When it comes to working out, we’re often told, no pain, no gain, but is that always the case? 

If you get home from work late, have a bad sleep, or feel a little sick, the last thing you want to do is work out. With our go-go-go culture, though, resting or taking time off work can be a challenge. Maybe you’re also trying to lose weight, and you’re worried taking a few days off will ruin your streak and set you on the path to weight gain. 

But while exercise is great for the immune system,^[1] boosting energy levels, and regulating sleep, rest is equally, if not more, important for every area of your health and well-being.  

Read on to find out the fine line between taking time off to rest and heal versus pushing yourself and working out while sick. 

Working Out When Sick: Good Or Bad?

If you’re feeling a little sick and your body is telling you to rest, you might be going through an internal battle in your head, debating whether or not you should push yourself and work out. It’s hard to know when it’s time to rest because we’ve been bombarded with messages always to work hard. The cultural conditioning is to keep going, with workplaces barely offering sick days and the social stigma of being sick as a weakness.  

If you decide to take a sick day and pause your workout routine, you might also be ridden with guilt about it. Maybe you’re worried about losing motivation, returning to old unhealthy routines, or gaining weight. Plus, we’re always reminded about how exercise is great for overall physical and mental health. 

However, whenever you start feeling under the weather, it’s best to take stock of your symptoms to know what your body needs to heal. With many signs and symptoms of not feeling well, avoiding exercising and lying down to relax is best. With others, a light workout might even help to reduce some symptoms.  

The Most Important Thing To Do When Sick

With any illness, prioritizing sleep is one of the best things you can do. Sleep is when your body heals. Cells have time to regenerate, hormone levels can be restored, and your immune system releases cytokines, which help your body fight infection and inflammation. 

This is also why it’s a good idea to avoid eating large or hard-to-digest meals before bed. Difficult meals for your stomach include greasy and high-sugar foods, red meat, or alcohol. Digestion takes a lot of energy, and your body will spend time processing food rather than using all its power to focus on healing. Try to eat nutrient-dense and light foods, like fruit, steamed vegetables, and chicken soup.  

When Is It Safe To Workout?

The general rule of thumb is to note whether most of your symptoms are above or below the neck. Many doctors say that mild above-the-neck symptoms can be managed with short and light exercise or moderate exercise. Some severe symptoms that would be safe to exercise gently include

• Stuffy or runny nose.
• Nasal congestion
• Mild sore throat. 
• Sneezing.
• Light cough.
• Earache.
• Chronic lower back pain.

Types of light exercises safe for mild above-the-neck symptoms are:

• Walking outdoors.
• Light resistance training.
• Gentle yoga or pilates.

Keep in mind that even if you have mild symptoms, it’s best to reduce the intensity of your workout by at least 50%. Your body still needs lots of energy to heal, and working out can stress your body and strain your immune system. 

How Exercise Can Help Mild Symptoms

One time when it’s better to work out is for chronic lower back pain.^[2] Exercise can reduce pain symptoms and increase strength and flexibility to avoid future issues. Many studies show that pain intensity can be reduced from 10-50% after specific exercise treatment. This exercise treatment also helps to reduce the need for future sick days^[3] off from work.  

Another example of when exercise might help is with a stuffy nose or the early phase^[4] of a flu infection. Working out can help to alleviate some sinus issues by opening the airways. If you’re not noticing an improvement, however, it could be a sign that rest is needed instead. 

When Is Exercise Not Recommended?

If most of your symptoms are below the neck, doctors advise bed rest and time off work to allow the body to heal. Some examples of symptoms you shouldn’t work out with are:

• Fever.
• Coughing with phlegm.
• Upset stomach.
• Diarrhea.
• Nausea.
• Severe aches or muscle pain.

If you’re recovering from an injury or surgery, your doctor will let you know when it will be ok to start resuming exercise again. Even if you’re feeling up to it, follow the doctor’s orders to avoid hurting yourself by beginning before your body is truly ready. 

Fever

A fever is a sign that your body is fighting off a viral or bacterial infection. In this case, it’s always best to rest. Exercising can increase your heart rate and body temperature, adding even more stress to your body. A fever also leads to dehydration, and working out only increases the risk. On top of that, muscle strength^[5] is much weaker, making it more likely that you can injure yourself.  

Flu

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the flu, or influenza,^[6] is a contagious illness with symptoms of body aches, fatigue, coughing, congestion, headaches, and fever or chills. Not everyone who gets the flu has a fever, so you may have this infectious illness without even knowing it. Any of these symptoms combined could be a sign, so avoiding others and getting bed rest is important since it takes a heavy toll on the immune system and takes up to two weeks to recover. 

Cold

Working out with a cold depends entirely on the level of symptoms and contact with others. Some people have runny noses and feel fine, while others are stuck in bed, totally depleted of energy. However, if you’ve developed a heavy and persistent cough^[7] or phlegm, it’s time to rest. 

Also, remember that COVID-19 symptoms can mimic a cold, so avoiding other people is recommended. A light tickle in the throat, on the other hand, isn’t necessarily a reason to avoid a gentle workout. 

Digestive Issues

If you’re vomiting, nauseous, or have diarrhea; you may have viral gastroenteritis. It’s an infectious illness, so staying away from others is essential. It’s not recommended to work out or strain yourself in any way. Your body will be infectious and working hard to heal for at least 48 hours.  

Lung Or Cardiovascular Symptoms

In general, working out should be avoided when symptoms are related to the heart, lungs, and any large organs in general. 

Safety Tips For Exercising While Sick

There are extra precautions you should keep in mind when you exercise. Here are seven tips to remember the next time you decide to work out when feeling exhausted or under the weather:  

Listen To Your Body

Even if you technically pass the neck check, it’s still best to only work out if you feel up to it when sick. Exercising takes more energy than most people realize, and you don’t want to finish your workout feeling worse than when you started. Pay attention to how easy or hard it is to move, and if you’re finding it difficult, that’s your body giving you a sign that it doesn’t have the energy to continue. 

Hydrate And Eat Well

Doctors always say to drink lots of liquids and rest when you’re feeling sick. It’s especially true to drink more if you’re going to work out. Movement^[8] makes your cells move more, use more fluids, and burn glycogen, the sugar stored in muscles. Make the workout as easy on your system as possible by drinking lots of water and eating easy-to-digest nutrient-dense foods. Your body needs all the nutrition it can get to heal itself more quickly. 

Take Regular Breaks And Rest

If you have the energy to work out when sick, it’s still important to take lots of breaks during your exercise routine. This way, you can check in with your body and pay attention to any cues that it might be time to rest or end the workout. If you power through and don’t stop until the end, you could feel depleted and have gone too far. 

Workout At 50% Of Your Usual Capacity Or Less

Heavy exercise strains the body and adds physiological stress, which can weaken the immune system.^[9] Marathon runners, for example, are at increased risk for upper respiratory tract infections for one to two weeks^[10] following a race. No matter how much energy you have, plan to go at 50% of your usual capacity or less. Your body needs that extra energy for the internal healing process you don’t see happening. 

Prioritize Sleep

Sleep is a priority for both healing and maintaining a healthy immune system. If you’re feeling sick and your workout will interfere with getting enough sleep, it’s probably best to choose to sleep instead. Your immune cells^[11] are regulated by the amount of sleep you get, meaning they’ll help you fight any illness better when you’re well-rested.  

Avoid Working Out Around Other People

It’s always a good idea to skip the gym or any group activities^[12] when you’re feeling ill and fighting an infection. Even if the symptoms seem mild to you, you could infect someone who has a weaker immune system and may get much sicker than you. Much like COVID-19, it doesn’t take much for an infection to spread and hurt more people. 

Sweat Less

Just as you need to drink more when sick, it’s also important to sweat less to avoid dehydrating yourself or overworking your heart and organs. Choose a physical activity that won’t strain your cardiovascular system, like light yoga or a walk outdoors. 

Summary

Regular exercise routine helps to reduce symptoms and viral loads and increase the body’s immune response when sick. However, exercising isn’t always the best option if you’re feeling under the weather. Your body needs the energy to heal; working out can strain the system and delay healing times. 

If most of your symptoms are mild and above the neck, it should be fine to do a gentle workout like yoga or a walk in the park. Should you work out when sick, it’s important to take it slow, get proper nutrition, and take regular breaks to listen to your body and rest whenever possible. 

If your symptoms involve any major organs and are below the neck, like a heavy cough, chest congestion, digestion issues, muscle aches, or a fever, you’ll want to avoid working out. It’s also best to avoid being around other people since you may have an infection. 

If you’re in doubt, ask your doctor and lean towards the side of caution by taking a rest and allowing your body the time and energy it needs to recover. 

You might have heard about apple cider vinegar baths and how they bring on a plethora of health benefits. But what do they actually consist of, are they as healthy as they seem, and how often can you take them? 

Apple cider vinegar (ACV) has been a well-known remedy for thousands of years, and it was used for a myriad of medicinal treatments such as fighting coughs and infections, showcasing its powerful antimicrobial and antifungal properties. Today, ACV is also being used to treat skin issues, acid reflux, and other digestive disorders and help with weight loss. Taking it on an empty stomach first thing in the morning is said to coat your gut lining and help lower inflammation. Now the trend of getting an ACV bath has taken over the world, with many people swearing about its wonderful benefits. 

Apple cider vinegar is twice-fermented apple juice that transforms alcohol into acetic acid. When you’re buying it in the grocery store, you can get pasteurized or raw apple cider vinegar. Raw ACV usually has more natural bacteria and yeast, commonly known as “the mother,” which can usually be seen as the sediment at the bottom of the bottle. 

Apple cider vinegar contains naturally occurring probiotics^[1] and antioxidants which can help fight free radicals and protect you from oxidative cell damage. It also helps inhibit bacteria growth,^[2] may help lower your blood sugar levels,^[3] and heals skin infections and issues, making it an amazing remedy^[4] for sensitive skin. 

9 Apple Cider Vinegar Bath Benefits

Fights Bacteria, Fungi, And Infections

Apple cider vinegar has powerful antimicrobial and antifungal properties that help protect the body from infections^[2] as well as inhibit bacterial growth. Studies also show its potent antifungal characteristics that help against denture stomatitis, food-borne pathogens, and a variety of other microbial infections. 

Furthermore, ACV helps protect your entire body against microbial protein expression, fungal infection and even damaged skin which causes bacteria build-up and inflammation. Some of the most prominent bacteria that ACV affects include Staphylococcus aureus Escherichia coli, and Candida albicans. 

Protects Against Body Odor

Because of its antimicrobial properties, apple cider vinegar could potentially help kill several types of bacteria found on the skin that, when mixed with sweat, cause unpleasant body odor. Taking an apple cider vinegar bath could help naturally clear away some of these bacteria, at least temporarily. It also balances the skin’s pH, preventing inflammation and the potential development of new pathogens. 

The same goes for foot odor and fungal infections. Soaking your feet in an apple cider vinegar bath could help fight off odor-causing fungi, helping you get rid of unpleasant foot odor and skin infections. 

Helps Treat And Heal Wounds

Acetic acid’s healing tendencies seem to shine through in treating burn wounds. It works by killing bacteria found thriving in the damaged tissue, especially bacteria such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa,^[5] which is often found in skin and burn wounds. It also helps strengthen the skin’s protective layer, improve skin barrier integrity, and help it retain moisture.

May Help Treat Eczema

When you’re suffering from a dysfunctional skin barrier that becomes less acidic than it’s supposed to be, you’re constantly losing moisture, and your skin begins to dry out rapidly. This can cause inflammation and irritation, causing many potential skin problems down the line.
Atopic dermatitis can potentially be helped^[6] with an apple cider vinegar bath. The applied mild acid could help restore the skin barrier, keeping it healthy and locking in the much-needed moisture. Some peer-reviewed studies^[4] done on animals even show that a topical application of apple cider vinegar helped inhibit the development of lesions, promoting healthy skin management and preventing dry skin patches.

Helps Treat Athlete’s Foot And Strengthens Skin

A simple apple cider vinegar foot soak may be the perfect solution for treating^[7] athlete’s foot and it can significantly reduce^[8] acne vulgaris and even skin lesions. Many people use apple cider vinegar in their face wash, using its potent antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and antifungal properties. 

There are now plenty of skincare products on the market already containing apple cider vinegar in the optimal dose, so you never have to worry about excess vinegar or disrupting your skin’s pH levels. Still, it’s always important to consult with a dermatologist before applying powerful acids to your skin, as you never know how your skin might react.

Helps Treat Urinary Tract Infections

An overgrowth of E. coli bacteria somewhere along the urinary tract causes unpleasant urinary tract infections or UTIs that can potentially become really complicated and serious.^[9] Researchers believe that apple cider vinegar can help kill some of these bacteria, preventing further spread and growth, thus stopping the infection from going too far. 

Even though taking ACV baths is fine, most experts do believe that drinking apple cider vinegar can be more beneficial in treating this condition.

Could Help Treat Yeast Infection And Bacterial Vaginosis

These female conditions are caused by an overgrowth of bacteria and candida, the most common fungus in the vaginal flora. ACV has proven^[2] to help kill these bacteria and fungi, inhibiting their further growth and infection. Since almost all women struggle with vaginal infections, knowing they have a powerful remedy in their kitchen is a very helpful tool, especially before that time of the month.

Act As A Powerful Detox Remedy

As detoxification (detox) wellness tips and tricks seem to be the newest trend, those in favor of taking apple cider vinegar soaks love combining it with other natural detoxing ingredients such as ginger, cinnamon, and turmeric. Together, these incredible compounds help draw out harmful toxins that damage the skin on a cellular level, cause severe inflammation, and promote diseases like arthritis and gout. 

They also help restore skin health and a healthy pH balance by strengthening the skin barrier and enhancing your metabolism, supporting the digestive system, fighting muscle tension, and boosting the immune system.

Helps Fight Dandruff

Even though the exact cause of dandruff is yet to be discovered, one of the most common culprits includes a yeast-like fungus called Malassezia. This dandruff-causing fungus is persistent, and it’s known to resist even the strongest over-the-counter remedies and hair products. Since ACV has strong antifungal activity, it can help reduce and kill yeast overgrowth, inhibiting its spread and reducing yeast-like symptoms like itchy scalp and flaking.

Is Apple Cider Vinegar Bath Good For Your Body?

Adding apple cider vinegar to your bath water is supposed to detox your body and help you flush out toxins more efficiently. It also works wonders for your skin health, helping you fight bacterial infections and fungi, soothe irritation, keep the moisture locked in, and restore the natural pH balance of your skin. 

In addition, the way you use it can be completely controlled as you can dilute it as much as you want. Depending on your preference, you can then have apple cider vinegar baths as often or as rarely as you’d like. It is, however, recommended not to exceed the two or three times per week instruction, but it will always depend on the individual, as everyone’s skin is different and reacts differently to acids.

How To Make An Apple Cider Vinegar Bath?

Generally, it’s best not to exceed the recommended 2-3 times per week recipe, but depending on how diluted your apple cider vinegar bath treatment is and the sensitivity of your skin, that number can be lower or greater. Taking too many baths can be counterproductive as it can irritate your skin, strip it of natural oils, and expose it to inflammatory agents.

Here are the most common tips: 

1. The formula for your ACV bath is 1-2 cups of apple cider vinegar against a full bath.
2. Proper dilution is key. Direct application of apple cider vinegar to the skin is very likely to irritate it. 
3. The temperature of the water is also very important. You don’t want cool water or really hot. Try to aim for lukewarm water. 
4. Rinse your body before and after your ACV bath in order to cleanse dirt, oils, and debris, helping reduce potential irritation and redness.
5. Before you dip your whole body into the acidic water, try it out on a smaller piece of skin first. If no irritation occurs, continue with the full bath. 
6. Don’t stay for over 20-30 min. 
7. Avoid rubbing your towel after your bath in order to prevent irritation. Instead, simply dab and pat until dry.
8. Start with once per week and increase to two or three times when you see your skin adapt to it.  

Final Thought

Apple cider vinegar baths are a new trend that might be incredibly beneficial and have many medicinal purposes. Its powerful anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and anti-fungal properties make it an affordable and easy-to-use tool for preventing infections and diseases, helping you balance out your skin’s pH, retaining moisture, and preventing dry skin, in addition to promoting overall healthy skin. The only trick is to not overdo it and take it one step at a time.

A bulging upper stomach can be difficult to live with and can trigger various health ailments. When you need a strategy to lose upper belly fat -employ a fat burner, exercises that target your abdomen, and eat healthy foods.

Because multiple factors could contribute to a prominent gut, it’s important to understand body fat and optimize fat loss. Improve your metabolism, reduce upper belly fat, and create a leaner, toned figure that is strong and healthy.

How To Get Rid Of Upper Belly Fat?

Muscle burns more calories than fat so add exercises like planks or belly crunches to lose upper belly fat fast. Here are ten excellent activities worth practicing four times a week to encourage fat loss, boost metabolism, and tone your tummy.

The following exercises are excellent for targeting upper belly fat:

Side Planks

Use this exercise to strengthen the abdominal muscles, burn belly fat, and challenge yourself.

How to do:

1. You will want to start lying flat on the floor on your side with an arm extended outward.
2. Using your lower body while contracting your abs, push yourself up off of the floor so you are at a 45-degree angle. Try to perform 10 to 12 reps for each set.
3. Breathe steadily and maintain good form throughout the exercise.

Tips:

• You will want to start lying flat on the floor on your side with an arm extended outward.
• Using your lower body while contracting your abs, push yourself up off of the floor so you are at a 45-degree angle.

Optimal Sets & Reps: Three sets of 20-30 seconds

Upward Planks

Reduce belly fat with the power of a yoga move, known as Purvottanasana.

How to do:

1. Place your hands behind you with fingers pointing towards your feet, and lift your hips high.
2.  Keep your core muscles engaged to support your lower back and maintain balance.
3. Lift your hips slowly and with control to prevent any strain on your wrists or shoulders.

Tips:

• Instead of a traditional plank position facing downward, face upward and push up on your arms until you reach a 45-degree angle, all while contracting the abdominal muscles.

Optimal Sets & Reps: Three sets of 10-12 reps

Boat Pose

Burn belly fat using this yoga pose, also known as Navassana. 

How to do:

1. You’ll start out sitting on a yoga mat with your legs in front of you. Slowly lift your legs together until you position your body into a V-shape, with a 45-degree bend. 
2. Your arms should extend toward your knees. 
3. Hold this position for at least 45 seconds and perform 10 to 12 reps per set.

Tips:

• Sit tall with your spine straight, chest lifted, and shoulders relaxed.
• Activate your abdominal muscles to help balance and hold the position.
• Focus on controlled breathing; inhale and exhale steadily to stay balanced.

Optimal Sets & Reps: Three sets of 10- 12 reps

Bicycle Crunches

Target upper and lower belly fat simultaneously, using an alternate movement between the upper and lower body.

How to do:

1. Laying down on a yoga mat, lift your head with your arms bent, with interlaced hands at the back of your head. 
2. Lift and bend your legs, alternating between the right knee to the left elbow while twisting your body. 
3. For best results, repeat the cycle of alternating 20 times for each leg.

Tips:

• Twist and bring your opposite elbow to your knee to engage your obliques.
• Keep your core tight and lower back pressed into the floor for stability.
• Perform the exercise with controlled, deliberate movements to maximize muscle engagement.

Optimal Sets & Reps: Three sets of 15- 20 reps

Vertical Leg Crunches

Reduce extra fat around your upper and lower belly and tone your tummy with upper tummy fat exercises. This directly works your core and boosts metabolism levels.

How to do:

1. Extend your legs toward the ceiling with your knees slightly bent for better stability.
2. Keep your core muscles tight and lift your shoulders off the ground.

Tips:

• Laying on the floor with your legs in the air, make a crunch forward toward your knees.

Optimal Sets & Reps: Three sets of 15- 20 reps

Side Bends

How to do:

1. With feet shoulder-width apart and dumbells in your hands, bend from side to side slowly until you feel your muscles burn. 
2. Add some free weights to help further increase the burn of belly fat with this standing exercise. 
3. Hold the position for 30 seconds on each side.

