The Best Exercises for Weight Loss at Home

The age-old question, what are the best exercises for weight loss at home?

Did you know that the most common reason people fail with weight loss at home is simply a lack of interest? Your chances of weight loss success and achieving better fitness at home are going to be improved if you pick a training style that feels good for your body and that you like doing.

Keep on reading further to understand some of the best exercises you can do to lose weight at home, even if you don’t have much time to dedicate at all.

Here are 5 reasons why working out at home for weight loss is better

Instead of me telling you why you should be making the most of your workouts at home, here’s some experts and what they have to say:

#1 – You can save money while having more variety 

“Rather than paying for a gym membership, you could choose to pay for a few streaming services or follow along with YouTube videos! This can save you money and offer more variety in workouts so that you don’t get bored. If you are looking to save money, there are many free home workout options!” 

Macy Sarbacker, macymichelle.com

#2 – You don’t have to worry about social anxiety

“You’ll get less out of your workout and are more likely to quit if you don’t enjoy going to the gym. There is nothing wrong with feeling self-conscious or uncomfortable while exercising in front of others. It’s easier to focus on your workout when you don’t have to worry about what other people are doing. You’ll look forward to your home workouts and put in more time if you enjoy it and don’t feel judged for doing it.”

Jake Dickson, Certified Personal Trainer (CPT-NASM) & Contributing Editor at BarBend

#3 – The Gym is ALWAYS open!

I have a full gym in my garage, so can speak to the benefits of working out at home.  First, you save time in going to the gym and never have to wait for equipment.  Also, it is great if you have young kids because you can put them to bed and then go train and not worry that the gym is going to close. My gym is always open so I can also train on holidays.

Robert Herbst, 19x World Champion at w8lifterusa

#4 – It’s easier to build the habit

You can use the power of routine and behavioural cues like changing into your workout clothes right after work to make working out an automatic part of your day more easily than if you had to travel to a second location to do it.

Caroline Grainger, ISSA Certified Personal Trainer at FitnessTrainer

#5 – You don’t need a lot of equipment

“Search for quality full-body workouts. You’ll find out that your bodyweight is more than enough to keep your muscles strong and healthy. Consistency is the key.”

Corey Lewis, Co-Founder & CEO at 1and1 Life

Best warm up exercises for weight loss

It’s possible that your body isn’t what it used to be and jumping, cold, into intense exercise is no longer safe and the best exercise plan for weight loss should include activities that will keep you injury free. Warm up your body with some low-intensity activities to help increase your range of motion, improve your balance, and help establish this ritual at the start of your routine.

Here are some beginner exercises to get you started:

• Trigger Point Therapy or Foam Rolling to release any restrictions
• Easy walk, swim or bike ride to get the blood flowing
• Joint circles to prepare the joints for activity

It’s also a good idea to incorporate some mobility and movement exercises into your warm up, such as:

1. Quadruped rocks
2. Frog stretch
3. Hip prying
4. Scapula push ups
5. Hindu push ups

Check out this nine-minute warm-up flow that you can complete with no equipment at home.

Best exercises for weight loss at home for beginners

A fantastic low-intensity approach is yoga. Yoga has been linked with weight management because it helps improve flexibility, making daily tasks easier without straining muscles and joints while making weight loss workouts possible even if injuries exist already. 

In addition, it’s a tremendous start-level activity for those wanting to lose weight because it focuses on mobility, stability, and range of motion solely using your body weight.

Alternatively, calisthenic workouts are simple strength training exercises that can be done without any equipment. They’re perfect weight loss workout routines for beginners because they are easy on muscles while still giving you fantastic weight loss results. This routine also doesn’t require much space, so it’s possible even in small apartments.

The following are the most straightforward bodyweight exercises you can do at home:

1. Push-ups
2. Squats
3. Plank
4. Lunges
5. Cossack squats

Once you’ve got the basics, you might want to work up towards these more advanced exercises:

1. Pistol squats
2. Single-arm push-ups
3. Pull-ups
4. Back bridge
5. Hanging leg raise

Do you love the calisthenic workouts? You can find more minimalist bodyweight workouts here.

Best cardio exercises for weight loss

Cardio exercises or aerobic exercises are great for weight loss because they help burn calories while improving cardiovascular health, which can reduce the risk of conditions such as heart disease in the future. It’s perfect for people who want to gradually lose weight without putting too much strain on their bodies.

