Daily Workout Plan to Lose Weight Without the Gym

Losing weight doesn’t require signing up for an expensive gym membership. Wilting away the pounds with an at-home workout is not only convenient, but it's also effective. Whether you have your own personal home gym or no equipment at all, you can lose weight and get your heart rate soaring every day. Keeping it simple and consistent can be the difference between a successful weight loss journey and a doomed one.

Cardio Workout

Performing a daily cardio workout at home will help you melt away fat and lose weight, and the health benefits are worth their weight in gold. Any movement that increases blood flow throughout the body and revs up your heartbeat is considered cardio. Benefits include weight loss, increased metabolism, a healthier heart and an increase in those feel-good hormones, according to Weber University. Walking, running and cycling will get your heart pumping. If the weather is bad or you just feel like staying indoors, get in a cardio workout by performing exercises such as jumping rope and doing burpees (squat thrusts) and jumping jacks.

Strength Training

Strength training is crucial when it comes to weight loss. Building muscle underneath the fat will help to burn extra fat cells. The more muscle you have, the more calories you burn at rest. Body weight exercises such as pull-ups, crunches, squats, lunges and push-ups don’t require equipment and can be done just about anywhere. Free weights are easy to store and can offer you even more variety in strength training. Include free-weight exercises such as biceps curls, triceps extensions, dumbbell step-ups and and dumbbell presses.

Frequency

As a rule of thumb, you should complete at least 30 minutes of physical activity per day, according to MayoClinic. With cardio exercise, 150 minutes per week of moderate intensity or 75 minutes per week of vigorous activity will suffice. Include at least two days per week of strength training exercises. You can break up your workouts throughout the day and still lose weight; just make sure the mini-sessions are at least 10 minutes each.

Cut the Calories

Exercising alone won’t get all the pounds off, especially if you replace the calories burned during workouts with extra food. To speed up weight loss, consider cutting calories daily. Changing your diet and reducing calories promote weight loss more than exercise alone, suggested MayoClinic's Dr. Donald Hensrud. To lose weight the healthy way, aim to lose one to two pounds per week. To drop just one pound of fat you must have a caloric deficit of 3,500 calories per week. You’ll need to burn off or cut 500 calories per day to achieve this weekly one-pound weight loss.

Read More ..... »

At-Home Weight Loss Workout Plans for Over-Sized Women

Working out at home offers many benefits, but doesn't mean you have to invest a lot of money in equipment. At home workouts are a good way to lose weight and reduce your risk of health conditions that include heart disease, diabetes and depression. Talk to your doctor about an appropriate workout routine for your health and weight loss goals.

Equipment

Even with very little space, you can set up an effective workout space in your home that helps you lose weight. A basement, garage or spare bedroom is ideal, but even a small corner of your family room works. Choose equipment based on your space and size. Being heavy can put strain on your legs, knees and joints, which might be exacerbated with exercise. Mark Klion, an orthopedic surgeon at Mount Sinai Hospital suggests low-intensity exercise, such as walking, which you can do around your house and yard, according to a 2009 Forbes.com report. Klion also advocates light weight lifting to strengthen your back and arms.

Getting Started

Some exercises might be difficult due to your size. Rather than trying to do them, choose exercises that are easy to perform to increase your motivation and help you jump-start your weight loss. Start slow and gradually build your intensity and time as you gain confidence with exercising. For example, start with a slow 10-minute walk on the treadmill and add a few minutes at a time each week. Lift weights with a small pound load at the beginning of your workout routine and build to heavier ones as you go. If you have trouble bending or moving, the National Institute on Aging suggests staying with your program and doing what you can, which gives you a healthy start and increases motivation. If your heart rate increases, your body is benefiting, according to the Harvard School of Public Health.

Exercise Choices

Many exercises are beneficial for weight loss and are easy to do at home. Walk or run in place while you watch television, climb up and down a flight of steps several times, lift weights as you listen to music, or do squats and lunges while you wait for dinner to cook. Even if your size restricts you to a couple of minutes, any increase in exercise offers benefits, notes the Harvard School of Public Health. Once you gain endurance and begin seeing results, lengthen the time and intensity of your workouts.

Considerations

The bottom line for weight loss is to burn more calories than you consume. Despite your best intentions when it comes to a home workout, failing to change your eating habits may derail your effort. Cut calories from your diet by filling up on a variety of foods from each food group, including fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean protein and low-fat dairy. These choices are low in fat and calories, but satisfy hunger and help you get adequate amounts of essential nutrients. Weight training is an important aspect of weight loss. Building lean muscle mass speeds your metabolism, which allows your body to burn calories more efficiently, even at rest.

Read More ..... »

Workout Plan for Large Weight Loss

Losing a large amount of weight will take time and commitment through a modified diet and workout plan. Talk with a personal trainer, dietitian or your doctor about creating a workout plan that is safe and effective. Put a plan in place before you attempt to lose weight. This will create boundaries and realistic expectations for your progressive weight loss.

Large Weight Loss

Losing a large amount of weight needs to be achieved through healthy weight loss practice. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states that healthy weight loss is a gradual and steady decrease of 1 to 2 pounds weekly. Anything more than this may provide rapid weight loss but will be more difficult to keep the weight off and maintain a healthy weight. In order to lose 1 to 2 pounds a week you will need to reduce your current daily caloric intake by 500 to 1,000 calories and implement an exercise routine.

Aerobic Plan

MayoClinic.com recommends participating in 150 minutes of moderate activity or 75 minutes of intense activity weekly. The amount of calories burned depends on your current weight. For example, if you weight 240 pounds and you run for 1 hour at 8 mph, you will burn 1,286 calories. If you weigh 160 pounds and run the same speed for an hour, you will burn 861 calories. Use a wide array of various activities, such as hiking, running, swimming and bicycling to work out different parts of the body.

Strength Training Plan

Along with your aerobic plan, implement a strength training plan two to three times weekly. Bodybuidling.com states that adding a strength training routine will help you burn more calories and lose fat faster than a weight loss plan that doesn’t include strength training. A basic plan would include weight lifting that focuses on the chest, back, shoulders, thighs, calves, triceps and biceps. Each weight lifting cycle should include four sets of eight to 12 repetitions.

Dietary Considerations

In order to lose a large amount of weight and keep it off, you will need to change your diet. Burning more calories than you consume daily is how your body loses weight. One pound of fat equals about 3,500 calories, so to lose 1 pound you will need to consume 3,500 calories less than usual in a week, according to MayoClinc.com. Keep a food journal that details what you eat, how much of it you eat and how many calories are in the foods you consume. Eat smaller portions of fresh foods, such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains and legumes.

Read More ..... »