Tips:

• Stand with your feet hip-width apart, keep your back straight, and avoid leaning forward or backward.
• Contract your core muscles to stabilize your torso throughout the movement.
• Perform the exercise with a slow, controlled pace.

Optimal Sets & Reps: Three sets of 12-15 reps

Scissor Kicks

How to do:

1. While laying on the floor with arms at your side, lift your legs and part them slightly into a V-shape. 
2. Keeping your legs straight, bring the right over the left, open wide, and alternate while your lower back pushes into the floor.

Tips:

• Place your hands under your hips for added support and to protect your lower back.
• Keep your core muscles engaged to stabilize your lower body throughout the movement.
• Perform the exercise with controlled, deliberate kicks to maximize lower abdominal muscle engagement.

Optimal Sets & Reps: Three sets of 15- 20 reps

Lunge With Twist

How to do:

1. Step forward into a lunge with your knee above your ankle and your back knee hovering just above the ground.
2. Rotate your torso to the same side as your front leg while keeping your core engaged.
3. Focus on balance and stability while twisting, and avoid leaning too far forward.

Tips:

• Make losing upper belly fat interesting by adding a weighted ball. 
• You’ll start standing and then alternate lunging with your left and right legs, so it’s as if you are seated in a chair.

Optimal Sets & Reps: Three sets of 10- 12 reps

Russian Twists

This move gives your abdominal muscles a workout and targets stubborn upper belly fat.

How to do:

1. Sit on the floor with your legs crossed in a V-shape, and lean back slightly. 
2. Keeping your balance, twist from side to side while keeping your legs from moving.

Tips:

• Sit with your feet flat on the ground, knees bent, and your back at a slight angle for balance.
• Tighten your core muscles as you rotate your torso from side to side to maximize the oblique workout.
•  Perform the exercise with a slow, controlled twist to ensure proper form and muscle engagement.

Optimal Sets & Reps: Three sets of 15- 20 reps

Medicine Ball Burpees

How to do:

• Grab a medicine ball and get down on the floor in a push-up position. 
• Bring your knees toward your chest, and jump upward while lifting the medicine ball into the air above your head.
• Jump back down for an intense workout for your whole body.

Tips:

• Sit with your feet flat on the ground, knees bent, and your back at a slight angle for balance.
• Tighten your core muscles as you rotate your torso from side to side to maximize the oblique workout.
• Perform the exercise with a slow, controlled twist to ensure proper form and muscle engagement.

Optimal Sets & Reps: Three sets of 15- 20 reps

What Causes Adipose Tissue?

The human body naturally likes to hold onto fat around the abdomen. The struggle to lose weight is not only due to poor diet, binge drinking, or a lack of exercise. There are plenty of reasons why adipose tissue is accumulating and creating an unsightly gut. Adipose tissue is body fat that helps regulate certain bodily functions, insulates organs, and stores energy.

The following factors can contribute to belly fat and weight gain.

• Genetics
• Not getting enough sleep
• Poor diet
• Binge drinking
• Smoking
• Overeating
• Stress
• Aging
• Not drinking enough water
• Eating too many processed foods, junk food, and fast food
• An unbalanced gut microbiome
• Living a sedentary lifestyle
• Not eating enough protein
• Not enough fiber in the diet
• Menopause

It’s critical to make positive changes to reduce body fat and attain a healthy weight. By using a combination of exercises, nutrition changes, and various lifestyle practices, you can blast away upper body fat.

A healthy amount of fat is needed for insulation, to protect the organs, to provide essential fatty acids, and to regulate certain enzymes and hormones.  Not all fats are the same, as different types have specific influences on the body and functions.

Fat serves as an available source of stored energy to fuel the body. However, saturated and trans fats are the most harmful types of fats. An excess of saturated fat can increase bad cholesterol levels, leading to cardiovascular disease and the risk of a stroke. 

How Do Exercise And Nutrition Improve Fat Loss?

The best way to lose weight is by using a combination of regular exercise and nutrition. These two practices will transform your body into a fat-burning machine and easily reduce upper belly fat. 

Making an effort to execute movements that target upper belly fat and performing occasional high-intensity training helps burn calories and lose fat.

Filling up on healthy foods that provide nutrition that encourages metabolic activity, reduces cravings for sugar and fat, and leaves you sated longer.

Add foods that are high in fiber, and protein or include probiotics for optimal results. A body that has more developed muscle will burn more calories than fat. A combination of weight resistance training, aerobics, and cardio activity will help support fat loss and boost metabolic activity.

Practice exercises for belly fat regularly, stay hydrated by increasing your water intake and feed your muscles and gut microbiome with healthy, supportive foods.

Foods To Eat To Lose Upper Belly Fat

Step away from high-fat, processed foods laden with sugar, simple carbs, and salt. Reach for healthier foods that naturally help you shed belly fat and support a healthy weight and fat loss.

For example, filling your plate with fiber-rich foods makes it easy to burn belly fat and boost metabolism. The following foods are the best choices for your diet when you want to lose upper belly fat.

1. Raspberries
2. Beans
3. Eggs
4. Chili Peppers
5. Dark Green & Leafy Veggies
6. Nuts
7. Whole Grains
8. Fermented Foods
9. Chia Seeds
10. Dark Chocolate

Raspberries

Eat more raspberries to rev up your metabolism and burn away belly fat. Eating this fruit provides a rich source of fiber. Studies on mice^[1] showed that raspberries might contribute to the breakdown of deep belly fat and improve metabolic activity.

Beans

Eat more beans to blast excess fat on the abdomen. Beans are not only a great source of fiber, but they can reduce the accumulation of belly fat^[2] as well as inflammation.

Eggs

Eat more eggs to support healthy weight loss, as it is a low-calorie food and an excellent source of protein. Studies^[3] show a possible correlation between increased satiety and improved metabolism from eating eggs.

Chili Peppers

Add some spice to your life and improve your metabolism by tossing some chili pepper into your next meal to encourage your body to burn off excess fat. 

One of the most active ingredients in chili peppers is called capsaicin and is a potent antioxidant. Capsaicin^[4] has also been studied for speeding up fat loss, particularly in the upper belly region. Capsaicin is the ingredient in peppers that makes it spicy and it increases metabolic activity.

Dark Green And Leafy Veggies

Fill up on vegetables like asparagus and artichokes, prebiotic foods with surefire fat-burning potential. Eat more iron-rich foods like broccoli, bok choy, spinach, and kale to slay upper belly fat, stay fueled, and increase metabolism.

Nuts

It might seem hard to believe, but eating nuts such as almonds, walnuts, cashews, and pistachios helps burn off abdominal fat. Eating nuts provides a source of healthy fats and protein and improves insulin metabolism^[5].

Whole Grains

Ditch the refined grains and reach for a bowl of whole oats, farro, or quinoa for fiber instead. These whole grains will keep you feeling satiated longer and will aid in burning off upper belly fat. 

Various studies^[6] conducted have shown a correlation between eating more whole grains and reduced belly fat.

Fermented Foods

Regularly consuming fermented foods like sauerkraut, kimchi, and kefir introduce good bacteria to the gut microbiome, contributing to fat loss. Eating foods rich in probiotics reduces inflammation^[7] and improves digestion.

Fermented foods also help you feel fuller longer, assisting with blasting away unwanted belly fat.

Chia Seeds

Simply adding two tablespoons of chia seeds to your diet can add 10 grams of fiber. If you follow a low-calorie diet, eating chia seeds helps you feel fuller longer and promotes weight loss^[8].

Chia seeds are also a good source of iron, protein, antioxidants, and the fatty acid omega-3. 

Dark Chocolate

If you’re a chocolate lover, you’re in luck with this one. Dark chocolate in particular contains polyphenols^[9] that help inhibit fat cell development and encourage fat cell breakdown.

When your next sweet craving arises, reach for a small piece of dark chocolate with a minimum of 70% cacao, which can support upper stomach fat loss.

It’s important to not overindulge in this sweet treat, as consuming an excess of dark chocolate can exceed your daily calorie needs.

Helpful Tips To Lose Weight

Here are additional tips to take your strategy to lose upper stomach fat a step further. Choose from the following to improve your health, reduce symptoms of belly fat-related ailments, and boost metabolism.

1. Practice intermittent fasting to give the digestive system a break, and burn off excess belly fat.
2. Perform high-intensity workouts to burn calories and boost metabolism.
3. Take supplements like Conjugated Linoleic Acid^[11] to boost metabolism and burn calories.
4. Get enough sleep. Not getting enough sleep throws off hormones and encourages stored fat and weight gain.
5. Reduce stress levels because stress makes you hold onto visceral fat.
6. Stay Hydrated. Increasing your water intake helps burn stored fat and improves metabolism.
7. Support gut health by consuming probiotics, and prebiotics and introducing more fiber to your diet. An imbalanced gut microbiome contributes to obesity and stored visceral fat.
8. Avoid overeating and binge drinking sugary beverages and alcohol.
9. Add coconut oil to your diet to boost metabolic activity, as the medium-chain triglycerides do not quickly turn into stored fat.

The above suggestions may improve metabolism and increase belly fat loss, alongside exercises targeting the upper belly and eating foods that nourish the gut microbiome.

Precautions

Before making any significant changes to your diet or exercise regimen, consult with your physician or a registered dietitian for personalized advice. Reducing upper belly fat and maintaining a healthy weight via exercise and nutrition improves your energy levels, tones your muscles, and enhances metabolic activity. 

Practicing healthy lifestyle changes such as quitting smoking, drinking more water, and taking supplements to get rid of upper belly fat. If excess belly fat is reduced, it can optimize well-being and prevent health problems down the line. 

Swimming is a fun activity during the summertime, and it’s also beneficial. While it’s a well-known form of great recreation, you may not have considered its influence on your body. Instead of taking the traditional swim,^[1] take advantage of the upper-body benefits, and try some ab workouts in the pool.

These exercises can maximize your wellness, and getting more creative in the swimming pool^[2] would be a great start. You might see the positives of using a fat burner as you work to stay in shape. The thermogenic effects of fat burners promote weight loss and improved metabolism, especially during intense pool ab workout.

Ab Workouts In The Pool

Each exercise provides a full-body workout, and core muscles are constantly activated. To see results, start with a goal of how long you wish to swim or how many laps you want to complete. Try to increase weekly to improve cardiovascular endurance and strengthen your core.

Front Crawl

If you want to start slowly, the front crawl may be ideal. The efficient and simplistic movements make it a reliable form of exercise. 

How to do:

1. Start this pool exercise face down in the water, with your head and spine aligned.
2. As far as possible, extend one arm forward. As your arms enter the water, tilt your body to correspond with that side.
3. Use a semicircular motion to push your body as you bring your arms through the water and allow them to leave the water close to your hip.
4. Do flutter kicks with your legs straight, and repeat these movements by switching back shallow end and forth between both arms. 

Tips: 

• Maintain a streamlined body position by extending your body and kicking from your hips.
• Breathe rhythmically by turning your head to the side while your arm is out of the water.
• Use a flutter kick with pointed toes to propel yourself forward efficiently.

Optimal Sets and Reps:

• Four to six sets of 200-400 meters
• Each set consists of four to six repetitions

Breaststroke

One of the effective ab workouts in the pool is breaststroke. Not only are your abs working, but so are your arms and back. This exercise helps to burn calories and positively influences blood pressure and lipids.

How to do:

1. You’ll start your breaststroke with your face downwards.
2. Place your hands out in front as though you’re gliding. At this point, your legs are straight with your feet together.
3. As your arms begin the outward sweeping motion, you’ll start frog kicks by bending your knees and pulling your feet upward toward the glutes.
4. Next, you’ll have your legs extended, kicking out in a circular motion. Tuck your elbows with your arms extended to initiate the next stroke. 
5. Remember to pull, breathe, kick, and glide.

Tips: 

• Focus on a strong and simultaneous arm pull, followed by a powerful leg kick for propulsion.
• Keep your head neutral while breathing to maintain a streamlined body.
• Aim for a smooth glide after each arm pull and leg kick to maximize efficiency.

Optimal Sets and Reps:

• Four to six sets of 200-400 meters
• Each set consists of four to six repetitions

Butterfly

If you seek a challenging workout of ab workouts in the pool, the butterfly stroke is your answer. This stroke requires an ability to be both powerful and graceful with your movements. This type of balance can optimize muscular control as well.

How to do:

1. You can start the butterfly by pushing yourself and leg lifts from the poolside. Start by facing the water with your arms extended forward and legs together. Extend your legs behind you with slightly bent knees.
2. With precise timing, synchronize your movements to bring your arms out from the water simultaneously. Stretch them out in front of you, crossing over the water.
3. Submerge your arms into the water with a diving motion, pushing them underneath your body with bent elbows.
4. You’ll proceed with the dolphin kicks once your arms are submerged in the water. Do this with your legs together, driving them downward and then upwards in a motion resembling a wave.
5. With such precise movements, time your breathing accordingly. Raise your head from underwater and inhale once your arms have finished the underwater pull. Exhale when you lower your head back down.

Tips: 

• Maintain a steady and rhythmic breathing pattern by timing your breaths with your arm movements.
• Keep your core engaged to stabilize your body and minimize resistance.
• Practice efficient arm recovery by sweeping your arms above the water’s surface to reduce drag.

Optimal Sets and Reps:

• Four to six sets of 100-200 meters
• Each set consists of four to six repetitions

Backstroke

The backstroke is great for your upper body, core, and glute strength. This will be essential for your overall fitness, as you can burn plenty of calories while progressing toward the set of abs you desire. 

How to do:

1. To begin, lie on your back in the pool with your face out of the water.
2. Raise your arms upward, reaching over your shoulders, alternating them like a windmill. This will push you in a backward motion over the water.
3. Keep your legs straight and rely on your hips to flutter kick to maintain a steady motion underneath the water. 

Tips: 

• Maintain a strong and continuous flutter kick to propel yourself smoothly.
• Keep your body parallel to the water’s surface, with a slight arch in your lower back.
• Focus on a coordinated arm pull and recovery, alternating each stroke.

Optimal Sets and Reps:

• Four to six sets of 200-400 meters
• Each set consists of four to six repetitions

Dolphin Kicks

The dolphin kick^[3] is a versatile and integral part of the breaststroke, backstroke, and butterfly. This technique will provide the core strength you’ll need to sustain the up and down leg movements.

How to do:

1. Start on your stomach with your head and body aligned. Spread your arms out in front with your hands clasped together and legs together.
2. Press your chest down in the water with your hips upward. Follow up by pushing your hips down as your upper body comes up.
3. Move your hips and legs in sync, going up and down together in a whip-like fashion. Picture your handle as your core and your feet as the tail of the whip. You would whip your legs backward, with a slight bend in your knees.

Tips: 

• Engage your core and hips to create a wave-like motion with your body.
• Keep your legs straight and use your entire body to generate propulsion.
• Focus on a continuous and rhythmic kick to maintain momentum.

Optimal Sets and Reps:

• Four to six sets of 100-200 meters
• Each set consists of four to six repetitions

Benefits Of Ab Workout Swimming

Balance And Stamina

Taking the ab muscles for granted is easy because we don’t think of them as we carry out daily activities. However, these muscles are responsible for sustaining our posture while we stand or sit, and they even play a role when we cough or sneeze. Additionally, abdominal muscles protect our internal organs by helping them maintain their place.

Abdominal exercises help to work out these muscles, such as the external oblique.^[4] Engaging in these activities can enhance your neuromotor control,^[4] stabilizing your movements. An abdominal exercise could include the butterfly, breaststroke, or dolphin kick.

Core Strength

Pool exercises for core strength can improve your functional skills and athletic performance.^[5] You’ll want to strengthen the core muscles for improved stamina and injury protection. If the muscles surrounding the trunk start to deteriorate, it can result in weakened posture and cause back and joint pain.

Doing water exercises for core strengthening^[4] optimizes your reflexes and sustains a good working relationship between your trunk and limbs. The nervous system will function smoothly, giving way to efficient motor skills, voluntary movements, and better energy and force.

Weight And Muscle Management

Believe it or not, core exercises in the pool are a great way to lose body fat. Body fat can be decreased through regular swimming workouts. The flexibility and elasticity involved in these regimens can underscore the importance of maintaining a healthy weight and muscle function as we age.

Maintaining the stability and balance of your skeletal structure goes hand in hand with retaining the efficient use of muscles. Animal studies show that swimming greatly protects against sarcopenia and the increased body fat that accompanies it.

Cardiovascular Health

Ab workouts in the pool can keep your heart pumping and blood flowing, boosting cardiovascular endurance.^[6] In addition to this, blood lipid parameters, like cholesterol and triglycerides, may be improved. Also, consider the resistance achieved in a swimming pool compared to a ground exercise can be beneficial for stress relief on the joints and increasing physical strength.^[7]

Swimming as an aerobic exercise can support cardiopulmonary function^[6] and improve blood lipids. This can be useful in protecting against circulatory conditions like hypertension or coronary artery disease, common among individuals with greater body fat and decreased endurance.

When You Should Find A Fitness Expert

Seek guidance from an expert when you pursue pool exercise for weight loss, as you’ll want to ensure the execution is accurate and safe. With an emphasis on building core muscles and losing body fat, having expert help with exercise would be wise. Also, inquire about supplements for fat burning and products to support muscle building and athletic performance.

Conclusion

In addition to effective ab workout, swimming has many benefits, such as stress relief, increased lung capacity, and even better sleep. Support these advantages by initiating a healthy diet and focusing on vitamins and nutrients to encourage fitness.

Pregnancy may be, in some ways, exciting for certain women. Still, the physiological changes during those nine months may impose undue limits on some lifestyles. This is especially so if a pregnant woman wants to be physically active, as high-intensity physical activities may harm the mother and/or the fetus.

Of course, it is important to consider the remaining belly fat after pregnancy. Although it can help to use a fat burner post-partum, pregnant women can work on toning their abdominal muscles to maintain their figure after giving birth. Exercising during pregnancy is even better as it can reduce complications that may occur during or after childbirth.

That raises the question, “Which pregnancy ab workout is best?”

Best Pregnancy Ab Workout To Try

Are you expecting and eager to maintain a strong core throughout your pregnancy journey? Here are the best pregnancy ab workout designed to help you stay fit and support your growing belly!

Bird Dog

This simple exercise primarily targets your abs and middle and lower back. Since your legs are also involved, your glutes and hip flexors will also be toned.

How to do:

1. Start on your hands and knees, with both underneath your shoulders and hips, respectively.
2. Extend your left leg behind you and your right arm in front of you simultaneously. Hold this position for three to five seconds, then return to the starting position. Switch sides and repeat.

Tips: 

• Maintain a neutral spine and engage your core to support your back during pregnancy.
• Perform this exercise slowly and with control, avoiding abrupt movements or arching your back.
• Listen to your body, and if you experience any discomfort, stop the exercise immediately.

Optimal Sets and Reps: Three sets of 10 repetitions for each side.

Side Plank

The downward position of the traditional plank position may not be the safest for some pregnant women. Fortunately, this sideways variation provides a safe way to tone your abs and work on your obliques like a normal plank will.

How to do:

1. Start by lying on one side with your body extended.
2. Use your forearm to lift your body off the ground to form a straight line from your shoulders to your ankles. Brace your abs.
3. Maintain this position for as long as possible before slowly lowering yourself back into the starting position.
4. Switch to the other side and repeat this same process. Hold on each side for 20 to 30 seconds.

Tips: 

• Ensure that your supporting elbow is directly beneath your shoulder to maintain proper alignment and stability.
• Engage your core muscles throughout the exercise to provide added support to your lower back and pelvis.
• Use a yoga mat or cushioning under your elbow for added comfort and to prevent discomfort or strain.

Optimal Sets and Reps: Three sets of eight to 10 repetitions per side.

Standing Side Crunches

Like planking, regular crunches may not be safe for pregnant women as they squeeze the abdomen and may pressure the fetus. Standing side crunches provide a proper abdominal workout for core muscles.

