Weight loss is a two-part process. Eating the right foods is the most important step, but you also have to keep an active lifestyle. If you find that traditional exercises aren’t helping your progress, a new routine can get you back on track. 

Here are seven of the best exercises and workouts that will help you lose weight fast and reach your health goals in no time.

Best Exercises for Weight Loss

It’s vital to differentiate between “exercise” and “workout.” An exercise is just one part of a workout routine. People sometimes use the terms interchangeably, but you should use them in the right context when creating your fitness plan. With that technicality cleared up, let’s jump into the first exercise.

1. Jump-Rope

The jump-rope is a great exercise to lose weight fast because it gets your whole body moving and causes your heart rate to skyrocket in a matter of seconds. Just 10 minutes of jumping rope can burn up to 150 calories, depending on your body weight and the intensity of the exercise.

For reference, the equivalent of 150 calories is a light snack. If you like to have a snack between meals, a quick jump-rope session can burn it all away.

2. Kickboxing

Have you ever noticed how lean most boxers and MMA fighters are? Their exercise routines revolve around punching and kicking, so why can’t yours? Kickboxing is perhaps the fastest weight-loss exercise on this list. A 45-minute workout can burn over 400 calories, which is the equivalent of a moderate-sized meal.

Aside from the quick weight loss, you also get to work on your self-defense skills. This exercise is a win-win all around.

3. Swimming

Swimming has many benefits. It can help you recover from injuries, become more flexible and lose weight fast. It’s particularly beneficial for older folks whose joints and limbs can’t handle the stress of regular exercise. Like the jump rope, swimming requires your whole body to work and thus burns more calories.

About 30 minutes of swimming burns a minimum of 200 calories and even more if you choose a more challenging style, such as the butterfly stroke. Other low-stress techniques like the breaststroke don’t burn as many calories, but they’re all effective exercises for weight loss.

4. Cycling

Cycling offers a fresh change of pace and a more effective weight-loss exercise if you’re tired of walking and running. The average person burns between 450 and 750 calories per hour of cycling and even more if they go uphill, making it one of the best exercises for weight loss in terms of calories burned. Plus, you get to spend more time outdoors exploring your surroundings. You might develop a new hobby out of it.

Workouts for Losing Weight and Toning

The four above exercises are great additions to your overall fitness routine, but you can do better than one exercise alone. If you want to accelerate your weight loss even further, these three workout styles have everything you’re looking for.

5. High-Intensity Cardio

As the name suggests, high-intensity cardio is an intense workout that elevates your heart rate for an extended period. It might leave you wondering why you ever wanted to lose weight in the first place, but that’s the beauty of the workout. It has the same difficulty level no matter how much you get in shape.

Cardio consists of any activity that gets your heart rate up quickly and keeps it there. It can be a rowing machine, elliptical, Stairmaster or an incline treadmill. Find a handful of cardio exercises that fit your preferences and create a personalized high-intensity cardio workout.

6. Strength Training

Strength training brings us back to the basics. Bench press, squat, deadlift and other strength-based exercises will help you lose weight and tone your muscles. A 30-minute training session burns between 180 and 250 calories, but only if you work out with the right intensity. Take your weight loss journey seriously and push yourself.

Put together a routine that fits your preferences. If you don’t like squatting, gyms have several other leg-training exercise machines. If you have a bad back and want to avoid deadlifting, you can easily find different exercises that won’t put you in a vulnerable position. Strength training has many possibilities.

7. High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT)

High-intensity interval training (HIIT) takes the elevated heart rate component of cardio and the equipment of strength training and rolls them into one of the best workouts for losing weight that you can find. Studies have shown that short interval training is more effective for adult weight loss than steady-state training, such as walking or running.

It requires you to do multiple strength exercises in quick succession, followed by a short rest period. For example, a HIIT workout could have you do five minutes of intense exercise with two minutes of rest. HIIT helps you burn more calories and retain your toned muscles as you lose weight.

Revitalize Your Weight Loss Journey

Weight loss won’t happen overnight, but you can speed up the process by eating a healthy diet and doing the right physical activities. These exercises and workout styles will get your heart rate up, burn a ton of calories and move you one step closer to reaching your goals. Revitalize your weight loss journey with one of these fantastic options.

Cover photo courtesy of Total Shape