soon as possible after you finish exercising. Sports drinks that replenish lost electrolytes are ideal. Such drinks are called "electrolytes". Isotonic drinks are also suitable.
Your next meal a few hours after your workout should also be high in protein and carbohydrates. Although daily protein requirements vary from person to person, consuming 15-25g of protein within an hour of exercise maximizes muscle growth and recovery.
Post-Workout Diet Options:
- Whole grain pasta with tomato sauce.
- Whole grain bread with steamed vegetables. fruits.
- Chicken sandwich on whole grain bread with cottage cheese and tomato.
- Grilled or baked lean beef, chicken, turkey or fish with steamed brown rice, whole grain bread.
Exercises for exercise at home
burpees
Burpees are great for getting your heart rate up and working almost every muscle in your body.
You train your lower body while squatting and jumping up. Your core and shoulders are engaged when you do push-ups and when you're in plank position.
Exercise techniques:
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Tightens the muscles of the body and back.
- Bend your knees and reach forward to place your hands shoulder-width apart on the floor.
- Stretch your legs straight behind you and immediately lower your whole body to the ground, bending your elbows so that your chest touches the floor. Do push ups.
- Use your hands to quickly push your body up while simultaneously bouncing your legs toward your chest.
Place your feet on the floor under the projection of the chest. Jump vertically with arms extended above your head.
You can modify the burpee by removing the push-up or jumping out. Or make it harder by adding dumbbells.
Glute bridge with elastic band
Doing the glute bridge activates the gluteal muscles and strengthens the lower back, protecting the lower back from injury. They target the gluteus medius, an important part of the back, which helps stabilize the body when walking and running.
Exercise techniques:
- Lie on your back, arms at your sides, knees bent, feet flat on the floor shoulder-width apart. Wrap a medium-strength elastic band around your hips just above your knees.
- Engage your glutes and abs and push through your heels to lift your hips off the floor until your body forms a straight line from your shoulders to your knees.
- Hold this position. Stretch the elastic with effort and return to the original position. Repeat the movement 10-15 times.
Jump to the side
An excellent exercise to actively warm up before running or any other cardio exercise, and to pump up the lower body with your own weight.
Exercise techniques:
- Stand up straight with your feet together. Take a big step to the right with your right foot and bend your right knee as you squat your hips back to descend into a side lunge.
- Keep your left leg straight and chest out. Make sure your right knee is over your toes and not beyond their projection.
- Push off with your right leg to return to the starting position, and then repeat on the other side.
Exercise can also be done with weights.
Push-ups in "downward facing dog"
This incredible push-up variation develops strength, mobility in the hips as you squat, and lowering dog and rolling from the position helps with spinal mobility. This is a great bodyweight workout.
- Start in a plank position. Palms on the floor, arms shoulder-width apart (or wider if you usually do push-ups this way). Shoulders above wrists, legs straight, body tense.
- Bend your elbows and lower your chest toward the floor. Keeping your body low, bend your knees, slide your hips back toward your heels and straighten your arms. Your knees should hover a few inches off the floor.
- Raise your hips toward the ceiling and straighten your legs. You should now be in Downward Dog.
Slowly move your body forward, returning to the plank position.
This is a rather difficult exercise. If you feel that this type of push-up is difficult for you, focus on regular push-ups and go back to harder push-ups as you build upper body strength.
Squat Back Lunge
This is an amazing way to build leg strength as well as strengthen your glutes and stabilizer muscles. When done correctly, the exercise can also improve hip mobility and engage the inner thighs.
Exercise techniques:
- Stand with your back to a bench or similar high surface (at home, this could be a sofa or chair). Place your left foot on the floor at a wide step distance from the support. Place the top of your right foot on the support with your strap down.
- Tighten your core muscles and bend your knees to lower yourself into a lunge. Ideally, the left knee should form a 90-degree angle so that the thigh is parallel to the ground and the right knee is floating on the floor.
Your left foot should be far enough apart that you can do this without letting your left knee go over your left toe - if the position is wrong, correct it by jumping forward or backward.
With support on the left heel, return to the starting position.
Swing legs crawl
All types of swings strengthen the hamstrings and train the gluteal muscles. Strong gluteal muscles protect the lower back from damage and help relieve pain during sedentary work.
Exercise techniques:
- Stand on all fours, knees under hips and palms under shoulders.
- Bend your right leg and lift it off the floor while straightening it behind you.