How to do:

1. Start by standing with your knees slightly bent and your feet hip-width apart. Keep your hands behind your head.
2. Shift your weight to your left leg. Lift your right knee up towards your right elbow, bending the right side of your waist.
3. Slowly lower your right leg to return to the starting position.

Tips: 

• Keep your movements controlled and within a comfortable range of motion, avoiding any strain or overexertion.
• Use a sturdy support, like a chair or wall, for balance if needed.
• Ensure proper breathing by exhaling as you crunch and inhaling as you return to the starting position to maintain a steady rhythm.

Optimal Sets and Reps: Three sets of 10-12 repetitions per side.

Side-Lying Crunch

For those who would prefer lying down while doing their crunches, this sideways variation of traditional crunches is another good alternative for pregnant women looking to strengthen their core muscles.

How to do:

1. Start by lying on one side with your knees slightly bent. Keep your right hand behind your head.
2. Bend at your torso as you try to bring your right elbow towards your knees, then slowly lower yourself to the starting position.
3. Switch to the other side and repeat the process again.

Tips: 

• Support your head with a cushion or pillow to maintain a comfortable neck position.
• Perform this exercise with slow and controlled movements, avoiding any sudden jerks or excessive twisting.
• Keep your legs comfortably bent and stacked on top of each other for stability and balance.

Optimal Sets and Reps: Two sets of 10 to 12 repetitions

Sitting Knee Lifts

For those with lower stamina, this simple sitting exercise is perfect for pregnant women. Although it mostly targets the glutes and hip flexors, your abdominal muscles are also involved.

How to do:

1. Sit upright on a bench or a chair, ensuring not to arch your back. Engage your core muscles, and keep your feet flat on the ground.
2. Lift one bent leg and hold for three seconds before slowly returning to the starting position.
3. Repeat this process for the other leg.

Tips: 

• Sit on a stable surface with back support to maintain balance and prevent strain on your lower back.
• Execute the knee lifts with controlled, deliberate movements, avoiding any sudden jerks or excessive force.
• Maintain a relaxed and controlled breathing pattern, exhaling as you lift your knees and inhaling as you lower them, to maintain a steady rhythm.

Optimal Sets and Reps: Four sets of six to eight repetitions

Cat Cows

This might seem like a simple yoga pose, but the required motion still makes it an effective ab workout that is safe for pregnant women. 

How to do:

1. Start on your hands and knees, with both underneath your shoulders and hips, respectively.
2. Inhale as you slowly arch your back and lift your head up. You should be looking upward in this position.
3. Exhale and round out your spine without crunching your abdomen. Lower your head; you should be looking at the floor in this position.

Tips: 

• Perform this exercise on a comfortable surface, such as a yoga mat, to support your knees and wrists.
• Focus on gentle and fluid movements, avoiding any abrupt or forceful transitions between the cat and cow positions.
• Ensure your wrists are aligned under your shoulders and your knees are under your hips for proper form.

Optimal Sets and Reps: Three sets of 10-12 repetitions.

Sumo Squats

Squats alone are a safe and effective ab workout during pregnancy, but the sumo variation may be somewhat easier with a larger belly. Not only can these improve core strength, but sumo squats can help open up the hips to make natural childbirth easier.

How to do:

1. Start by standing with your feet hip-width apart. Keep your hands behind your head.
2. Lower yourself to squat, but only go as far as you are comfortable. Keep your legs outward during the motion.
3. Squeeze your glutes and return to the starting position.

Tips: 

• Keep your back straight and chest up throughout the exercise to maintain proper posture.
• Maintain a wide stance with your feet turned outward to reduce stress on the pelvis and knees.
• Perform the squats with controlled movements, avoiding any sudden or deep squats.

Optimal Sets and Reps: Three sets of ten to 15 repetitions.

Can You Do Ab Exercises While Pregnant?

Yes. Experts encourage pregnant women^[1] to exercise as long as they remain safe and don’t overexert themselves, even in some cases of high-risk pregnancies. 

An increase in intra-abdominal volume is natural during pregnancy, as the body has to make room for the growing fetus. This can result in the thickening^[2] of abdominal muscles to adapt to the body’s changes. Thus, strengthening their abs and pelvic floor muscles may help make labor easier^[3] and reduce the need for a C-section in some cases, but scientific evidence of this is somewhat limited.

Core Exercises To Avoid During Pregnancy

As you may expect, not all core exercises are safe for pregnancy and can place unnecessary stress on your body. In fact, some exercises are only safe during a specific trimester and not the full pregnancy. Some exercises may hurt the child or lead to pregnancy complications.

As a general rule of thumb, pregnant women should avoid any exercises involving spinal flexion, back arching, and twisting of the hips and shoulders:

• Full sit-ups.
• Traditional crunches.
• Upward-facing dog.
• Double leg lifts.
• Bicycles.
• Traditional planks – modified versions that don’t put too much pressure on the belly are safe.

Tips For Pregnancy-Safe Ab Exercises

Know Your Limits

Even with all the ab workouts out there that are safe for pregnant women to do, you should be careful not to overdo it as you could risk causing increased pressure on your core. This may affect the baby or even lead to complications in pregnancy.

Maintain Proper Posture

When performing some of these pregnancy-safe ab workouts, arching your back may be tempting even when you’re supposed to keep your spine straight. However, this may lead to additional pressure and strain on your abdomen. Also, maintaining proper upper body posture during sitting and standing exercises can ensure good results.

Reduce Intensity In Later Trimesters

Most ab workouts for women are relatively safe during the first trimester. However, pregnant women may have to reduce the intensity of their exercises during the second and third trimesters to avoid unneeded pressure and stress on the abdomen. 

This is due to the increase of intra-abdominal volume,^[4] or IAV, that naturally occurs during pregnancy. This is what creates the appearance of a large belly in pregnant women that may get in the way of certain safe pregnancy ab exercises. 

Eat A Healthy Diet

While not necessarily a safety tip, a healthy diet is still important when you’re pregnant and staying active. Be sure to eat foods high in various vitamins to replenish any nutrients that are used up during exercise. If necessary, supplements can help with post-partum weight loss caused by pregnancy weight gain.

The Bottom Line

An ab workout may seem like the last thing you’d want to do when you’re pregnant, but some studies have found that it can provide several health benefits related to the physiological changes of pregnancy. With so many simple and relatively easy options to choose from, you can still maintain a proper pregnancy ab workout routine and stay active from the first trimester to the third. As long as you do the exercises mentioned above safely, there is no reason to skip out on abdominal exercises during pregnancy.

Burning calories depends on the intensity, frequency, and continuity of the exercise and the remaining calorie deficit in your eating habits. This is a fact that has been proven in many scientific studies. However, the type of exercise and the foods that you eat before and after a workout affect your body composition, muscle mass, and fat loss because not every pound that you see change on the scale is fat.  You can benefit from activities by diversifying your exercise routine with full body workout for weight loss, high-intensity exercise, endurance, and strength exercises. They can also contribute to weight management. 

Full Body Workout For Weight Loss

You can do a full body workout for weight loss at home if you are a beginner because you don’t need any equipment for some of the exercises.

Besides, there are many functional movements with the barbell, dumbbell, and kettlebell for a full-body workout for fat loss. Also, you can vary your exercise routine using weighted balls and rope. You can add the following workouts to lose weight into your exercise routine.

Here are the most effective full body workout to lose weight. 

Plank Variations 

The plank is a fundamental core-strengthening exercise that can help improve your overall stability and posture.

How to do:

1. Start in a plank position with forearms on the ground and toes on the floor.
2. Hold the plank for a desired amount of time, keeping your core engaged and back flat.
3. To perform a side plank, shift your weight onto one forearm and rotate your body, extending the opposite arm towards the ceiling.
4. To perform a high plank, start in a push-up position with your hands on the ground, keeping your body in a straight line.

Tips: 

• Maintain a straight line from head to heels, engaging your core and glutes to prevent sagging or arching of the lower back.
• Distribute your weight evenly between your forearms or hands and your toes to maintain balance and stability.
• Focus on steady and controlled breathing throughout the plank to enhance endurance and control.

Optimal Sets and Reps: Three to four sets of 20-60 seconds.

Burpees

It is a dynamic, full-body exercise that combines strength, cardio, and agility for a comprehensive workout.

How to do:

1. Start in a standing position.
2. Lower your body and place your hands on the ground shoulder-width apart.
3. Jump your feet back into a high plank position.
4. Lower your chest to the ground, then push up with your arms to return to the high plank position.
5. Jump your feet back up towards your hands, returning to the squat position.
6. You can just stand up, or you can explosively jump.
7. Repeat for the desired number of reps.

Tips: 

• Maintain a steady breathing pattern throughout the exercise to sustain energy and control.
• Focus on explosive power when jumping back up to improve strength and cardiovascular endurance.
• Warm up adequately before attempting burpees to prepare your muscles and joints for the intensity of the exercise.

Optimal Sets and Reps: Three to four sets of 10-15 reps.

High Knee Running

High knee running is a dynamic cardiovascular exercise that engages your core and lower body while boosting your heart rate for an effective cardio workout.

How to do:

1. Start by standing with your feet shoulder-width apart.
2. Begin running in place, lifting your knees high towards your chest with each stride.
3. As you lift your knee, swing your opposite arm forward, then quickly switch and repeat on the other side.
4. Maintain a steady rhythm and pace throughout the exercise.
5. Keep your core engaged and your posture upright, avoiding leaning forward or backward.

Tips: 

• Lift your knees as high as comfortably possible with each step to engage your core and target your hip flexors effectively.
• Maintain an upright posture and avoid leaning backward or forward to reduce strain on your back and maximize the workout’s benefits.
• Focus on a smooth and controlled rhythm, landing softly on the balls of your feet, and maintain a consistent breathing pattern.

Optimal Sets and Reps: Three to five sets of 30-60 seconds.

Mountain Climbing

The mountain climbers are a dynamic, full-body exercise that combines strength, cardio, and core engagement for a powerful workout.

How to do:

1. Start in a high plank position, with your hands on the ground and your body in a straight line.
2. Lift one foot and bring your knee up towards your chest.
3. Quickly switch legs, bringing the other knee up towards your chest while simultaneously extending the opposite leg back.
4. Continue alternating legs as quickly as possible, like you’re running in place.
5. Keep your core engaged and your hips level throughout the exercise.

Tips: 

• Ensure that your hips stay level and do not sag or pike upward during the exercise to work your core effectively.
• Engage your glutes and leg muscles to stabilize your lower body while performing the movement.
• Maintain a consistent and controlled breathing pattern to support endurance and coordination.

Optimal Sets and Reps: Three to four sets of 30-60 seconds.

Tuck Jumps

Tuck jumps are a plyometric exercise that can help improve your explosive power, leg strength, and overall athleticism.

How to do:

1. Start in a standing position with feet shoulder-width apart.
2. Explosively jump up as high as you can.
3. While in the air, tuck your knees up to your chest.
4. Quickly release your legs and land softly on your feet.
5. Repeat for the desired number of reps, maintaining a consistent rhythm and pace.
6. Remember to engage your core and use your leg muscles to generate power for the jump.

Tips: 

• Engage your core muscles to maintain stability and control throughout the jump.
• Ensure that your arms play an active role by swinging them upward as you jump and tuck your knees to your chest, assisting in the explosive movement.
• Use proper landing mechanics by allowing your heels to kiss the ground briefly before initiating the next jump to minimize stress on your joints.

Optimal Sets and Reps: Four sets of eight to 10 reps.

Deadlift

The deadlift is one of the most common full-body barbell workouts for fat loss. You can also prefer a deadlift for a full-body dumbbell workout to lose weight. You need one dumbbell for each hand. 

How to do:

1. Take your position standing with your midfoot under the barbell
2. Bend your knees over to grab the barbell with a shoulder-width grip
3. Lift your chest before you lift and straighten your lower back
4. Stand up with the weight. It helps you if you take a deep breath and hold it while you are lifting weights.

Tips: 

• Maintain a neutral spine throughout the lift by keeping your back straight and avoiding excessive rounding or arching to prevent injury.
• Engage your core muscles and maintain a strong, stable stance with your feet shoulder-width apart for better balance and support.
• Keep the barbell or weights close to your body as you lift; this reduces stress on your lower back and allows for a more efficient lift.

Optimal Sets and Reps: Three sets of 10-12 reps.

Back Squat

The back squat is a fundamental compound exercise that targets your lower body, emphasizing the quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes, and lower back, and is a staple for building leg strength.

How to do:

1. Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, barbell on the upper back, hands wider than shoulders, palms forward. You can also use two dumbbells for each hand, placing them on your shoulders as an alternative barbell. 
2. Take a deep breath, and brace your core muscles.
3. Lower body by bending at hips and knees until thighs are parallel to the floor.
4. Pause briefly, then drive through heels to stand up, exhaling.
5. You can also squat with your body weight only. 

Tips: 

• Ensure proper form by keeping your chest up, back straight, and knees in line with your feet to prevent excessive forward lean or rounding of the back.
• Begin with an appropriate weight that allows you to maintain good form, and progressively increase the resistance as you become more comfortable with the movement.
• Engage your core and maintain a controlled descent and ascent, avoiding bouncing or jerking motions to protect your joints and maximize muscle engagement.

Optimal Sets and Reps: Three sets of 10-12 reps.

Weight Swing

Also known as the kettlebell swing, it is a full body workout for weight loss, but you can use a dumbbell as well. 

How to do:

1. Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, weight on the ground in front of you. Hinge at the hips, grab the weight with both hands, and stand up explosively, swinging the weight to shoulder height.
2. Swing the weight back between your legs while keeping your core and back engaged.
3. Repeat for desired reps, using hip power.

Tips: 

• Keep a strong and engaged core throughout the movement to provide stability and protect your lower back.
• Focus on a fluid and continuous motion, avoiding abrupt stops or jerky movements during the swings.
• Control your breathing, exhaling forcefully as you swing the weight up and inhaling during the downward phase to enhance power and coordination.

Optimal Sets and Reps: Three sets of 12-15 reps.

Wall Ball Shot

It is a dynamic and effective exercise that combines strength, accuracy, and endurance to challenge your fitness limits

How to do:

1. Begin by standing with your feet shoulder-width apart, facing a wall. Hold a weighted ball (medicine ball) at chest height with both hands.
2. Squat down by bending at the hips and knees, keeping your weight on your heels and your chest up. Keep the medicine ball at your chest throughout the squat.
3. Explosively stand up and simultaneously throw the ball up to hit a target on the wall, which is typically located nine to 10 feet above the ground. The target is usually marked with a piece of tape or a target ring.
4. Catch the ball as it comes back down and immediately go into the next repetition. Try to maintain a consistent rhythm and pace.

Tips: 

• Focus on a smooth and controlled motion throughout the exercise, avoiding jerky movements that can strain your shoulders or back.
• Choose an appropriate medicine ball weight that allows you to complete the reps with good form and maintain a consistent pace.
• Keep your eyes on the target on the wall to enhance accuracy and coordination during the throw.

Optimal Sets and Reps: Three to four sets of 10-15 reps.

Battle Ropes

Battle ropes are specially weighted ropes and a good exercise for both metabolic and strength training.

How to do:

1. Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, holding one end of a battle rope in each hand.
2. Raise both arms to shoulder height, creating a wave in the rope.
3. Alternate between raising each arm up and down, creating a wave-like motion in the rope.
4. Continue the wave motion for a desired amount of time or reps.

Tips: 

• Maintain a stable stance and engage your core to protect your lower back during rope movements.
• Create fluid waves by using both arms simultaneously, generating power from your hips and shoulders.
• Vary your intensity and movements, including alternating waves, slams, or circles, to target different muscle groups and keep your workout engaging.

Optimal Sets and Reps: Three to four sets of 30-60 seconds.

How To Build A Weight Loss Workout Routine

For example, a 30-minute weight loss workout can include both body weight and extra weight exercises we mentioned before. You can choose a total of four exercises.  However, if you do both exercises, it is better to start with extra weight exercises for better performance. You can consider putting the more difficult workouts at the beginning of your exercise period to do them more efficiently with correct body forms. 

Adding continuous mechanical loading and strength training to your exercise routine contributes to muscle production.^[1]

The effects of exercises^[2] mainly depend on the total volume and load that your muscles receive, the duration of the tension on the muscles, or the contraction speed and power. 

Personalize Your Training

So; the full-body workout plan should include a variety of strength^[3] and cardio^[4] exercises. The main principles^[3] of exercise can be changed and modulated during the workout plan depending on the desired muscle function to be supported.

A full body workout for weight loss for males and females may differ due to the baseline muscle mass and physiological differences. Workout plans for females generally include more repeats with fewer heavy weights. It was suggested that three to four sets per exercise be included in the workout for adult women, on two to four training days per week, according to the meta-analysis results.^[5] 

The repeat amount differs in weight exercises according to your main goal. Increasing your muscle mass and volume can reduce repeats but increase the weight you lift. But if your aim is losing weight, you can do 12-15 repeats for each exercise with comparatively lower weights. 

Does Full Body Exercise Support Weight Loss?

Yes, you can support with full body workout for weight loss besides your diet. During the workouts, you produce energy to do physical movements. And if you eat less than you expend, your body may produce this energy from your tissues, which are generally fat. 

Another aspect of exercise, it helps to increase the muscle-to-fat ratio of the body. But why is it so important? Because the muscle mass of your body is one of the key factors that regulate your basal energy expenditure.^[6] 

Better Together: Moderate Intensity And High Intensity 

To burn fat and increase lean body mass, it’s important to focus on a combination of cardio and strength training exercises that target different body areas.

Aerobic exercise^[7] is a great way to burn calories and improve cardiovascular fitness, which is important for overall health and weight loss. Running, cycling, swimming, and dancing are all great forms of aerobic exercise that can help you lose weight and improve your fitness level. These are moderate exercises because you can perform them for long durations. 

In addition to aerobic exercise, there are high-intensity movements that you can not perform for extended periods. A couple of minutes or even seconds are enough to be done. High-intensity exercises^[8] are shown to be very effective in fat loss. You can do these exercises with your body weight or extra weight, such as using dumbbells.

Weight lifting^[9] is another important component of a weight loss program. Lifting weights helps build upper body muscles and increases your body’s overall lean mass, which can help increase your metabolism and burn more calories. Incorporating weight lifting into your workout routine can burn fat and improve your body composition. It can help you achieve the lean, toned body you desire.

What Diet Should You Follow To Shed Pounds?

Your diet can change the effectiveness of your exercise. A diet including healthy, whole-food, high fiber, high vitamin, and mineral sources with moderately increased protein benefits energy expenditure due to food’s thermic effect.

Diet calories should be moderately decreased to stimulate fat loss, yet you want to remain in a calorie deficit overall. Consuming 500 calories less per day equates to approximately a 1-pound decrease in weight per week. On the other hand, we want to consume a particular level of protein which is an important factor in supporting muscles. 

Protein

Daily protein intake^[10] should be 1.4-2 grams/kilogram, at least for building muscle. It is well described in the studies that increased serum amino acid content, which is the building block of the protein structure, stimulates muscle protein synthesis.^[11]

Carbohydrates

It should be accepted as a fact that adequate carbohydrate intake is essential for muscle preservation in addition to protein.

However, to lose body fat, it is essential to decrease carbohydrates because carbs are the main energy source that your body prefers to use. If there are enough carbs, your body doesn’t switch the energy source to body fat, and you can’t achieve fat tissue loss.

Fat

Fats are also an essential component of the body. They contribute to the production of many hormones and physiological activities in the metabolism; therefore, you need to keep healthy fat alternatives in your diet, such as olive oil, nuts, and avocados. 

But just remember that fat sources provide dense energy and should be included in a  limited amount of the diet. 

The only foods you mainly remove from your diet are simple sugar sources, saturated or trans fats, and highly processed foods. These don’t benefit your body directly stimulate weight gain or contribute to other health problems.

