6 Best Exercises for Weight Loss in 2022

Exercise is essential for optimum health and is more important when you are trying to lose weight. A proper workout routine involves various types of exercises that may or may not require equipment and may even require you to hit the gym.

However, if you are trying to lose weight healthily, you can create a personalized workout routine using these six simple exercises that are effective for weight loss in addition to being linked to improved mood, stronger bones, and a reduced risk of developing chronic diseases.

Here are the six best exercises for weight loss that are basic but effective exercises for weight loss that you can add to your fitness routine and boost your metabolism.

Exercises for Effective Weight Loss

1. Walking

Walking is one of the best exercises for weight loss that is simple and convenient. It is a lower-impact exercise that works your body without much strain. If you are at a beginner level for physical activity, start with a daily walk as part of your weight loss regime.

A 12-week weight loss intervention study found that walking for 30 minutes five days a week promotes weight loss and provides numerous health benefits in individuals with increased body weight.

There is a growing body of evidence that walking three to five times a week for 50 minutes a day is associated with weight reduction among obese adults. Hence, walking for weight loss is a tried and tested exercise and is considered one of the most important interventions for obesity.

2. Running

Running or jogging is regarded as one of the best exercises to lose weight. These two words may seem interchangeable but are different. Running is faster, uses more energy, and requires more effort from the heart, lungs, and muscles than jogging. Both activities are differentiated based on their intensity levels.

Such exercises are effective for losing belly fat as they burn a substantial number of calories as compared to other kinds of workouts. Running and jogging are full-body workouts that engage various lower and upper body muscles, including the shins, hamstrings, calves, quads, glutes, neck, shoulders, chest, and arms, to tone the body.

Both these exercises are effective for weight loss and are especially helpful for burning visceral fat (belly fat). Experts recommend four to five sessions a week to achieve the expected weight loss.

3. Cycling

Cycling is an excellent cardio workout to lose belly fat and overall weight. It helps to increase metabolism, suppress appetite, and increase the production of fat-burning hormones that facilitate the burning of more fat and calories throughout the day.

As a simple and effective exercise for weight loss, cycling provides the additional health benefits of increasing insulin sensitivity and reduces the risk of developing heart disease, cancer, diabetes, etc.

Cycling is suitable for all kinds of people and can be adjusted according to individual fitness levels. Moreover, it can be performed outside on a regular bicycle or indoors on a stationary one.

4. Resistance Exercises for Weight Loss

Resistance exercises are some of the most effective exercises for weight loss as they help to elevate the heart rate. The greater your heartbeat, the more fat you burn.

A 12-week study was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of resistance training on body composition, metabolic, and functional outcomes for obese individuals. It concluded that resistance training led to an increase in metabolic rates and weight loss.

Additionally, numerous studies have shown that the greater the resistance/weight-bearing exercise, the more calories you burn.

5. Swimming

Engaging in sports is a simple and efficient way of losing weight. Swimming is one of the popular sports that result in weight loss, particularly belly fat. If done properly, it burns more fat than other exercises. Research has proven that swimming for 30 to 60 minutes significantly reduces weight and waist circumference.

Swimming is a whole-body workout that is fun and meditative. It allows you to workout longer without getting tired and does not strain your joints or muscles. Moreover, it helps to tone the body and strengthen the muscles.

A 2015 research findings confirmed that swimming can play a decisive role in maintaining health and preventing and relieving obesity. Moreover, swimming for 60 minutes three times a week is known to reduce body fat, improve flexibility, and reduce the development of heart diseases.

6. Yoga

Yoga is a well-known weight loss exercise that results in the burning of calories and promotes healthy habits that eventually lead to weight loss.

Numerous studies have shown that a regular yoga practice leads to a decrease in body weight, body mass index (BMI), and waist-to-hip ratio. This probably includes behavior modification that leads to mindful eating, which, in turn, leads to lesser food cravings, more portion control, and improved body mass index (BMI) and body weight.