- Use your glutes to lift your legs. If you start to feel any tension in your lower back, don't lift your legs too high.
- Do 15 repetitions on one side and then switch to the other side.
Pull the hips
This is a low-impact exercise that can be done almost anywhere using your own body weight or dumbbells. Provides significant benefits in the form of a strong back, legs and lower back.
Exercise techniques:
- Sit on the floor with your back to a bench or similar high surface (a chair or chair can also be used here). Bend your knees and place your feet on the floor hip-width apart. Place your upper back (shoulder blades) on the edge of the hill.
- Drive through your heels to lift your hips toward the ceiling while your upper back stays on the bench. If doing exercises with weights, then place them in the pelvic area and hold them during the exercise.
- Pause at the top and squeeze your back.
- In a slow, controlled motion, lower your back toward the floor without touching it.
In any training, the main thing is a systematic approach. Customize each exercise according to your goals and conditions. If you doubt the correctness of the exercise or feel pain, you should consult a sports specialist.
Weight Loss Exercises & Expert Advice
We think together with experts how to normalize weight through exercise and without harming health.
Exercise for weight loss
The process of normalizing body weight is always a complex task, which is based on proper nutrition and physical activity. Exercise is designed not only to help burn off energy, i. e. calories, but also to strengthen muscles, tone the body, and make it look more prominent. You don't have to do everything at once. It is enough to choose the one you like and repeat it as part of one exercise or separately. Systematics are more important: it is better to do a little exercise every day, alternating the load on different parts of the body, than the whole complex once every two weeks.
board
This is a classic exercise that allows you to train the core muscles, strengthen the stabilizer muscles, arms, legs, back and abs. The board has many options. For beginners, a simplified training format from the knees is suitable, trained athletes can complicate it by adding dynamic movements. The classic plank is a horizontal position with emphasis on the elbows, or straight arms and legs. The body is a straight line, the stomach is pulled in, the press is tense, the shoulder blades are lowered and brought together. Do not round your back, keep the natural curve in the spine.
Stomach vacuum
This technique helps to strengthen the abdominal muscles and reduce the volume in the sides. The vacuum should be done on an empty stomach, you can do it in the morning. Choose a comfortable position - sitting or standing. At the exit, you need to pull in the stomach, and then hold your breath for 15 seconds, keeping the muscles tense. Then relax them while you inhale.
Back exercise
Many people who want to lose weight neglect back exercises, because they do not give a toned stomach and legs. But posture affects the way a person moves and looks. Strong back muscles allow you to withstand more serious physical exertion. In addition, fat deposits also accumulate in the back, so back exercises must be included in training. For the beginning level, slopes with and without weights, dumbbell rows and expanders are suitable. If you want to lie down, train in a horizontal position: stretch your arms and legs while doing the Swimmer exercise.
Hand exercises
The biceps and triceps area is one of the most problematic. To keep your arms beautiful and toned, you need to master push-ups or train with light weights, for example, with dumbbells. It is important not to overdo it if your goal is small relief and the absence of excess body fat, and not heavyweight biceps. For the effect of fat burning exercises, it is better to do one exercise with cardio load and no rest. But remember that no amount of exercise will get rid of excess weight if there is an excess of calories in the diet.
Waist exercise
Fat deposits on the abdomen and sides appear in women and men. Therefore, exercises for the waist are suitable for anyone who is worried about excess weight. Athletes include in their training various planks and turns that can be performed from a seated position. One of the effective exercises for the stomach is dead bugs ("dead bugs"). To perform it, you need to lie on your back, raise your arms and straight legs to the ceiling, hold the position for 10-15 seconds, and then return to the starting position. "Kumbang" has several options for performing, including alternately raising arms and legs. For complications, you can take a weighting agent.
Leg exercise
To lose weight, you need to use an integrated approach and pay attention to strength training for individual parts of the body. The best exercises for the legs are lunges in different directions and squats, where the hips and buttocks are involved. To strengthen the inner surface of the leg, it is worth mastering the plié. Exercises can be dynamic, such as hip thrusts from a prone position, but also focus on static movements, as in yoga.
cardio exercise
Cardio exercises serve as the basis for burning intramuscular fat. Its task is to spend excess energy, for this, various muscle groups are involved. For beginners who have never played sports, you can start by walking, increasing the distance and pace of walking. If you're ready to push harder, do high-intensity endurance training with a trainer or at home. Cardio load is provided by swimming, dancing, playing sports, martial arts.