The Takeaway

Incorporating a full body workout for weight loss that includes compound movements, cardio, and high-intensity training can effectively shed pounds and improve overall health. Committing healthy lifestyle changes is essential to achieve your weight loss goals. 

You can talk first with your doctor and then a certified personal trainer to build your right exercise routine. Also, you can get help from a registered dietitian to follow a healthy and sustainable diet.

If you’ve used resistance bands before, then you understand how cost-effective and versatile these pieces of workout equipment are. They come in a variety of shapes, colors, and sizes, both with handles and without. Resistance band workouts help with weight loss by generally triggering muscle fibers to work hard and adding resistance to your movements. In turn, you enjoy a toned-up physique and stronger muscle mass.

Incorporating resistance band exercises and fat-burning pills into your daily routine will not only stave off boredom –  it can help you lose fat and improve your strength.^[1] And there’s no need to worry about any age limitations. These essential workout tools are recommended for people of all fitness levels, ages,^[2] and genders.

Resistance Bands For Weight Loss

Single-Leg Deadlift

For this exercise, you’ll need the best resistance bands with handles. Your target areas are your quads, hamstrings, hips, glutes, and lower abs. 

How to do a single-leg deadlift:

1. Position the band beneath your right foot’s arch. Maintain a firm grip on the handles of your resistance band as you pull it toward your chest. Keep your chest out, roll your shoulders back, and stand with feet hip-width apart.
2. Raise your left foot back at a 90-degree angle while bending your right knee slightly. Bend your torso (upper body) a little as you try to make it aligned with the floor. 
3. Hold the pose for about 5 seconds and resume the starting position. 
4. Do the same for the other leg and back it up with three sets of ten reps. 

Tips:

• Focus on balance by keeping your core engaged and a slight bend in your knee while lifting one leg off the ground.
• Initiate the movement by hinging at your hips, keeping your back straight and chest up.
• Lower the dumbbell or kettlebell slowly and with control, feeling the stretch in your chest, before returning to the starting position.

Optimal Sets & Reps: Three sets of 10-12 reps

Plank Hold 

This is one of the best lower body exercises that essentially targets your shoulders, glutes, middle back, lower back, and abs. 

How to do a plank hold:

1. Stand facing away from the anchor point. Hold the band handles in each hand, and position your hands at chest height, with your elbows bent at a 90-degree angle.
2. Get into a plank position by walking your feet back away from the anchor point. Your body should be in a straight line from head to heels, with your hands directly under your shoulders.
3. While maintaining the plank position, press your hands forward, extending your arms in front of you against the resistance of the band.
4. Maintain this position for approximately 30 seconds to a minute. 
5. For faster results, perform three sets of this exercise every day. 

Tips:

• Keep your body in a straight line from head to heels, engaging your chest, core, and glutes.
• Focus on controlled breathing to stay relaxed while holding the plank position.
• Start with shorter durations and gradually increase the time as your strength improves.

Optimal Sets & Reps: Three sets of 20-30 seconds

Hip Flexion

This exercise targets your lower abs, hamstrings, quads, and glutes. You’ll need an ankle resistance band for this particular resistance band workout. 

How to do a hip flexion:

1. Place one of the ankle attachments on your left leg and fasten the other end to a firm object, such as the leg of a cot or table. 
2. Face the opposite side of the cot and ensure the distance between your left leg and the cot is enough for you to feel the impedance.
3. Place your right foot ahead and bend your knees slightly. Stretch your left elbow and move your right fist close to your chest. Extend your left arm behind your back. 
4. Raise your left leg, stretch your right knee, then kick it up. Stretch your right elbow, then move your right arm to your chest. Stretch your left arm behind your back. Doing so will help you complete your entire movement with precision and stability. 
5. Lower your left leg, then move it to the original position. 

Tips:

• Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the ground, keeping your hands by your sides for stability.
• Contract your core and chest muscles as you lift your hips off the ground, focusing on the upward movement.
• Lower your hips back down slowly and with control to maximize muscle group.

Optimal Sets & Reps: Three sets of 12-15 reps

Reverse Crunch 

The reverse crunch workout targets your quads, hamstrings, glutes, upper abs, middle abs, and lower abs. It helps to flatten your belly and keep you in shape. The best type of band for this workout is the ankle resistance band.

How to do a reverse crunch:

1. At the middle of your ankle resistance band, tie nylon. You can either tie it to the lower area of a door or on the leg of a table. 
2. Next, wrap the band around both of your ankles and lie flat on the floor as you face the door. Your legs should be slightly apart, your feet on the floor, and your knees bent. Position your hands by your side and your palms on the floor. Ensure there’s sufficient distance between your legs and the cot/door. Consider this your starting position. 
3. Breathe out and raise your feet off the floor. Keep your knees bent, then raise them closer to your chest. Your back should be flat on the floor as you do this. 
4. Breathe in and stretch out your legs slowly away from your chest. Your legs shouldn’t touch the floor. Perform 12 sets of the reverse crunch at least three times. 

Tips:

• Lie on your back with your hands by your sides and your legs bent at a 90-degree angle to maintain a stable position.
• Contract your abdominal muscles and lift your hips off the ground, keeping your lower back pressed into the floor.
• Lower your hips back down slowly and with control, maximizing muscle engagement.

Optimal Sets & Reps: Three sets of 12-15 reps

Bicycle Crunches

Bicycle crunches target your upper body areas like quads, hamstrings, lats, glutes, abs, and obliques. You’ll need a flat loop band for this resistance band workout. 

How to do bicycle crunches:

1. Place the mini continuous loop band on the top part of your shoes, such as on your shoelaces. 
2. Position your back flat on the floor and bend your knees as you keep your feet flat on the floor. 
3. Support your head with your fingertips, your thumbs behind your ears, and the rest of the fingers on the midpoint of your head. Keep your arms straight throughout as you keep your head elevated. This should be your starting position. 
4. Raise your legs from the ground and begin pedaling an invisible bicycle. In other words, extend your right leg as you bring the right one toward your chest. While doing this, move your body to your left, then move your right elbow to the right knee. 
5. Stretch your left leg. At the same time, bend your right knee and move it toward your chest. Move your body to the right, then move the left elbow closer to your left knee. Perform two sets of bicycle crunches, 15 reps each.

Tips:

• Twist and bring your opposite elbow to your knee to engage your chest and obliques effectively.
• Keep your core muscles tight throughout the exercise to stabilize your chest and upper body.
• Perform the exercise with controlled, deliberate motions to maximize chest muscle engagement.

Optimal Sets & Reps: Three sets of 15-20 reps

Hamstring Curls

Hamstring curls primarily target the glutes, quads, and hamstrings. For an effective workout that also aids in weight loss, incorporate resistance tube exercises for belly fat. Utilize a tube resistance band with an ankle attachment for optimal results. This versatile band is not only excellent for toning your upper arms but also contributes to overall weight loss.

How to do hamstring curls:

1. Fasten your resistance band to your table or cot, then place the ankle attachment on your left ankle. 
2. Lie down flat on your stomach, stretch your arms forward, and place them on top of the other. Rest your chin on top of your folded hands. Consider this your starting position. 
3. Raise your left leg to a point where your shin stands perpendicular to the ground. 
4. Gradually lower your leg to the starting position. 
5. Do the same for the right leg. Perform three sets of hamstring curls, each having 15 reps. 

Tips:

• Ensure the hamstring curl machine is properly adjusted to fit your body size and allows for a full range of motion.
• Focus on contracting your hamstring muscles as you curl the weight, feeling the squeeze at the top of the movement.
• Perform the exercise with a slow, controlled pace, both when lifting the weight and lowering it.

Optimal Sets & Reps: Three sets of 12-15 reps

Lunges

Performing lunges strengthens your hamstrings, quads, and glutes. You’ll need a resistance band with handles for this particular workout. 

How to do lunges:

1. Place your resistance band under the curve of your left foot. Move forward by a single step using your left foot. Bend your knees slightly as you flex your elbows while keeping your hands near your shoulder blades. Consider this your starting position. 
2. Go down on the right knee. Ensure your left shin is aligned with your left thigh. 
3. Resume the starting position, then raise your right leg behind you. 
4. Plant your right foot on the ground, then lunge down. 
5. Do the same for your right leg. Perform two sets of lunges, 12 reps each.

Tips:

• Step forward with one leg and lower your body until both knees are at a 90-degree angle, keeping your chest up and core engaged.
• Contract your core muscles for stability and balance during the lunge.
• Perform the exercise with controlled, deliberate steps to engage your chest, legs, and core effectively.

Optimal Sets & Reps: Three sets of 12-15 reps

Can You Get Ripped From Resistance Bands?

If your goal is to get ripped, resistance bands can be a valuable addition to your workout routine. By incorporating a variety of exercises and consistently challenging yourself with higher resistance levels, you can achieve impressive results in terms of muscle definition, without necessarily losing weight or gaining significant muscle mass. So, yes, you can certainly work towards a ripped physique using resistance training bands as part of your training regimen.

Final Thoughts

As you’ve noticed throughout this article, there are different types of resistance band exercises to lose weight and belly fat. Each of them is easy on your wallet and perfect for strength training and targeting muscle groups. 

What’s even better is that resistance band training is easy to adopt. You can choose to lose fat with all the exercises listed above or just pick out the ones you’re comfortable with. 

In addition to these workouts, ensure you include other forms of exercise, including push-ups, shoulder presses, and cardio workouts. Maintain a healthy diet and ensure you get some quality sleep (at least 7 to 8 hours).

Your mental health is also of utmost importance. Lessen your emotional fatigue by spending time alone and performing deep meditations. Make these a daily part of your routine, and you stand a greater chance of regaining your emotional strength, and body composition and reaping the biggest benefits from your resistance workouts.

If you’re trying to lose weight, you’re not alone. In fact, roughly 50% of Americans report actively trying to lose weight. There are countless ways to lose weight, from fad diets to celebrity exercise programs. Unfortunately, it doesn’t work the same way for everyone – it may take some trial and error to find the calorie-burning exercises that actually work for your body and your goals. And boxing weight loss workouts may be the right answer for you.

When it comes to losing weight, cutting calories isn’t the only thing to focus on – especially if you want to shed belly fat while maintaining lean muscle. The key is to find a fitness routine that burns calories while engaging your muscle groups and improving your stamina. Boxing for weight loss is a great option to consider if traditional workouts aren’t cutting it for you.

Six-Day Boxing For Weight Loss Split

If you are looking for a serious calorie burner, boxing is a great exercise to choose from! You can easily burn 400 calories in half an hour of boxing.

After jumping rope or jogging in place to warm up for about five minutes, try one of the following workouts to build your basic boxing techniques: 

Boxing Conditioning Workout

Get ready to boost your boxing skills and overall fitness with our Boxing Conditioning Workout. This high-intensity training routine combines strength-building exercises with punching drills to improve your endurance, power, and agility.

Boxing Footwork And Conditioning Workout

Prepare to enhance your boxing footwork and overall fitness with our Boxing Footwork and Conditioning Workout. This session focuses on agility, strength, and endurance, ensuring you’re ready to move like a champ in the ring.

(*) Alternate between 10 quick steps left and 10 quick steps right

(**) Six steps forward, six steps right, six steps backward, six steps left

Boxing Cardio And Conditioning Intensive

This session is designed to boost your cardiovascular endurance, enhance your boxing skills, and push your limits.

Boxing Speed And Endurance Challenge

This workout day is designed to elevate your speed, agility, and endurance in the ring.

Boxing Power And Precision Workout

Get ready for an Explosive Boxing Workout that will elevate your speed, power, and precision in the ring. This dynamic session combines intense cardio, shadowboxing with powerful punches, pushups for upper body strength, and a series of heavy bag drills to take your boxing skills to the next level.

Boxing Agility And Power Circuit

This action-packed workout day is designed to turbocharge your agility, strength, and punching power. You’ll engage in a series of explosive exercises, precision bag work, and bobbing and weaving drills to level up your boxing skills.

(*) moving 180 degrees around the bag between each set.

What Is A Boxing Workout?

Boxing programs can be customized according to your fitness goals and preferences. These workouts can incorporate a variety of elements, including practiced movements, footwork drills, and punching drills. They can be done with or without equipment such as boxing gloves, speed bags, heavy bags, and focus mitts, and you can even find boxing workout games. 

A high-intensity workout for weight loss may incorporate additional conditioning exercises to increase calorie expenditure and help you burn more excess fat. Calisthenics and jumping rope, for example, are popular elements of boxing weight loss workouts. 

Is Boxing Good For Weight Loss?

Any form of physical activity has the potential to help you lose weight as long as you achieve a calorie deficit, but you may still find yourself asking: is boxing good for weight loss? Yes!

Though it can also be good for muscle building, boxing primarily involves cardiovascular exercise, making it effective as a weight-loss workout. It is typically considered a form of high-intensity interval training or HIIT, which has been shown to burn more fat^[1] than other exercises like walking when performed for extended periods at low- to moderate intensity. 

Whether you’re running, lifting weights, or boxing, weight loss is a balancing act. You need to balance the number of calories consumed against the number of calories burned on a daily basis. If you want to lose weight, you need to create a calorie deficit – you need to burn more calories^[2] than you consume. 

Many people have begun boxing for weight loss at home as a way to burn calories, build muscle, and improve physical fitness levels without having to pay for expensive subscription programs or gym memberships. 

Benefits Of Boxing For Weight Loss

While boxing has become incredibly popular as a great workout routine, its benefits extend beyond burning fat and calories. Regularly visiting boxing gyms can positively impact stress levels, heart health, and even balance. Here are five ways boxing can benefit your entire body and your overall health. 

Lowers Stress

Exercise, in its many forms, has been well-studied as a method for reducing stress.^[3] Boxing as a form of exercise, however, offers some unique benefits in this area. For example, programs that adhere to HIIT protocols have been shown^[4] to improve mood and cognitive function. The act of punching a mitt or a bag can also have a cathartic effect in relieving stress or anger. 

Reduces Blood Pressure

Hypertension gives you a higher risk for heart attack and stroke.^[5] Regular cardiovascular activities – especially HIIT training programs like boxing workouts – may help lower both your systolic and diastolic blood pressure. In fact, some research^[2] suggests boxing workouts may reduce blood pressure more significantly than moderate-intensity exercise.

Boosts Heart Health

In addition to lowering high blood pressure, cardio boxing can help improve your overall heart health. Because it is a form of high-intensity interval training, boxing puts your body and your heart through repeated bouts of intense activity. This improves your cardiovascular endurance and may decrease your risk^[6] for serious heart problems like heart disease. 

Improves Balance

Boxing involves repeated punching and footwork drills which help with developing coordination and building strength. In fact, boxing has been used to help improve balance and muscle coordination in individuals recovering from stroke^[7] and Parkinson’s disease.^[8] 

Increases Strength And Stamina

More than just a cardio workout, the high-intensity nature of boxing makes it a full-body workout. Throwing punches works your upper body, while footwork drills work your lower body. Keeping your core muscles engaged is essential for a good workout, and the faster you move, the more intense the aerobic workout you’re going to get. 

How To Get Started With Boxing Workouts

The first step in performing a martial art like boxing is to learn proper form. No matter what type of exercise you’re doing, maintaining proper form as you throw punches will reduce your risk of injury. 

Start by practicing your stance. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and move your nondominant foot slightly forward and your dominant foot slightly back. Balance your weight on the balls of your feet, keeping your knees loose and soft. Keeping your elbows close to your sides, bring your dominant fist up, so your index finger is resting right next to your chin. Your non-dominant fist should be held right around cheek height.

Once you’ve mastered proper stance and form, the next step is to learn the three basic punches. Taking a boxing class or watching a boxing exercise video can help if you’re having trouble visualizing the form. 

Jab

Start in your regular boxing stance with the index finger of your dominant fist resting lightly against your chin. Throw your non-dominant fist straight ahead. Remember that the jab punch is used to set up other throws and defensive movements, so it isn’t meant to be a power punch. 

Cross

Like the jab, the cross punch is thrown straight but with more power behind it. Throw the punch with your rear dominant fist, using your legs and hips to generate the force. Remember that the jab is thrown from the fist closest to your target and the cross from the fist furthest away.

Hook

This punch can be performed with either hand, but it’s best to use your non-dominant or lead fist. The goal of this punch is to come at the target from the side. Moving from your legs and hips for power, throw the punch out from your shoulder then turn your fist in toward the target halfway through. 

Summary

A boxing routine could help you reduce weight fast by burning calories, building muscle, and burning visceral fat. It’s easy to customize your boxing routine with an endless array of punch combinations, drills, and conditioning exercises. 

While boxing exercises are a great way to burn more calories, you may still need a little help to meet your weight loss goals quicker. Adding a stimulant-free fat burner to your routine may help boost your metabolism to increase your calorie burn while simultaneously suppressing your appetite to help you consume fewer calories.

Whether you add fat burners to your routine or not, consult a healthcare professional before starting your weight loss journey to see if a boxing fitness program is the right fit for you.

Is there anything more depressing in life than trying on your favorite pair of jeans, only to be foiled by a couple of pounds of extra excess fat?

These things sneak up on us sometimes. When it’s time for a change, there is no better approach than attacking your muffin-top belly with everything you’ve got – cardio, weight lifting, and high-intensity interval training.

Muffin Top Exercises To Reduce Belly Fat

Aside from the above-mentioned lifestyle changes,^[1] you can also try doubling your effort by choosing the best exercises for muffin top belly, flanks, and love handles.

All of the following can be performed with weights or as part of a high-intensity interval training regimen. You can customize each move to match your fitness level and goals.

Side Planks

Planks will not only help you firm up your core muscles themselves – but they’re also great for burning the belly fat^[2] that obscures your washboard. How to get rid of muffin top men and women? They’re some of the best exercises for losing body fat and one effective way to lose weight fast. 

For love handles and muffin tops, side planks rule above all others. They’re sort of like crunches, only for your sides – a definite problem area for many of us.

Common mistakes:

When you do a plank, you should feel it throughout your core. If you don’t, your bottom might be too high in the air.  If you can, try to perfect your form with the help of a mirror. Your entire body should be straight, from your shoulders to your lower extremities. Your shoulders shouldn’t sink and your legs should be straight.

How to do:

1. From a plank position, push yourself up so that only one hand is pressed into the ground.
2. With your core engaged, lengthen the entire body, reaching up toward your outstretched fingertips.
3. Hold for ten seconds.
4. Release your starting plank position.
5. Repeat on the other side. Alternate until exhausted.

Tips:

• You can shake up your plank routine by adding in a leg lift or a right or left elbow crunch. Side plank rotations include a tuck under with each rep, drawing the free shoulder around and underneath the body. 
• A forearm side plank is another option; doing a forearm side plank is one of the fastest ways to achieve a flat stomach and stone-hewn oblique muscles. It’s much more effective than a standard plank.

Optimal Sets and Reps: Three sets of 20-30 seconds hold on each side.

Crunches

For most, this will be the obvious one. The mechanism of action is self-explanatory – the abdominal muscles contract, and, with each rep, they grow stronger. Crunches are especially effective^[3] when performed as part of an exercise circuit.

Common mistakes:

Some of us put a lot of work into our necks when doing crunches, but this is the worst thing that you can do if you’re trying to lose belly fat. 

Your chin shouldn’t be too high up in the air, and it also shouldn’t be buried in your chest. A happy medium might be pretending to make a double chin – this will usually be a good ballpark to strive for if you’re worried about straining your neck or spine.

Also important: your lower back should not leave the floor. Make an effort to focus on pressing it down to keep your core muscles fully engaged. You can also ask a friend to spot you as you work out, taking turns between sets.

How to do:

1. Lie back on the ground with your feet flat on the floor in front of you, knees bent. The arms should be crossed in front of the chest.
2. With your abs tight, draw your chest toward your knees.
3. Hold for one count, abs tightened, and release. 
4. Repeat as desired.

Tips:

Bicycle crunches are the best variation that we can recommend for a muffin top workout – they get your whole body working, activating all of the relevant abdominal muscle groups underneath.