If you’re not sure where to start, a simple approach you can follow is staying under your Maximum Aerobic Function (MAF). To work out your MAF, subtract your age from 180. If you’re 35 years old, this gives you a MAF of 145 beats per minute (bpm).

Here are some simple cardio exercises that don’t require any gym equipment:

• Walking or easy jogging. Take your walk outside if you need some fresh air
• Hiking with a ruck or weighted backpack. Even better if you can combine this with camping or multi-day hikes
• If you’re lucky enough to live by a beach or pool, go for a swim

If you’re an exercise veteran and want to try something that will help weight loss at home and test your fitness levels, then high-intensity interval training (HIIT) could be the thing for you. This type of workout involves short bursts of intense activity alternated with periods of rest or lighter activities. It’s a fantastic method to increase your heart rate and give you a rush of endorphins. Here is a HIIT workout that takes little time:

Workouts to lose weight at home

Complete all reps of every exercise. These exercises can be done in any order and repetitions to complete the workout:

• 60 crunches
• 60 squats
• 60 push-ups
• 60 leg raises
• 60 jump squats

Finally, don’t forget to cool down with some foam rolling or light stretching. You can get 9 more at-home workouts you can do without equipment here.

Chair exercises for weight loss… Not even joking

If you spend a lot of time at your desk or in sedentary positions, you might need to start your at-home exercise journey with a little more assistance. If you fit this description, the best exercises for weight loss at home will be using chairs, tables, benches or other furniture around your house to regress exercises and keep you safe. There’s no need to spend money on exercise equipment at home when you can do this list of exercises using just the furniture around your house.

• Triceps dips off the edge of a chair. This allows you to support your body weight with your feet
• Chair squats. If you are struggling to get to the full depth of a traditional squat, start by using a chair to get to a depth you are comfortable with
• Push-ups off the edge of a bench or table. For those still working on their push up, increase your chances of success by elevating the height of your chest
• Couch stretch using your office chair. If you spend a lot of time at your desk this stretch will make your hips feel amazing and offset all those hours sitting
• Bulgarian split squats using the couch. For the runners out there, this is a must for your at-home strength training

Chair exercises and other movements using furniture are excellent weight loss workouts because they can be done anywhere, so if you travel or have to work late, these weight loss exercises can fit into your schedule without any problems. You don’t need equipment either, which means that even if buying weights is not an option right now, you can still get healthy weight loss results by doing some easy arm and leg strengthening basics only using what is available to you.

Need some more stretches to balance out the hours sitting at your desk? Try our ultimate desk stretches for the office worker.

Diet or exercise? How to lose weight at home

It’s an age-old question. Diet or exercise?

The answer is both!

To lose weight at home, you must focus on incorporating healthy eating habits into your lifestyle as well – this way, you are more likely to see long-term success than if you solely rely on exercise alone. Although dieting isn’t always easy, there are plenty of tips out there that can make the process much less weighty.

• Limit your intake of processed food items such as white bread, pastry and pasta. These types of high carbohydrate products spike insulin levels, resulting in weight gain.
• Play with the ratio of macronutrients in your diet and see what works best for you. This is a great way to work out how different foods affect weight change without making drastic changes overnight.
• Drink water instead of sugary beverages like soft drinks or alcoholic drinks throughout the day. Water keeps you hydrated and feeling good.

If you’re not sure where to start, don’t be afraid to track your nutrition habits and keep a journal. Once you know where you can improve, dial in on the biggest factors that will help you reach weight loss success.

As always, it’s essential to consult with a doctor or a dietician before making any changes to your diet to make sure that you are still getting the nutrients your body needs if you suffer from things like metabolic or thyroid disease. Sometimes, the best exercises for weight loss at home are scheduled appointments with the right health professional to guide your journey.

Bonus: For more weight loss tips, check out our video and learn how to lose weight and build better habits with food.

Related Posts:

• Nutrition: Simple Principles To Avoid The YoYo Diet

So there you have it: weight loss tips for beginners that anyone can follow at home (no gym membership required)! If these simple weight loss workouts don’t seem challenging enough, don’t be afraid to try something a little more intense – remember, it’s crucial to find an exercise routine that you enjoy to stick with it for the long haul!