Optimal Sets and Reps: Three sets of 15-20 repetitions.

Russian Twists

Russian twists help you amplify your belly-targeting efforts. These muffin top fat exercises can address parts of the spare tire that sit-ups and crunches alone will never end up reaching.

Common mistakes:

The golden rule of Russian twists: you never want to be moving too quickly. The more slowly and methodically you’re able to perform each rep, the more you’re going to feel it in your muffin top. Focus on the action of the arms and avoid torquing your lower back.

To achieve good form, your back should never be bent or arching. You should be erect from the waist up, without hunching forward or letting your head fall behind you.

How to do:

1. Sit up on the ground with your feet in front of you, knees bent. You should feel your glutes pressing into the ground.
2. Without letting your upper body drop, sit back slightly with your back completely straight. Your body should look like the letter V.
3. Clasp your hands in front of you or cross them over your chest.
4. Twist completely to one side.
5. Hold for one count.
6. Twist back into your starting position.
7. Repeat on the other side. Continue as necessary.

Tips:

You can do a kick or a punching motion to the side after every twist, sort of like a kickboxing exercise. Another excellent variation is incorporating a medicine ball into your Russian twist routine, holding it in front of you, and passing it over your body from side to side.

You can also add a bench element to these hip twists. This variation will confer some of the same benefits that hip dips do, which is another of our favorite exercises to get rid of muffin tops and love handles.

Optimal Sets and Reps: Three sets of 12-15 twists per side.

Burpees

Burpees are sort of like planks on steroids after a good meal – they’re some of the most punishing muffin top exercises that you can choose from. If you’re able to master them and incorporate them into your workout routine, you can go ahead and kiss your muffin top goodbye.  Losing weight with burpees is easy.

Common mistakes:

As with many of these Pilates-style exercises, slow and steady wins the race. Rushing through a set of burpees doesn’t do you any favors; the easier they feel, the less they’re doing for you and your body.

Try not to land too hard on your heels; the way that your hands and feet make contact with the ground is very important if you want to avoid injuring yourself. Good form is everything; you’ll know the difference as soon as you nail it.

How To Do:

1. Start from a squatting position.
2. Press your hands down on the floor in front of you.
3. Hop both feet back, assuming a plank position.
4. Do a single push-up.
5. Frog-kick your legs back so that you’re squatting once more.
6. Quickly jump straight up, with your arms straight overhead.
7. Land nimbly back into your first position, squatting again.
8. Repeat as many times as you want.

Tips:

Some people like to use a platform. Others like burpees with Bosu balls or dumbbells. Our advice is to work on performing an ordinary burpee perfectly before adding any toys – it’s a full-body workout, and taking things too fast might result in injury. 

Optimal Sets and Reps: Three sets of 10-15 reps.

Bird Dog

This move looks and feels a lot like yoga, but it packs a punch. It’s not only awesome for muffin tops and love handles – this move will burn calories like no tomorrow. Plus, your booty will be feeling the love, too. 

Common mistakes:

Bird dogs are at their best when done purposefully and mindfully. Like many other bodyweight exercise moves, you’ll get the most out of your workout routine when you follow the proper form and your breathing is consistent and deliberate. Move slowly and lean into the burn.

How to do:

1. Begin in a table position – kneeling, legs at ninety degrees, with your back straight and your hands on the ground in front of you. 
2. Breathe in.
3. Lift your right arm and your left leg so that both extend straight out from the front and the back of your body. Your hand, straight overhead, should be in a straight line with your torso and parallel to the ground.
4. Bring your arm and leg back in slowly and replace your hand and your foot on the ground, breathing out.
5. Repeat with your left arm and your right leg.
6. Continue for several sets. 

Tips:

Adding a crunch in with both the active arm and leg before releasing them is one way to ramp up a round of bird dogs. You can also try a standing bird dog once your balance has improved sufficiently.

Optimal Sets and Reps: Three sets of eight to 10 repetitions per side.

Leg Lifts

Most assume that leg lifts have nothing to do with anything but the legs. These people would be mistaken – they’re much closer to a sit-up that you do with your lower body instead of your upper body. It’s another of our favorite exercises to get rid of muffin tops.

Common mistakes:

The number one mistake that people make when doing leg lifts is letting the legs bend at the knees. You want all of that tension in your abdominal muscles – if you can’t feel it, it isn’t working. 

You also want to ensure that your legs are never coming apart from one another. Instead, they should be moving as one unit. Again, the slower and more dedicated each lift is, the better you’re going to look and feel afterward.

How to do:

1. Lie on your back with your legs extended, crossed at the ankles.
2. Put your hands behind your head or cross your wrists in front of your chest.
3. Lift your legs so that your feet are hovering a few inches above the ground
4. Slowly lift the legs to ninety degrees, without letting them bend or lifting your lower back from the ground.
5. Carefully lower them without letting your heels touch the floor. Continue to pump them slowly, holding for one count at each extreme.

Tips:

Instead of lifting with your ankles crossed, you can butterfly your feet, fluttering them back and forth over one another. This will create an even more intense workout.

Optimal Sets and Reps: Three sets of 12-15 repetitions.

Cardio

Yes, it’s true – body fat stands no chance against a vigorous cardio routine. The type of cardio that you choose is less important^[4] than the amount of cardio that you’re able to commit to on a daily or weekly basis.

Some of the best forms of cardio for excess body fat include:

• Jumping jacks
• Jumping rope
• High-intensity interval training
• Running, jogging, and walking
• Swimming
• Rowing
• Cycling

No matter what type of life you live, there is always room for a short walk or jaunt in the afternoon. We encourage you to pick up any of these fat-burning hobbies to make fitness a permanent part of your life. 

Common mistake:

Overtraining without allowing the body sufficient rest and recovery time, can lead to burnout and potential injuries. Additionally, many individuals skip warm-up and cool-down routines, increasing the risk of injury. Finally, not tracking progress or setting specific fitness goals can hinder long-term motivation and hinder your overall cardio performance.

How to do: 

1. Choose your preferred cardio activity (running, cycling, jump rope, etc.).
2. Warm up with light movements to prepare your body.
3. Maintain a steady pace within your target heart rate zone.
4. Monitor your breathing and stay hydrated.
5. Gradually cool down and stretch to prevent muscle tightness.

Tips:

• Start slowly and gradually increase intensity and duration.
• Use a heart rate monitor to ensure you’re in your target zone.
• Stay hydrated throughout your workout.

Optimal Sets and Reps: Aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic activity per week, spread across multiple sessions.

Once you start to develop a taste for how living in this way feels, there will be no stopping you. You’ll be happy, healthy, and lean for life.

What Causes A Muffin Top Belly?

Aside from the obvious (that is, consuming more calories than you expend daily^[5]), several factors may make some people store fat more easily than others:

• Stress^[6]
• Poor sleeping patterns
• Hormonal changes, such as menopause
• Consuming too much sugar^[7] or drinking too much alcohol

There are plenty of healthy daily habits that you can adopt to combat all of these stressors and obstacles. Aside from committing to a healthier lifestyle, though, what else can you do?

You must have been taught about puberty in elementary school, an intriguing experience. Although females and males have some common signs of puberty, distinctions exist. In females, the distinct signs include breast development, vaginal discharge, periods, and broad or wide hips. 

However, some scientists have discovered that the woman’s pelvis gets wider from puberty until 30 years of age. Then at the age of 40, it starts shrinking. Various health conditions, such as a thyroid disorder or osteoporosis, may also be responsible for a shift in lose belly fat and body weight.

Losing weight in your hips can be pretty frustrating. Besides, it is possible to be discontent with your waist-to-hip ratio at any time, whether you feel you are losing weight or not. But is there a way out? Well, this piece should suffice since it will center on how to gain weight in the hips and thighs. So, it is time to dive in! 

How To Get Wider Hips? Try These Exercises For Bigger Hips

Abductor Machine   

A hip abductor machine helps work out your hip muscles, particularly the ones that aid abduction like the gluteus medius and gluteus minimus. Before using it, sit on the device, allowing your outer knees to contact with the knee padding.

After that, choose your weight; as you sit on the machine, its dual pads help you to rest your outer thighs. Hold the machine’s handles and push against the knee padding to make your legs parallel. Finally, maintain the posture for some seconds before returning to the starting position. 

How to do: 

1. Sit on the device, ensuring your outer knees make contact with the knee padding.
2. Choose an appropriate weight; as you sit, the machine’s dual pads should support your outer thighs.
3. Hold the machine’s handles and push against the knee padding until your legs are parallel to each other.
4. Maintain this posture for a few seconds before slowly returning to the starting position.

Tips:

• Adjust the machine so that the pads are snug against your outer thighs and your feet are flat on the floor.
• Engage your core and use your abductor muscles to push the pads apart, avoiding leaning forward or using momentum.
• Control the range of motion as you return to the starting position, maintaining tension in your abductor muscles throughout the exercise.

Optimal Sets and Reps: Perform three sets of 12-15 repetitions.

Cable Hip Abductions

The cable hip abduction workout also targets your hip abductors. Before performing this exercise, stand sideways, facing a low pulley. Then, connect the cable cuff to a distant ankle. After, move away from the stack and hold the ballet bar. 

Next, stay erect on your near foot, allowing the other to cross in front. Then perform the exercise by moving your leg to the low pulley’s opposite side. Return the leg and repeat the step. Afterward, you can change your direction and perform the exercise with your left leg for another ten reps. 

How to do: 

1. Stand sideways next to a low pulley, facing it.
2. Attach the cable cuff to the ankle furthest from the pulley.
3. Step away from the weight stack and hold onto a ballet bar for support.
4. Stand upright on the leg closest to the machine, allowing your cuffed leg to cross in front.
5. Perform the exercise by moving your cuffed leg to the side opposite the low pulley.
6. Return the leg to the starting position and repeat the movement.
7. After completing the set, switch your orientation and repeat the exercise with your opposite leg for another ten repetitions.

Tips:

• Ensure the cable is attached to your ankle and stand with your side to the pulley, using a stable object or the machine for balance.
• Keep your standing leg slightly bent and move the cuffed leg away from your body in a smooth, controlled motion, engaging your hip abductors.
• Avoid rotating your hips or upper body; the movement should be isolated to your hip joint.

Optimal Sets and Reps: Perform three sets of 10-12 repetitions for each leg. 

Barbell Hip Thrusts

This exercise^[1] helps to improve the muscular conditioning of your spinal erectors, knee extensors, and hip extensors, and it is a must in your weekly routine! It is also an essential move for building your gluteus Maximus. 

How to do: 

1. Sit on the floor and lean against a bench, placing a loaded barbell across your hips.
2. Bend your knees and plant your feet flat on the floor, keeping your chin tucked into your chest.
3. Take a deep breath and push through your heels to thrust your hips and the barbell upwards.
4. Once your thighs are parallel to the floor, hold this position for three seconds.
5. Slowly lower your hips back to the ground, tapping the plates momentarily before repeating.
6. Perform a total of ten repetitions, pausing for three seconds at the top of each movement.

Tips:

• Position the barbell over the hips, and use padding for comfort.
• Drive through heels, and squeeze glutes at the top.
• Keep chin tucked, and spine neutral throughout.

Optimal Sets and Reps: Perform three to four sets of eight to 12 repetitions each.

Cable Kickbacks

This workout strengthens your gluteals (glutes) and hamstrings. For this workout, you should use a cable machine with a low cable pulley at the gym and an ankle cuff attachment or an ankle strap. Then, face the pulley and move backward for resistance. You should use your other leg for support. 

How to do: 

1. Face the pulley and step backward to create resistance, using your other leg for support.
2. Slightly bend your knees and engage your abdominal muscles.
3. Slowly kick your leg back until your hip extends and your glutes contract.
4. Squeeze your glutes for three to five seconds, then return to the starting position.

Tips:

• Keep your supporting leg slightly bent and your spine neutral to avoid back strain.
• Engage your core throughout the movement for stability and better muscle activation.
• Focus on a smooth, controlled motion, avoiding swinging the leg or using momentum.

Optimal Sets and Reps: Perform three sets of 10-12 repetitions per leg.

Bulgarian Split Squats

This exercise targets your glutes, quadriceps (quads), and hamstrings. To perform it, look for a bench or step you can rest on at knee height. Then observe a forward lunge posture, keeping your core braced and torso upright with one foot resting on the bench behind you. 

Now, lower your body until your front thigh is horizontal. Again, make sure you always align your knee with your foot. Then drive up via your front heel to the starting position and repeat with your other leg.

How to do: 

1. Find a bench or step at knee height to rest one foot on.
2. Assume a forward lunge position with core braced, torso upright, and one foot on the bench.
3. Lower your body until your front thigh is horizontal, aligning your knee with your foot.
4. Drive up through your front heel to return to the starting position.
5. Repeat the exercise with the other leg.

Tips:

• Ensure your front foot is far enough forward to keep your knee directly above your ankle when squatting.
• Keep your torso upright and core engaged to maintain balance and proper form.
• Descend slowly and control your movement to avoid putting undue stress on your knee joints.

Optimal Sets and Reps: Perform three sets of eight to 12 repetitions per leg.

Curtsy Lunges

Curtsy lunges are a lower-body exercise where one leg crosses behind the other, mimicking a curtsy motion. This variation targets the glutes, thighs, and hips, enhancing stability and coordination. It’s a dynamic move that adds a lateral element, diversifying traditional lower-body routines.

How to do: 

1. Curtsy lunges target your quadriceps and glutes.
2. Stand with both legs straight, feet shoulder-width apart.
3. Move your right foot back and across, touching the toe in line with your left foot’s exterior.
4. Lower your body until your front thigh is parallel to the ground.
5. Carefully push back up to return to the starting position.
6. Perform ten repetitions, then switch to the other side.

Tips:

• Keep your chest up and core engaged to maintain balance and ensure proper alignment.
• As you lunge, step your foot diagonally behind you, keeping the bend in your front knee directly above the ankle.
• Avoid leaning forward; lower straight down to keep the focus on your glutes and legs.

Optimal Sets and Reps: Perform three sets of 10-12 repetitions on each leg.

Sumo Squats

The sumo squat works on your glutes and inner thighs as a variation of regular squats. This position targets the inner thighs, glutes, and quads more intensely, emphasizing hip and thigh strength. They are effective for improving lower body strength and flexibility and enhancing overall leg muscle engagement.

How to do: 

1. Stand with feet wide, toes pointing at a 45-degree angle.
2. Lower into a squat until your thighs are parallel to the ground.
3. Drive through your heels to stand up.

Tips:

• Start with your feet wider than shoulder-width apart and toes pointing outwards to effectively engage your inner thighs and glutes.
• Keep your back straight and chest up as you lower down, ensuring your knees track over your toes.
• Push through your heels to rise, focusing on squeezing your glutes at the top of the movement.

Optimal Sets and Reps: Perform three to four sets of 10-15 repetitions.

Fire Hydrants

Fire hydrants are a bodyweight exercise targeting the glutes and hip abductors. Performed on all fours, one leg is raised to the side, resembling a dog at a fire hydrant. This exercise enhances hip mobility, strengthens the glutes, and improves core stability, making it popular in lower-body workouts.

How to do: 

1. Start on your hands and knees with a neutral spine.
2. Brace your core and ensure your hips don’t sag.
3. Bend one knee at 90 degrees, then raise that leg up and to the side until it reaches hip height.
4. Return to the starting position and repeat with the opposite leg.

Tips:

• Keep your wrists directly under your shoulders and knees under your hips for stability.
• Move your leg using your glute muscles, not momentum, to maximize effectiveness.
• Keep your hips square to the ground to prevent rotating your lower back.

Optimal Sets and Reps: Perform two or three sets of 12-15 repetitions per leg.

Do Your Hips Get Wider When You Gain Weight?

In contrast to the introductory section of this piece, another research^[2] shows that the hip width of men and women continues to expand until 80 years of age. So, what happens is just hip bone expansion, increasing hip size, and waist-to-hip ratio. This is something to keep in mind while you are trying to gain weight in your hips. Genetics and age play a big factor in the size of your hips naturally, so be kind to yourself throughout the process of adding weight in that area.

To gain weight in your hips and become more shapely, you want to focus on strengthening your abdominal muscles, glute muscles, and upper thighs to sculpt that hourglass figure and increase muscle mass.

Well, weight gain boils down to two things – diet and exercise. First, focus on increasing your calorie intake since it will avert weight loss, facilitating body fat deposition around your hips. Next, adopt strength training exercises to build muscle mass in your hips. But which exercises exactly would help build hip muscles and gain weight in hips and thighs? 

What Muscles Make You Get Bigger Hips?

How to get bigger hips? In general, if you desire weight gain in a particular body shape organ, you must target the muscles that comprise that organ. Hence, you must work on your hip muscles to develop wide hips. 

They include the gluteus medius, gluteus maximus, and tensor fascia latae. Let us examine each more closely to get an idea of how to get wider hips, as a classic exercise routine may not do the trick! 

One of the three muscles of the gluteal region is the gluteus medius. The gluteus medius is positioned between the gluteus minimus and gluteus maximus on the posterior hip. So, what is the purpose of the gluteus medius?

First, the gluteus medius is the fundamental hip abductor. In other words, its primary function is to move your leg away from your body’s midline. In addition, the anterior section of the gluteus medius aids hip flexion; it also rotates your hips medially, turning them inwards. 

As the name gluteus maximus^[3] implies, it is the largest of the three gluteal muscles. It is a thick and quadrangular-shaped muscle that helps to keep your body’s posture erect. 

The gluteus maximus joins forces with other important muscles to extend your hip and is also responsible for rotating your hip externally.  

The tensor fascia latae (TFL) is a muscle that runs along the side of your hips and works with the gluteal muscles to facilitate various hip movements – hip abduction, flexion, and internal rotation. 

Foods That Increase Hips Size 

To answer the question of how to gain weight in my hips, you need to look at your diet. Your diet is a key factor in weight gain and muscle growth to get wider hips. Therefore, you should prioritize protein since it fuels the muscles, increases your caloric intake, and fuels wider hips. 

Meanwhile, almonds, pumpkin seeds, flax seeds, nuts, legumes, beans, and peas will also help add to your total calorie intake. Poultry such as chicken, turkey, and pork are excellent foods that can widen your hips. Also, you can consume red meat such as lamb, goat, veal, mutton, beef, and pork. If you can’t get enough protein from food, consider protein supplements.

In addition, other examples of hip-widening foods include eggs, milk, Greek yogurt, fish, shellfish, quinoa, protein shakes, broccoli, cauliflower, and cottage cheese.  

Summary

Have you been wondering how to gain weight in your hips? Hopefully, now you understand better how to build muscle around your hips; exercises for wider hips, you need dedication and consistency to a plan. It does not happen by chance. So, you should adopt a weight training workout and diet plan you can maintain conveniently!

The buttocks are considered the body’s powerhouse. How to gain weight in the buttocks and hips? Having a curvaceous body will be mostly dependent on genetics. However, that does not mean that it’s impossible. With small changes in what you eat and a workout routine, you can increase the size of this muscle group.

A healthy lifestyle and consistency will be a great asset in achieving a bigger butt. 

How To Gain Weight In Your Butt?

Your buttocks are composed of multiple muscles. How to gain fat in butt? If you want to increase the size of your butt and thigh muscles, include these exercises in your routine. It may be beneficial to do 1-3 sets of 8-12 repetitions, 2-3 times a week of these workouts. Rest for 1-2 minutes between exercises. 

You can complete these exercises at home or your local gym. Consult a physical trainer for a more personalized, targeted workout focusing on your booty. 

Hip Thrusts

This exercise will work your butt, thighs, and hip muscles. You may add weight or resistance.

How to do: 

1. Lay down on the floor. 
2. Bend your knees and have heels as close to your butt. Then thrust your hips up and squeeze your buttocks. 
3. That will be your repetition (rep). Lower your butt to the floor. 
4. Try this exercise elevated with your upper back on a bench. Knees bent and feet on the floor. Lift your hips parallel with the bench, and then lower. 

Tips:

• Ensure your shoulder blades are resting on the bench and your feet are planted firmly on the ground, with knees bent at a 90-degree angle.
• Drive through your heels, lifting your hips upwards while squeezing your glutes at the top, keeping your chin tucked to maintain spinal alignment.
• Avoid overextending at the top of the movement to prevent lower back strain; your body should form a straight line from shoulders to knees.

Optimal Sets and Reps: Perform three to four sets of 10-15 repetitions each.

Squats

This is an excellent exercise to work for different lower-body muscle groups.  You can do this exercise without the weight if you are just starting. Use a barbell, free weights, or a resistance band. 

How to do: 

1. Stand up with legs hip-width apart. 
2. Lower your butt until your legs are around the height of your knees. 
3. Then rise. 

Tips:

• Keep your feet shoulder-width apart and your toes slightly turned out for stability.
• Ensure your knees track over your toes and avoid collapsing inward as you lower into the squat.
• Maintain a straight back and engage your core throughout the movement, squatting down until your thighs are parallel to the floor.

Optimal Sets and Reps: Perform three to five sets of eight to 12 repetitions each.

Good Mornings

Doing this exercise can help strengthen and build your hamstrings and buttocks. It may also help with proper posture. Start without resistance. Once comfortable, add weight or a resistance band. 

How to do: 

1. It is important to perform this exercise in good form. Stand with feet hip-width apart and place hands slightly behind your head. 
2. Keeping your back neutral, hinge at your hips until your torso is parallel to the floor. 
3. Hold for a second. Maintain your core tight. 
4. Then lift your torso keeping your back straight. That’s one rep. 

Tips:

• Start with your feet hip-width apart, knees slightly bent, and maintain a flat back throughout the exercise to protect your spine.
• Hinge at the hips, not the waist, and lower your torso parallel to the floor, keeping the barbell securely on your shoulders.
• Keep your head in a neutral position aligned with your spine, and avoid rounding your back as you return to the starting position.

Optimal Sets and Reps: Perform three to four sets of eight to 10 repetitions each.

Lunges

This exercise can work the buttocks, calves, hips, and thigh muscles. You can start without any weights or resistance. 

How to do: 

1. Stand with legs hip-width apart. 
2. Step one leg in front of you farther than your walking stride. 
3. Bend both legs, lowering your body, until the legs are at a 90-degree angle. 
4. Your front thigh should be parallel to the floor. Keep your chest up. Distribute your weight evenly on both legs for balance. 
5. Straighten your legs to lift. 
6. You can complete all repetitions in one leg and then change legs.

Tips:

• Step forward with one foot and lower your body until both knees are bent at about a 90-degree angle, ensuring your front knee does not go past your toes.
• Keep your upper body straight and core engaged, with your weight evenly distributed between both legs.
• Push back up to the starting position through the heel of your front foot, maintaining balance and control.

Optimal Sets and Reps: Perform three sets of 10-12 repetitions for each leg.

Donkey Kicks

These kicks will work directly on your butt muscles. 

How to do: 

1. Lower yourself to the floor on all fours. 
2. Place your knees below your hips and arms straight below your shoulders. 
3. Keeping your core tight, lift one leg back bent at a 90-degree angle. Your foot should be lifted towards the ceiling. 
4. Lower your knee back to the floor to finish the rep. Repeat with the other leg. That is one rep.

Tips:

• Keep your back flat and core engaged to maintain proper alignment.
• Push your foot towards the ceiling as if you’re trying to stamp it, ensuring your hips remain level and square to the ground.
• Avoid arching your lower back as you lift your leg; the movement should be driven by your glutes, not your spine.

Optimal Sets and Reps: Perform three sets of 12-15 repetitions for each leg.

Can You Gain Weight In Butt?

The short answer is yes. However, the weight you gain might not be fat tissue, you may gain muscle weight.  When we start increasing calories, the excess energy not used is stored as fat. The way our bodies store fat is not targeted. We cannot choose where we gain body fat. This targeted gain can mainly be achieved by increasing muscle mass. 

But how to gain weight in butt? The following tips will help you increase muscle growth and support weight gain. 

Diet Changes For Gaining Butt Weight

Eat A Surplus Of Calories

To achieve an increase in weight, you need to increase the number of calories you would usually eat. Consider consuming 250-500 calories in excess to help with a gain of 0.5-1lb per week. This surplus of calories might help you gain weight in the buttocks and thighs, alongside a workout routine.

You can use this calorie estimator^[1] to determine how many calories you need to consume daily. 

Eat More Frequent Meals

It might be easier to include more calories if you eat more frequently. Secure three meals and high-calorie snacks in between. 

Consider snacks high in protein like Greek yogurt, a handful of nuts, a cheese stick, or a glass of milk. Other options include nut butter with fruit or pairing fruit with nuts or cheese. This might help you easily achieve a calorie surplus. 

Proteins

If you are working on increasing lean muscle mass, increasing your protein intake might be right for you. Our bodies can break down foods high in proteins into amino acids and then use them to build core muscles. It is recommended that people consume between 0.5-0.8 grams of protein per pound of body weight per day. 

Eat A Variety Of Foods

Although there is an emphasis on making sure you eat enough protein, other food groups play a role in exercise performance and muscle growth.

Starches are a source of energy and will fuel your workouts.  Choose whole grains or a high-fiber option whenever possible. Fiber keeps your gut healthy and moving.  Options include potatoes, brown rice, whole-grain pasta, and whole-grain bread. 

Including healthy fats in your balanced diet will boost calories but can also provide some essential fats like omega-3. Choose healthier fats like avocado, nuts, olive oil, and canola oil. 

Last but not least, don’t forget fruits and vegetables. They are not only a good source of vitamins and minerals but also a multitude of health-protective agents. Fruits and vegetables are also sources of energy, fiber, and various nutrients. Assure of a variety of colors on your plate. 

Recovery

When working on muscle building, rest is important. Make sure to get 8-10 hours of sleep every night. A study^[2] showed how sleep loss negatively affected exercise performance. In addition, adequate rest will help with muscle recovery.

Consider supplementing with casein pre-sleep to support muscle recovery and building. A review article^[3] recommended using at least 40-48 grams of casein 30 minutes before sleep to reduce inflammation and muscle soreness. 

Hydration

Drink water whenever you are thirsty. Straw or lemonade color urine is what you should strive for as an indicator of proper hydration. Drink water primarily for hydration before, during, and after your workouts. If you work out for over two hours, consider including a sports drink to replenish electrolytes with hydration. 

High Protein-Calorie Supplements

If you feel that eating more is not an option, you can consider supplementing with a protein shake. A protein supplement might help you receive more nutrients to increase muscle mass. Making protein shakes with additional sources of calories such as ground flax seeds, fruit, yogurt, or extra virgin olive oil will also boost energy intake.

There are alternatives to whey and casein supplements, like pea protein^[4], which may be easier to digest and is vegan. Pea protein supplements which are combined with another complementary protein to get all nine of your essential amino acids will still provide plant-based protein and calories. Choose an alternative that fits your needs. 

Foods That Make Your Butt Bigger

Include nutritious foods into your diet to help you achieve a bigger booty. These five foods are a must-have in your pantry to increase body weight.

Pinto Beans

One cup of pinto beans^[5] has 11 grams of protein, 15 grams of fiber, and 245 calories. Beans are also low in the glycemic index. This edible seed or pulse is not only tasty and filling but versatile. And even though some recipes require added sugar, you can choose alternatives without. 

Try a bean salad; this way, you can have a big bowl in the fridge and use it up during the week. You can also make rice and beans, or bean soup. 

Chicken

Chicken is a staple food for people working on muscle building. It is a source of high-biological value protein. Around three and a half ounces of chicken breast^[6] has 32 grams of protein. High biological value refers to having the right amount of amino acids in the correct proportions to meet bodily needs for building muscle and carrying out bodily functions.

Prepare it roasted, pan-roasted, or stewed. After it’s cooked, you can pair it up with starch and a vegetable of choice. You can also prepare rice dishes with salsa, beans, veggies, and cubed chicken. 

Feel free to try turkey, but remove the skin to decrease the intake of saturated fats. 

Brown Rice

This grain is packed with energy, fiber, and B vitamins to help with energy metabolism. One cup of brown rice^[7] contains 218 calories, 5 grams of protein, and 3.5 grams of fiber. Brown rice contains antioxidants^[8] that may protect the body from oxidative stress. 

Rice is very versatile and filling. Season with herbs and spices to add aroma and flavor. It can be a part of a stir fry with vegetables and egg whites. 

Beets  

This nutrient-rich food is a low-calorie source of nitrates. Beets^[9] have the potential to help improve the endurance of physical performance with increased blood flow. It is also a good source of manganese and copper to maintain bone health. 

Beets may have less of a glycemic impact when boiled. They can also be roasted or grated fresh on top of a salad. You can be bold and include them in your smoothies. 

Avocado

This fruit is a source of monounsaturated fats, which can help reduce the risk of heart disease. In addition, it is a source of fiber. Eating avocados can also boost healthy calories as one-fourth of an avocado^[10] will add around 80 calories. 

Add avocado as a side dish on your plate. Include it in your dishes, sandwiches, wraps, and salads. You can also include it in a fruit smoothie. 

The Bottom Line

The butt is considered the powerhouse of the body. Genetics plays a big part in determining how much fat is stored in our lower body. With weight training and adequate nutrition, gaining weight in target areas is possible. 

Consistency is a big part of achieving any goal. Gaining weight and strength in your butt and thighs may translate into safe activities of daily living. You should be successful in the end by setting a goal for building muscle in your butt and using butt workouts and essential nutrients as building blocks to reaching your goal.

A fat tummy is often linked to harmful medical conditions such as high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, colon cancer, breast cancer, and many others. Medical matters aside, having a fat belly diminishes your self-confidence and increases your risk of depression. If you’re wondering how to lose belly fat naturally in a week, you’re in the right place.

This article will explore how you can lose weight and burn calories and belly fat in just seven days. Alternatively, you can also try out these awesome fat-burning pills.

How To Lose Belly Fat Naturally In 1 Week With Five Exercises

Mountain Climbers

Mountain climbers are the best exercise to burn belly fat. They work well for establishing flexibility, core strength, as well as cardio endurance. You can target multiple muscles all at once with this exercise.

How to do:

1. Get into a high-plank disposition.
2. Place your hands below your shoulders, then stretch your legs behind you. 
3. Engage your core muscles as you gently tuck your tailbone.
4. Ensure your body is in a straight line. 
5. Bend the right knee, draw it closer to your chest, and straighten it once more behind you.
6. Do this at least 15 times, rest, then repeat the process.

Tips: 

• Ensure that your wrists are aligned with your shoulders to maintain proper form and reduce the risk of wrist discomfort or injury.
• Focus on breathing rhythmically as you perform the exercise, exhaling as you bring your knee toward your chest and inhaling as you extend your leg back.
• To add variety, you can perform Mountain Climbers with a twist by bringing your knee toward the opposite elbow, engaging your oblique muscles for an extra challenge.

Optimal Sets and Reps: three sets of 12-15 reps.

Reverse Crunches

If you strain your neck with regular crunches, reverse crunches are a worthy alternative. This ab workout targets your entire core and can be very beneficial when done the right way. 

Reverse crunches are the opposite movements of the average crunch. When doing a reverse crunch, you rest your neck and lower the chances of putting undue stress on your back.

How to do:

1. Lay flat on your back, then raise a leg at a 90-degree angle. 
2. Rest your palms flat on the ground below your lower back.
3. Pull your legs and hips upwards as you bring your knees to your chest.
4. Do this at least 15 times, rest, then repeat the process.

Tips: 

• Exhale as you curl your knees toward your chest and inhale as you lower your legs back down to coordinate your breathing with the movement.
• Avoid using your hands to pull your legs or lift your hips off the ground, relying solely on your abdominal muscles to lift your legs.
• To increase the challenge, you can add ankle weights or use a stability ball between your ankles, gradually increasing resistance as you progress.

Optimal Sets and Reps: three sets of 12-15 reps.

Lunges With Front Kicks

This excellent at-home workout offers plenty of incredible health benefits. It builds your inner core and also builds your abs, hamstrings, glutes, hip flexors, and legs (thigh muscles and calves, to be specific). 

Lunges with front kicks also build your flexibility and stability. Sounds great, doesn’t it?

How to do:

1. Stand with both feet together.
2. Complete a lunge by stepping back with one foot.
3. Go back to the initial position. Complete a kick by swinging your leg through.
4. Resume the initial position.
5. Repeat this exercise 15 times, take a break, then do it again.

Tips: 

• Keep your chest up and your back straight throughout the exercise to maintain proper posture and prevent leaning forward.
• As you kick forward, flex your foot and point your toes upward to engage your thigh muscles more effectively.
• To make the exercise more challenging, you can hold onto dumbbells or a medicine ball while performing the lunges with front kicks, gradually increasing the weight as your strength improves.

Optimal Sets and Reps: three sets of 12-15 lunges with front kicks on each leg.

Planks

Planks help to tone your entire body and strengthen abdominal muscles. It’s also one of the easiest exercises to reduce belly fat.

There’s no limit to how many times you can repeat this exercise. The goal is to trim your tummy and work on your flexibility.

How to do:

1. Begin in a forearm plank position with your elbows aligned under your shoulders, and draw your tummy upwards towards your spine as you strive to keep a straight back the whole time.
2. Hold that position as you count to 30. If you can, hold it for a minute or more, ensuring you’re increasing your strength.

Tips:

• Focus on keeping your shoulders relaxed and away from your ears to prevent unnecessary tension in your upper body.
• Avoid arching or sagging your lower back by maintaining a strong and stable spine alignment throughout the exercise.
• To add variation, you can perform side planks, reverse planks, or elevate your feet on a stable surface, challenging different muscle groups and increasing the intensity of your plank workouts.

Optimal Sets and Reps: three sets, holding each plank for 30-60 seconds, if you are a beginner.

Flutter Kicks

Like all the other exercises on this list, flutter kicks harden your core muscles. Whether it’s the hip flexors or the lower rectus abdominal muscles, all muscles are well-targeted. 

It might seem as though you’re swimming with your legs, but it’s hardly the case. You perform it by lying flat on your back. If you also want to build your back muscles, you can do so by lying flat on your stomach.

How to do:

1. Lie flat on a mat and put your legs together. Extend them and ensure they’re both flat on the mat.
2. Tighten your abs, then elevate your legs. Lower them gently, then elevate them again. 
3. Repeat the process 15 times, take a break, and do it again.

Tips: 

• Maintain a slight bend in your knees to reduce strain on your lower back and focus on targeting the lower abdominal muscles.
• Keep your head and upper body relaxed on the ground, ensuring that your core is doing the work and not your neck or upper back.
• To increase the challenge, you can place your hands under your lower back for added support or elevate your upper body slightly off the ground, engaging more core muscles during the flutter kicks.

Optimal Sets and Reps: three sets of 12-15 reps.

Healthy Tips To Lose Belly Fat Naturally In 1 Week

Incorporate Soluble Fiber Into Your Healthy Diet

What to eat to lose belly fat fast in 1 week? Soluble fiber is the answer. Soluble fiber includes Brussels sprouts, avocados, flax seeds, shirataki noodles, legumes, blackberries, etc. These foods are known to absorb water and form a thick gel that slows down food^[1] that goes down your digestive tract. 

These high-fiber foods support weight loss by manipulating your stomach to make it feel full when it’s actually not. Soluble fiber also decreases the number of calories that your body takes up from the food you eat. Additionally, it hastens the rate at which you decrease belly fat. A recent study^[2] among 1,100 participants revealed that for each 10-gram surge in insoluble fiber consumption, there was a fat decrease of about 3.7% over five years.

Limit Your Alcohol Intake 

Alcohol in small amounts has little to no effect on your belly fat. If anything, it’s more beneficial than harmful. Excessive amounts, on the other hand, have a wide array of risks, including not reducing belly fat. 

Observational research^[3] associates heavy alcohol consumption with central obesity (excess storage of fat around the abdomen). Limiting your alcohol consumption might help in reducing your beer belly. You can choose to either give it up or cut down on how often you partake of it. If you opt for the latter, try taking at least a glass a day. A study^[4] on 2,000 alcohol users revealed that those who had one drink per day had noticeably less belly fat than those who drank more alcohol.

Avoid Trans-Fats Foods

Trans fats are prevalent in most spreads and margarine. They’re also added to some packaged foods, but their use has declined over the years. 

Trans fats are produced by expelling hydrogen into soybean oil and other unsaturated fats. Based on recent studies,^[5] these types of fats have been associated with abdominal fat gain, insulin resistance, heart disease, and inflammation. 

Six-year research^[6] revealed that monkeys who consumed a diet rich in high trans fat had a 33% increase in their abdominal fat compared to those who ate foods rich in monounsaturated fat. 

The best way to determine which foods are trans-fat-free is to check the ingredient labels. They’re often indicated as partially hydrogenated fats. Also, make sure to add healthy fats to your diet, which are crucial for your body.

Use Coconut Oil In Place Of Cooking Fats

Another tip on how to lose stomach fat naturally in 1 week is to make use of coconut oil. Coconut oil contains medium-chain fats. These kinds of fat might help boost metabolism and decrease belly fat in response to your calorie intake. 

Further studies^[7] suggest that medium-chain fats may also trigger massive belly fat loss. A study^[8] revealed that obese men who consumed coconut oil every day for 12 weeks lost 2.86cm (1.1 inches)  from their waists despite not adhering to any exercise routines or changing their diets. 

Also, remember that coconut oil is bursting with calories. Rather than add extra fat to your diet, switch the fats you’re already consuming with coconut oil.

Get Plenty Of Sleep  

You’re probably thinking, “What does my quality of sleep have to do with my belly fat?” Well, studies reveal^[9] that individuals who have limited hours of sleep tend to increase their belly fat. Good, quality sleep is vital for major facets of your health, including your body weight.

A study^[10] conducted on 68,000 women revealed that those who slept for not more than 5 hours every night had a higher chance of increasing their belly fat. This was in high contrast to those who slept for seven or more hours per night. 

Excess visceral fat also leads to a condition known as sleep apnea,^[11] whereby breathing stops periodically throughout the night. If you suspect that you have this sleep disorder or others of its kind, talk to your doctor and get treatment soon enough. 

As you increase your hours of sleep, also ensure that you’re getting quality sleep.

Final Thoughts

The answer to the question “How to lose belly fat naturally in 1 week?” is that there’s no shortcut to reducing tummy fat. Both weight gain and weight loss require a reasonable level of perseverance, commitment, and effort. Work towards adopting any or all of the tips and exercises outlined in this post. Take these tasty morning drinks every morning to lose weight and shred your belly fat faster.

Making adjustments to your lifestyle today can lead to enduring improvements in both your body fat composition and self-confidence. You also challenge yourself to try something out of the ordinary. Something that most people lack the courage to do.

Feeling comfortable with your belly can be difficult if you struggle with flabby abs, stubborn belly fat, or weight management. There are healthy ways to shape your tummy, lose belly fat, and feel and look your best. 

Making dietary choices that support safe weight loss, creating a flat belly, and executing specific exercises will get you the desired results you seek. Learn more about standing abs exercises to reduce belly fat which promotes an attractive stomach, strengthens core muscles, and helps with controlling your weight.

10 Best Standing Exercises For Belly Fat

Let’s explore each standing abs workout, the muscle groups it targets, and the overall health benefits provided.

Jumping Oblique Twist

The primary muscles targeted by this exercise are the lower abs and left and right obliques. The lower back muscles are also targeted, and this exercise is considered a cardio move.

How to do:

1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, keeping your knees slightly bent and your back straight.
2. Place your hands behind your head, with your elbows pointing out to the sides.
3. Engage your core muscles to stabilize your torso.
4. Jump up explosively, twisting your torso to the left and bringing your right knee up towards your left elbow as you rotate.
5. As you land, immediately jump again, this time twisting your torso to the right and bringing your left knee up towards your right elbow as you rotate.
6. Continue alternating sides with each jump, maintaining a brisk and controlled pace.
7. Aim to perform the exercise for a specific duration or a set number of repetitions.

Tips:

• Land softly with each jump to minimize the impact on your joints, and focus on the quality of the twist rather than speed.
• Keep your chest lifted and your back straight to maintain proper posture throughout the exercise, avoiding excessive leaning forward or backward.
• To intensify the workout, you can hold a light weight or medicine ball while performing.

Optimal Sets and Reps: two to three sets of 12-15 reps.

Standing Oblique Crunches

Executing this exercise works your muscles to improve balance, stability, strength, and burn calories. It targets the oblique muscles and side ab wall better than doing side crunches on the floor. Consider slight alternatives to this exercise to boost the impact of building ripped abs and core strength.

How to do:

1. Stand up straight with your feet hip-width apart.
2. Place your hands behind your head, interlocking your fingers or lightly touching your head to support your neck.
3. Engage your core muscles by pulling your belly button in towards your spine to stabilize your midsection.
4. Shift your weight onto your right foot while slightly lifting your left foot off the ground. This will be your starting position.
5. While balancing on your right foot, bend your torso to the left side, bringing your left knee and your left elbow closer together in a crunching motion.
6. Squeeze your oblique muscles on the left side as you perform the crunch.
7. Slowly return to the starting position with control.
8. Repeat the movement for the desired number of repetitions on the left side before switching to the right side.
9. Aim to perform the exercise for a specific duration or a set number of repetitions on each side.

Tips:

• Ensure your movements are controlled and focus on squeezing your oblique muscles at the peak of each crunch to maximize muscle engagement.
• Keep your chest open and your shoulders relaxed to maintain proper posture and prevent strain in the upper body.
• To add variety to your oblique workout, you can perform with different hand positions, such as placing your hands on your hips or reaching them straight overhead.

Optimal Sets and Reps: two to three sets of 12-15 reps.

Standing Cross Crunches

You can execute this exercise, including variations where you crisscross or go cross-body. Not only does this move help target the obliques and abs, but the lower body gets a workout, too, improving the hamstring and quadriceps.

How to do:

1. Stand up straight with your feet hip-width apart.
2. Place your hands behind your head, interlocking your fingers or lightly touching your head to support your neck.
3. Engage your core muscles by pulling your belly button in towards your spine to stabilize your midsection.
4. Begin with your hands and elbows pointing out to the sides.
5. Lift your right knee towards your left elbow, bringing them together in a cross crunching motion.
6. Squeeze your oblique muscles on the left side as you perform the crunch.
7. Return your right foot to the ground and your right elbow to its original position.
8. Repeat the movement for the desired number of repetitions on the right side.
9. Switch to the left side, lifting your left knee towards your right elbow while performing the cross crunch.
10. Aim to perform the exercise for a specific duration or a set number of repetitions on each side.

Tips:

• Exhale as you crunch, bringing your elbow and knee together, and inhale as you return to the starting position to maintain a steady breathing rhythm.
• Focus on the quality of the movement rather than speed, ensuring you’re fully engaging your oblique muscles with each repetition.
• To intensify the workout, you can add resistance by holding a light dumbbell or medicine ball.

Optimal Sets and Reps: two to three sets of 12-15 reps.

Static Lunge Ab Twist

Increase the benefits of performing this standing ab exercise by adding weights or a medicine ball. Get the best out of this move that targets the lower and upper body, working core muscles, glutes, hamstrings, and quads. Feel the burn, slay belly fat, tone abs, and improve balance.

How to do:

1. Start by standing up straight with your feet hip-width apart.
2. Take a step forward with your right foot, creating a wide stance.
3. Lower your body into a static lunge position by bending both knees. Ensure that your right knee is directly above your right ankle, and your left knee hovers slightly above the ground.
4. Keep your back straight, chest up, and engage your core for stability.
5. Extend your arms straight out in front of you, palms together.
6. While maintaining the lunge position, twist your torso to the right side as far as you comfortably can, keeping your arms extended and parallel to the ground.
7. Return to the center and twist your torso to the left side, again keeping your arms extended and parallel to the ground.
8. Continue alternating twists from right to left, all while holding the lunge position.
9. Complete the desired number of repetitions on the right side before switching to the left side.

Tips:

• Keep your back straight and your chest lifted throughout the exercise to maintain good posture and reduce the risk of strain in your lower back.
• Focus on controlled movements, twisting your torso with control and not using momentum to complete the twist.
• To challenge yourself further, you can hold a light dumbbell or medicine ball at chest height while performing.

Optimal Sets and Reps: two to three sets of 12-15 reps.

High Knee Run

It is essential to perform cardio exercises to boost metabolism, burn calories, and improve strength and endurance. Executing this exercise strengthens the abs, enhances flexibility, momentum, coordination, and gets your heart rate going. Perform this move regularly to work out your abs, work your hips, activate your core muscles, and strengthen your legs in one fail swoop.

How to do:

1. Stand up straight with your feet hip-width apart.
2. Begin by jogging in place at a moderate pace to warm up your muscles.
3. As you get comfortable with the jogging motion, start lifting your knees higher with each step.
4. Gradually increase the pace and intensity, driving your knees upward toward your chest.
5. Swing your arms in coordination with your legs to mimic a running motion.
6. Aim to lift your knees as high as possible with each step while maintaining a brisk pace.
7. Continue this high knee running motion for a specific duration or as part of a cardio workout routine.

Tips:

• Land softly on the balls of your feet with each step to reduce the impact on your joints and maintain a smooth rhythm.
• Keep your back straight and maintain an upright posture throughout the exercise to avoid leaning forward or backward.
• As you progress, you can increase the intensity by adding intervals of high knee running into your cardio routine, aiming for 3-5 sets with short breaks in between for a more challenging workout.

Optimal Sets and Reps: two to three sets of 30-60 seconds.

Standing Core Stabilizer

Target belly fat and build core muscles to reduce back pain and support the spine with this move. Promote abdominal strength, increase stability, improve breathing, coordination, and reduce your waistline. Regularly practicing standing core exercises is essential to sculpting your midsection and reducing belly fat.

How to do:

1. Stand up straight with your feet hip-width apart and hold a weight or a medicine ball close to your chest with both hands.
2. Engage your core muscles by pulling your belly button in towards your spine to stabilize your midsection.
3. Lift the weight or medicine ball straight up and away from your chest, extending your arms fully while keeping them close to your body.
4. Hold the weight in the extended position for a moment, maintaining your balance and stability.
5. Slowly lower the weight back to your chest, maintaining control throughout the movement.
6. Repeat the exercise for the desired number of repetitions.

Tips:

• Breathe steadily throughout the exercise, inhaling as you lift your knee and exhaling as you lower it to maintain a consistent rhythm.
• Focus on keeping your standing leg slightly bent and your foot firmly planted to enhance stability.
• To challenge your balance further, you can close your eyes or stand on a balance cushion while performing.

Optimal Sets and Reps: two to three sets of 12-15 reps.

Cross Chops

Workout ab muscles build strength and stability in your hip and trunk when doing rotations. Practice cross chops and alternate versions to work the transverse abdominal muscles, obliques, back, legs, and shoulders.

How to do:

1. Stand up straight with your feet shoulder-width apart.
2. Hold a dumbbell or a medicine ball with both hands at chest level, close to your body.
3. Engage your core muscles by pulling your belly button toward your spine to stabilize your midsection.
4. Begin by twisting your torso to the right side while keeping your lower body stable.
5. As you twist, pivot on your right foot and lift the dumbbell or medicine ball diagonally across your body, aiming to bring it towards your left hip.
6. Imagine that you are chopping wood diagonally across your body as you perform this motion.
7. Keep your arms extended but slightly bent at the elbows throughout the movement.
8. Return to the starting position by untwisting your torso and lowering the weight back to chest level.
9. Now, repeat the movement in the opposite direction. Twist your torso to the left side while pivoting on your left foot and lifting the weight diagonally across your body toward your right hip.

Tips:

• Keep your arms extended throughout the movement, maintaining a slight bend in your elbows to avoid locking them.
• Focus on a controlled and deliberate motion, avoiding any jerky or rushed movements to ensure proper form.
• Feel free to add dumbbells if doing a cross-body chop or other variants while working on balance and strengthening the core.

Optimal Sets and Reps: two to three sets of 10-12 reps.

Warrior Balance

Engage all of the muscles in your core, legs, and arms while strengthening the back. Using this move helps improve spinal alignment, balance, and enhances stability and power. Encourage better endurance, breathing, strength, and focus with this yoga move.

How to do:

1. Start by standing at the front of your mat with your feet together and your arms by your sides.
2. Shift your weight onto your right foot and engage your core muscles.
3. Begin to lift your left leg behind you while simultaneously leaning your upper body forward. Your left leg, torso, and arms should form a straight line, parallel to the floor.
4. Extend your arms forward in line with your torso, with your palms facing down. Your fingertips should be pointing forward.
5. Keep your hips squared and your left foot flexed, creating a straight line from your head to your left heel.
6. Find a focal point to help with balance and maintain a steady gaze on that spot.
7. Breathe deeply and hold the pose for a specific duration, such as 30 seconds to 1 minute, or as long as you can maintain proper form and balance.
8. To come out of the pose, gently lower your left leg to the floor and return to a standing position with both feet together.
9. Repeat the exercise on the other side by shifting your weight onto your left foot and lifting your right leg behind you.

Tips:

• Keep your hips squared forward and your pelvis level as you extend your back leg, avoiding any tilting or twisting of the hips.
• Maintain a slight bend in your supporting knee to prevent it from locking, which can help with stability.
• For an added challenge, try closing your eyes while performing the Warrior Balance exercise to further improve your balance and proprioception.

Optimal Sets and Reps: two to three sets of 8-10 reps.

Windmill

Give this exercise move a boost by adding a kettlebell or dumbbell. Get ready to burn off calories, and improve stability and strength in the core, obliques, glutes, and shoulders. The hamstrings and hips benefit from improved flexibility.

How to do:

1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and your toes pointing slightly outward. Keep your knees slightly bent throughout the exercise.
2. Extend your arms straight out to the sides, forming a “T” shape with your body.
3. Engage your core muscles by pulling your belly button toward your spine to stabilize your midsection.
4. Begin by slowly tilting your upper body to the right side while keeping your arms extended and your left hand pointing down towards your right foot.
5. Keep your back straight and chest open as you tilt to the side. You should feel a stretch along your left side.
6. As you tilt to the right, simultaneously slide your right hand down your right leg, reaching toward your right ankle or shin. Your left hand should still be pointing down.
7. Continue to hinge at your waist, trying to bring your chest parallel to the ground or as close as you can comfortably reach.
8. Hold this stretched position for a moment, feeling the stretch along your left side and maintaining balance.
9. Slowly reverse the movement by returning to the upright position, lifting your torso, and bringing your arms back to the “T” position.
10. Repeat the same sequence on the left side, tilting your upper body to the left and reaching down with your left hand toward your left ankle or shin.

Tips:

• Keep your eyes on the weight or your hand as you lower it to maintain proper alignment and balance.
• Focus on maintaining a straight line from your extended hand down to your grounded foot to maximize the stretch and engagement of your obliques.
• Another good variation of this exercise is the hybrid kneeling windmill.

Optimal Sets and Reps: two to three sets of 8-10 reps.

Wood Chop

Performing this exercise will contribute to getting ripped, washboard abs. The chopping wood moves and variations target the abs, lower and upper back, arms, chest, legs, and glutes. Also, executing this move often helps build strength and stability in the hip and shoulder.

How to do:

1. Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, holding a dumbbell or attaching a resistance band at chest height.
2. Engage your core muscles by pulling your belly button in.
3. Start with the weight at chest height close to your right shoulder.
4. Rotate your torso diagonally, pivot on your left foot, and lower the weight towards your left hip or knee.
5. Keep your arms straight and core engaged throughout.
6. Reverse the movement, rotating back to the starting position.
7. Exhale as you chop down, inhale as you return up.

Tips:

• Keep your arms extended throughout the movement, maintaining a slight bend in your elbows to avoid locking them.
• Focus on a controlled and deliberate motion, avoiding any jerky or rushed movements to ensure proper form and minimize the risk of injury.
• Feel free to make things more challenging by adding a resistance cable or practicing standing ab exercises with weights.

Optimal Sets and Reps: two to three sets of 10-12 reps.

What Causes Stubborn Belly Fat?

The struggle to maintain a healthy weight and reduce lower belly fat impacts both men and women. 

However, there are some critical reasons why it may be hard for the body to lose belly fat around the waistline. 

Depending on which factors prove to be the most significant in your life, you can better determine a plan to eradicate belly fat successfully. Having a pesky problem like belly fat may be impacted by the following factors:

• Genetics^[1]
• Diet
• Stress
• Medications
• Age

Learning what triggers the development of fat around the waistline and lower belly is critical to figuring out the best solution to get rid of a beer gut. There is no one-size-fits-all solution as every individual has different needs.

How And Why Does Lower Belly Fat Form?

Excessive belly fat or a beer gut can occur because of binge drinking, a poor diet, a sedentary lifestyle, stress, genetics, poor sleep, or smoking. Additionally, enzymes, an imbalanced gut microbiota^[2], consuming too many fats, or an excess intake of calories can also contribute to stubborn lower belly fat. For women, belly fat may be more common and hard to lose following menopause.

Unfortunately, the human body tends to want to hold onto fat around the waistline and belly because of evolution. Fat helps to insulate organs and provide energy if there is a lack of access to food and nutrition for an extended time. Regularly exercising and eating a healthy diet can help offset genetics, hormonal response, and other contributing factors to stubborn lower belly fat.

How Does Lower Belly Fat Impact Health?

It is crucial to reduce excess fat around the abdomen and waistline. It can contribute to various metabolic syndromes^[3] diseases and disturbances. Persons with belly fat that is hard to lose may have an increased risk for type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, stroke, cancer, and other ailments. Women, in particular, may have more health risks^[4] and dangers because of their lower belly fat than men.

Why Is It Important To Target The Abs?

Developing and maintaining strong core muscles and shapely abs goes beyond satisfying one’s physical appearance. Holding onto excess fat around the belly and waistline can trigger and exacerbate health ailments over time. Regularly practicing exercises that strengthen core muscles and tone abs helps improve posture, strength, balance, weight management, and waistline.

How Long Until You See Noticeable Results?

In as little as two weeks, you can see noticeable results of performing standing exercises for lower belly fat that tone and shape your abs. After this short time, posture improves, and you’ll see changes in your muscle tone. After three to four months, the muscles may show further growth and development.

Other Ways To Reduce Belly Fat And Shape Abs

The following can be beneficial when building a flatter belly, reducing a beer gut, and developing solid and shapely abs.

• Make healthy dietary changes.
• Reduce stress.
• Follow healthy lifestyle changes.
• Practice regular cardio exercise and weight resistance.

When you want to burn fat and lose weight, there are other things you can use alongside executing specific standing exercises for lower belly fat.

Precautions

Before beginning any new exercise regimen or making dietary changes consult your physician. It is normal for your body to display physical reactions to a change in your routine. One may notice fatigue, sore muscles, increased energy, improved metabolism, weight loss, and a reduced waistline. Ease into exercises, be patient, and use good form to reduce possible injury.

Exercise caution when adding supplements to your diet, making significant lifestyle changes, or working out more frequently. People with certain pre-existing health conditions, taking prescribed medications, or are postnatal or pregnant may see varied results from standing exercises for lower belly fat.

Want to know how to lose butt fat fast and permanently? Exercises to lose butt fat?

You are not alone. Getting a toned butt is a fitness goal for many but achieving it will take some work. 

The right exercise routine can help you burn your butt fat and tone your butt muscles to achieve toned rounded buttocks. 

You can also capitalize on the relationship between supplements and weight loss.

How To Lose Butt Fat Fast: Best Exercises For Smaller Butt

Kickbacks 

Kickbacks are great for targeting the gluteus muscles, the largest muscle in your buttocks. They are simple to perform and do not require special equipment and you can quickly get into a routine at home. 

Kickbacks not only contribute to a firmer and shapelier butt but also aid in reducing overall body fat.

How to do:

1. Get on all fours with your knees and palms pushing the floor. 
2. Fully extend right legs till toes are nearly touching the floor. 
3. Kick your heels upwards while keeping your legs straight and return your leg down.
4. Repeat the same motion on your right leg before switching to your left and doing it again. 

Tips:

• You could bruise your knees if you attempt this exercise on the bare floor. Consider laying down an exercise mat before you begin. If you cannot get your hands on an exercise mat, an old towel will do. 
• Keep your back straight and engage your core during kickbacks to maximize glute activation. This ensures you’re targeting the right muscles to help lose butt fat.
• Focus on slow and controlled kicks, squeezing your glutes at the top of the motion. This controlled approach maximizes muscle engagement and calorie burning.

Optimal Sets and Reps: three sets of 15-20 reps.

Squats 

Would our butt exercises list be complete without squats? 

Squats became a popular exercise for people trying to tone their butt muscles. It has lived up to its reputation and many people report positive results on their butts from performing squats. 

The great thing about squats is that it works on several muscle groups in your butt, thighs, and abdomen. Therefore helping to tone your lower body and midsection. 

How to do:

1. Keep your shoulders level and extend your arms in front of you 
2. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart 
3. Lower your body slowly bringing your butt as close to the floor as you can
4. Ensure your back remains straight during your descent 
5. Return to your starting position 
6. Repeat the entire process.

Tips:

• Maintain a straight back, keep your feet shoulder-width apart, engage your core, and ensure your knees don’t go past your toes during squats. Proper form prevents injury and targets your glutes for butt fat loss.
• Go for deep squats where your thighs are parallel to the ground or lower. Deeper squats engage your glutes more effectively.
• Remember to breathe in as you lower yourself into the squat and exhale as you push back up. Proper breathing enhances your stability and performance during squats.

Optimal Sets and Reps: three to four sets of 10-12 reps.

If you want a more intense workout to burn more weight, consider using weights. The steps for the exercise remain the same but you would have to hold the weights in your hands while squatting. 

You could also tweak your squats workout to activate your gluteus medius^[1] and gluteus maximus muscles by doing the single-leg squat. 

To perform the single-leg squat, you should:

1. Extend your hands in front of you at shoulder level 
2. Straighten your right leg and extend it forward 
3. Slowly bring your butt close to the ground while keeping your back straight 
4. Return to your starting position and repeat several times for both legs. 

Split squats are another variant of the exercise for toning your butt muscles. A study shows that it is more effective than deadlifts and good morning on your gluteus maximus muscles.

Step Climbing 

If you want to tone your butt muscles, you might want to use the stairs.

Step climbing is easily one of the easiest exercises that you can do to tone your muscles. You only need a flight of stairs and willpower to get started. 

Step climbing also helps strengthen and tone your upper legs. 

We are not done yet. 

Using the stairs can improve your oxygen uptake and reduce your bad cholesterol levels. Therefore, for your heart health^[2] consider using the stairs today. 

You can get your step climbing exercise when you:

• Use the stairs 
• Use step climbing machines at the gym 
• Go bouldering 
• Hike uphill 

How to do:

1. Find a staircase or step platform.
2. Stand with feet hip-width apart, facing the stairs or platform.
3. Step up with one foot, then follow with the other.
4. Alternate steps, maintaining a steady rhythm.
5. Engage your glutes and quads.
6. Continue for your desired duration or number of steps.

Tips:

• Stand tall while stepping, engage your core, and avoid leaning forward or backward. This ensures the glutes are properly engaged during the exercise.
• Adjust the step’s height to change the intensity. Higher steps increase glute engagement, while lower steps allow for longer-duration sessions.
• Step with your entire foot and push through your heel on each step. This maximizes glute activation and helps sculpt and tone the area effectively.

Optimal Sets and Reps: three sets of 15-20 mins.

Running 

If you are looking to burn fat in your buttocks then you should include running in your exercise routine. 

Cardio exercises such as running are excellent for losing weight. They also turn up your heart rate and have multiple benefits^[3] for your heart health. 

Running for 30 minutes daily can burn fat and bring you closer to your fitness goals. 

The general weight loss you might experience from running regularly could translate to less fat in your butt. 

It goes further. Running gives your butt and thigh muscles a good workout.  Hence, it is a great way to get a rounder butt. 

While running is a more intense workout than walking, you can opt for walking if you cannot run. It is still a great way to work those muscles and burn fat cells.

High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT)

High-intensity interval training (HIIT) involves committing to a single activity for a short period followed by a slow-paced activity for a longer period. 

HIIT has become an increasingly popular fitness trend for losing weight^[4] with success. 

If you have a tight schedule and you are worried about finding enough time to commit to exercising, HIIT might be the option for you. 

HIIT compresses intense workouts into a short time frame so that you can get the most benefits within your tight schedule. 

A simple HIIT routine that you could try might involve:

• Warm-up 
• Run on your treadmill for one minute at 7mph
• Run on your treadmill for two minutes at 5mph
• Repeat the process for 15 minutes 

Lunges 

One of the best strength training exercises for your lower body is lunges. Variations of this exercise include forward, sideways, and transverse lunges. 

Lunges activate your gluteus maximus muscles as well as your thighs and calves. 

How to do:

1. Stand with your feet apart at about your hip’s distance.
2. Put your right leg forward.
3. Lower your body slowly keeping both knees at 90°.
4. Ensure that your left knee does not touch the ground and your right knee does not move beyond your toes on your left foot.
5. Return to your original position and repeat the motion several times for both legs.

Tips:

• Keep your upper body straight, and shoulders back, and engage your core throughout the exercise. This helps target the glutes while preventing strain.
• Take long strides and lower your back knee until it’s close to the ground. This deep lunge position effectively engages your glutes, leg, and butt muscles.
• Emphasize balance and control with each lunge to prevent wobbling, ensuring both proper muscle engagement and injury prevention.

Optimal Sets and Reps: three sets of 12-15 reps.

Lateral Band Walk 

For this exercise, you will need to get resistance bands. 

The lateral band walk makes a great warm-up exercise before you dive into more intense workouts such as running. It is also helpful in toning your gluteus medius muscles. A higher level of resistance from your resistance band gives you a more intense workout for burning calories.

How to do:

1. Place your resistance band flat against the balls of your feet.
2. Stretch your legs to shoulder width and evenly distribute your weight. 
3. Bend slightly into a semi-squat position. 
4. Squeeze your core muscles and glutes. 
5. Take a step about three inches to your right. 
6. Take another step about three inches to your left. 
7. Repeat this motion.

Tips:

• Keep your back straight, engage your core, and ensure your knees are slightly bent during lateral band walks.
• Keep the resistance band taut throughout the movement to engage your hip muscles effectively and target butt fat loss.
• Take deliberate and controlled sideways steps, focusing on the full range of motion to work your hips and glutes.

Optimal Sets and Reps: three sets of 15-20 reps.

One Leg Deadlifts

Deadlifts can give your gluteus muscles an intense workout. You might need to use weights if you want to increase the intensity. 

How to do:

• Stand on one leg.
• Extend your other leg backward, keeping your shoulders back and your back straight. 
• Lower your torso forward but not below your hips. 
• Return to your starting position and repeat the motion.

Tips:

• Maintain balance by keeping your core engaged and your back straight throughout the one-leg deadlift.
• Perform the exercise with slow, controlled movements, emphasizing the stretch and contraction of your glutes.
• You can rest on your non-supporting leg for some time if the workout gets too intense for you. 

Optimal Sets and Reps: three sets of 12-15 reps.

Chair Pose 

If you are into yoga you have probably heard of the chair pose. Just like squats, it targets your buttocks and back fat. 

You could think of the chair pose as static squats. You can perform the chair pose anywhere you find a sturdy wall.

How to do:

1. Stand straight with your back to the wall.
2. Get into a squat using the wall for support. 
3. Extend your hands forward at shoulder level. 
4. Hold the pose for the desired amount of time.

Tips:

• Focus on squeezing your glutes to activate and tone your butt muscles.
• Keep your back straight, chest lifted, and your knees aligned with your ankles to maximize its benefits.
• Focus on deep, controlled breaths while holding the chair pose to enhance balance, endurance, and flexibility.

Optimal Sets and Reps: three sets of 30-second reps.

Side-lying Hip Abduction

The side-lying hip abduction is a buttock and hip toning exercise that you can do on your exercise mat. 

It targets your gluteus medius muscles. If you want to increase the challenge you could use ankle weights for resistance. 

How to do:

1. Lie on one side keeping your knees together and your legs straight or your top leg extended and your bottom leg bent.
2. Support your head with your arm. 
3. Raise your top leg slowly as high as you can without rotating your pelvis. 
4. Return your leg to your starting position slowly. 
5. Repeat the motion for both legs for the desired number. 

Tips:

• Focus on squeezing your glutes as you lift your leg during the side-lying hip abduction.
• Keep your body in a straight line, head supported to ensure optimal muscle engagement and injury prevention.
• Raise your top leg slowly and lower it with control to engage your hip muscles fully. Avoid jerky movements for better results.

Optimal Sets and Reps: three sets of 15-20 reps.

Is It Possible To Target Fat Loss To Your Butt?

Spot reduction of fat in your buttocks alone is almost impossible. The best way to reduce your butt fat is to work towards overall body fat.

When you lose weight generally,  you will lose fat in your face, belly, butt, arms, thighs, and other parts of your body. 

You will need to pay attention to your nutrition during this time. Moderately reducing your daily calorie intake can help with general weight loss.  

Consider adopting healthy eating habits and consuming health-friendly foods to ensure you receive all the necessary nutrients.

Power training exercises that target the muscle groups in your buttocks help you build muscle and are also great for promoting weight loss. These workouts should help you tone your butt muscles. Combining diet and exercise should also improve your results. 

You might need to seek medical advice before you jump on these exercises.

Conclusion 

If you want to know how to lose ass fat and keep it off, you will have to work for it. It takes the right cocktail of exercises to help you lose fat and tone your butt muscles. Aerobic activity for burning more calories is also important.

Spot reduction of butt fat is not practical. However, these exercises could help you tone your butt muscles to burn fat.

One of the most stubborn areas to get rid of fat on your body is your inner thighs. At times, it may even feel like everything you eat goes straight to them — especially for women who have evolved to keep fat in the thigh and hip area, giving them a pear-shaped body. So, how to get rid of inner thigh fat? 

Yet, with the right diet, a few lifestyle changes, and targeted exercises, you can slim down the thighs giving you the lean look you desire. 

How To Get Rid Of Inner Thigh Fat: Five Best Workouts

Diet and exercise programs aren’t just one size fits all. Many factors^[1] need to be considered when selecting a diet and exercise program suited for you. Your metabolic health, gender, activity level, age, current weight, and height could make some diet and exercise programs more effective for you than for someone else and vice versa.

Excess body fat on your thighs can form as subcutaneous fat, fat just below the skin, or intramuscular fat, which is fat within your muscles. There is no way to focus on one body part for weight loss. 

To help tone your inner thighs, try doing the following inner thigh exercises to engage your thigh muscles. Depending on your level of fitness, you can start with two to three sets of 8 to 10 reps for each activity, except for the seated bridge and seated hand push. Start with three sets for twenty seconds per set for the seated bridge and one minute per set for the seated hand push.

Back Kicks

The back kicks exercise is an effective addition to your fitness routine aimed at reducing inner thigh fat. This exercise primarily targets the glutes, hamstrings, and inner thigh muscles, helping to tone and strengthen your inner thighs.

How to do:

1. Stand on one leg, with the knee slightly bent. 
2. Raise your other leg slightly behind you while keeping your core and your butt tight. 
3. Bend forward, keeping your body straight, as you kick the lifted leg back. 
4. Squeeze your butt muscles as you return to your starting position. 
5. Repeat with the other leg. 

Tips: 

• Keep your supporting leg slightly bent and your core engaged to ensure effective targeting of the inner thigh muscles.
• Perform slow and controlled kicks, squeezing your inner thighs during each repetition.
• Maintain good balance and posture during the exercise. Keep your upper body upright and your chest lifted to prevent leaning forward. 

Optimal Sets and Reps: three sets of 12-15 reps.

Butt Lifts

Butt lift, a versatile lower body exercise, primarily target the glutes and hamstrings while providing several benefits. By engaging these muscles into your fitness regimen to sculpt your lower body, boost your metabolism, and achieve your inner thigh fat loss goals.

How to do:

1. Lie on the floor and keep your back flat, knees bent, and feet flat. 
2. With your arms at your sides, raise your pelvis towards the ceiling, creating a 45° angle with your body. 
3. Flex your thighs and butt, hold the position for a few seconds, and lower your body.
4. Repeat the lift and lower motion for the desired number of repetitions.

Tips: 

• Emphasize squeezing your glutes at the top of the motion to maximize muscle engagement and calorie burning.
• Activate your core muscles throughout the exercise to maintain stability and protect your lower back.
• Ensure you lift your hips as high as comfortably possible to create a straight line from your knees to your shoulders.

Optimal Sets and Reps: three sets of 12-15 reps.

Seated Leg Lifts

Seated leg lifts are a focused exercise designed to target the inner thigh muscles, and primarily engage the adductors, which are responsible for moving your legs inward. Make seated leg lifts a part of your workout regimen to achieve firmer and leaner inner thighs.

How to do:

1. Sit on a sturdy surface with legs extended and feet together.
2. Place hands by your sides for support.
3. Lift both legs off the ground, engaging your core.
4. Hold for a few seconds.
5. Lower legs back down and repeat for the desired reps.

Tips: 

• Sit upright with your back straight and shoulders relaxed to engage the targeted muscles in your inner thighs effectively.
• Lift your legs slowly and steadily, avoid using momentum or swinging your legs. 
• To challenge your inner thighs further, consider using ankle weights or resistance bands during seated leg lifts.

Optimal Sets and Reps: three sets of 15-20 reps.

Seated Bridge

Seated bridge exercise primarily targets the inner thigh muscles, known as the adductors, as well as the glutes and hamstrings. By performing seated bridges regularly, you can tone and define your inner thighs while also building strength in your buttocks and hamstrings, it is also a versatile exercise that can be done practically anywhere, making it a convenient choice for your inner thigh workout routine.

How to do:

1. Sit on a chair with your feet flat on the floor, bending your knees at a 90° angle.
2. With your hands at the side of the chair, lift your hips, letting your feet and hands support your body. Hold for 20 seconds then slowly lower your body. 
3. Work your way up to holding this position for one minute as your body gets used to it.
4. Lower your hips back down to the ground with control, but do not rest them on the floor.
5. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

Tips:

• Ensure that your feet are flat on the floor, shoulder-width apart, and your knees are bent at a 90-degree angle to engage your inner thigh muscles during the bridge movement.
• When lifting your hips off the ground, focus on squeezing your inner thigh muscles at the top of the motion and hold for a moment to intensify the engagement.
• Lower your hips back down slowly and with control to maximize muscle activation and calorie burning.

Optimal Sets and Reps: three sets of 15-20 reps.

Seated Knee Raises

Incorporating seated knee raises into your fitness routine offers multiple benefits. It not only helps you shape and strengthen your inner thighs but also engages your core for improved stability. As you work on these key muscle groups, you’ll notice increased leg endurance, which can translate to better athletic performance in various activities.

How to do:

1. Sit on a chair with your feet flat on the floor, bending your knees at a 90° angle.
2. Place your hands firmly on the sides of the chair or on the chair’s armrests to stabilize yourself.
3. Begin the movement by lifting your right knee upward, bringing it as close to your chest as comfortably as possible.
4. Hold the lifted position for a few seconds and slowly lower your right knee back down to the starting position.
5. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

Tips:

• Lift your knees towards your chest in a slow and controlled manner, avoid using momentum.
• Engage your core muscles by drawing your navel towards your spine, not only works your inner thighs but also strengthens your core for overall stability.
• Consider using ankle weights or resistance bands as you progress to further challenge your inner thigh muscles, start with light resistance, and gradually increase it as your strength improves.

Optimal Sets and Reps: three sets of 12-15 reps.

What Causes Inner Thigh Fat? Challenge Of Thigh Fat Reduction

While some body fat is essential to protect your organs and sustain life, more often than not, many of us have unhealthy levels of excess fat. Mainly determined by your DNA, women tend to store their extra body fat in their lower abdomen, hips, and inner thighs, while men tend to hold theirs in their stomachs. 

Storing fat in the thighs and hips helped women survive through famine and drought during the caveman times. When women undergo pregnancy and breastfeeding, their bodies need an additional 1,000 calories^[2] a day on top of their basic caloric needs. They used the fat stored in their hips and thighs during pregnancy and breastfeeding when there wasn’t sufficient food available, helping both them and their offspring to survive. 

Females who can easily store fat in these areas had higher chances of surviving and, at the same time, passed down this ability to their offspring. One reason why your thighs are one of the most challenging places on your body to shed fat is that it could literally be written in your DNA to store it!

Men store most of their excess fat on their abdomen, but they can also store fat on their thighs. A study^[3] from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health discovered that men with high amounts of thigh and abdomen fat are at a higher risk of developing advanced and fatal prostate cancer.

Most of us in these modern times hardly experience shortages in food. In reality, we even have food excesses more often than not — making it even more challenging to lose weight. The best way to reduce thigh fat is really through diet and exercise.

Strategies To Lose Inner Thigh Fat

Before you start your diet and exercise programs, make sure you consult with your doctor first and get their help tailoring a fitness program that’s best for you.

To lose fat on your inner thighs, you must restrict your calorie intake to where you’re consuming less than what your body is using, and of course, exercise daily. 

Bear in mind that limiting your calorie intake does not mean starving yourself. Doing so may even prevent you from reaching your fitness goals. How many calories you should have in a day depends on multiple factors such as your age, activity level, and current weight, to name a few. 

Make sure your diet consists of whole, unprocessed foods and that you do a combination of high-intensity intervals and strength training when you exercise. 

Engaging your thigh muscles as you exercise is one way to tone them, but make sure you also work out other muscle groups. Doing this can help you lose weight all over your body faster. Increasing your muscle mass also boosts your metabolism, allowing you not just to look toned, but to keep you burning calories even while at rest.

Making minor adjustments to your lifestyle, such as eating more protein, eliminating processed food, refined carbohydrates, and sugary drinks from your diet, and consciously making an effort to be more active during the day, can help you achieve your goal of reducing fat on your inner thighs.

Suppose you have a regular exercise routine and keep a healthy diet. In that case, you don’t need to depend on the weighing scale much to tell you of your progress. Feeling better about your body, having more energy, and fitting into your clothes better are other telltale signs that you are on the road to achieving your fitness goals.

Thigh Fat And Cellulite

Aside from the health risks, excessive weight on your body can bring, aesthetically, having too much thigh fat can make your legs look dimpled. Cellulite builds up around the thighs and buttock area for nearly everyone, but more so if you are overweight. 

While not a danger to your health, many opt to have the appearance of smooth skin. Diet and exercise can also help reduce the appearance of cellulite. There are also many cellulite creams available in the market that claim to reduce the appearance of cellulite. Creams containing CBD oil seem to show a lot of promise. Preliminary animal studies have shown CBD can help reduce food intake and boost metabolism.

Diet

To lose fat in your inner thighs, you need to eat fewer calories than your body uses. Use a calorie calculator to determine how many calories you need to maintain your current weight, and from there, reduce your calorie consumption by 500 calories. Doing this should help you lose one pound every week.

As mentioned earlier, it is more important to focus on the kind of food you eat than how much of it, as nutritious foods boost your health while you lose weight. You may make these changes to your diet to help you reach your weight and fat loss goals:

• Eat less than what you usually eat
• Avoid food that is processed or has refined carbohydrates
• Eliminate sugary drinks such as soft drinks and juices
• Eat more protein
• Drink more water
• Exercise

Toning your muscles can reduce the appearance of fat. To help you have slimmer-looking thighs, do exercises that engage your thigh muscles, such as walking or running. You can do both activities on a treadmill or outside. 

Once your body gets used to your usual walk or run, you can add intensity by walking or running on an incline.  Running or walking on an incline engages your thigh muscles more. When starting, aim to do this two or three times a week.

Thigh Muscles

However, don’t just focus on your thigh muscles when you work out. Spot training to lose weight on one body part is not practical. You will achieve better results if you do exercises that use different muscle groups at a time, such as pull-ups, lunges, pushups, and squats. 

Doing high-intensity interval training workouts for 20 minutes two or three times a day can help you burn fat effectively and consequently help you lose stubborn inner thigh fat. Interval training enables you to improve your aerobic capacity as well as build your muscles.

Aim to include both aerobic and anaerobic exercises in your exercise routine. Aerobic exercises are activities that increase your heart rate and can be done for long periods, such as walking, biking, or running. 

On the other hand, anaerobic exercises are exercises designed for short bursts of activity with high intensity. Examples of anaerobic exercises are sprinting, interval training, and strength training.

With long-term calorie restriction, your body tends to slow down your metabolism^[4] to save energy, therefore burning fewer calories and reducing your muscle mass. Compensate by lifting weights to exert your muscles. Strengthening your muscles increases your metabolism and prevents muscle loss. 

Don’t think that you need to go to a gym for strength training. Exercises utilizing your body weight, such as pushups, squats, and sit-ups, are sufficient.

While it is best to do exercises that use different muscle groups to maximize weight loss, you can include exercises that target your thighs, such as those listed below, to keep them toned.

More Tips On How To Reduce Inner Thigh Fat

You will have to lose weight overall to reduce the fat in your thighs, and to do this, you can:

1. Eat a balanced diet. More than cutting calories, what you eat is more important than how much you eat. We will discuss this more in-depth later.
2. Eat the right amount of calories. When dieting, many focus on not going above their daily calorie intake goal, but it is also essential that you eat enough. Not eating enough calories can sabotage your weight loss goals because your body goes into starvation mode, and your metabolism slows down. So eat the right amount – enough that you burn more than what you eat but at the same time enough that your body doesn’t think there is food scarcity and goes into starvation mode.
3. Set realistic goals. Setting goals that are realistic is a way to keep yourself motivated and on track. If you have a big goal, break it up into mini-goals so you can feel your progress. Small wins can help motivate you and keep you on track.
4. Exercise daily. Exercise doesn’t have to be intense sweat sessions all the time. You can alternate between high-intensity workouts with low-intensity ones. What’s essential is to keep your body moving to burn calories and stored fat. Even making minor adjustments such as walking to the store instead of taking your car or taking the stairs at work instead of the elevator can help you reach your weight loss goals faster.
5. Don’t rely on your scale. The numbers on your bathroom scale do not tell the whole truth about your body’s weight loss. It can fluctuate depending on how much water weight you have. Water weight can cause you to gain additional pounds and bloat parts of your body, like your face and stomach. Take note of your weight, but at the same time, also consider your body measurements, how you feel overall, and how your clothes fit.
6. Talk to your doctor. Before embarking on any diet or exercise program, it is always essential to consult with your doctor first, especially if you have any chronic illnesses. Your doctor can ensure your diet and exercise plans are safe and can help you achieve your goal.

With so many types of diets, exercise programs, and supplements available, it is not as clear-cut when someone says how to lose thigh fat is to maintain a healthy diet and exercise regularly. 

Make a move to give your body a challenging workout that reduces belly fat and strengthens your muscles with a fitness ball. Combining regular exercise, gym ball exercises for flat stomach, a healthy diet, and a fat burner helps you manage your weight, lose belly fat, and flatten your stomach.

The abdominal region loves to hold onto visceral fat because of aging, stress, poor diet, and even genetics. However, using a stability ball to tone the abs, midsection, and core muscles helps you achieve your fitness goals.

Gym Ball Exercises For Flat Stomach

Sweat your way to a flatter tummy using exercise ball workouts for belly fat. Using tools like a medicine ball, weights, or a resistance cable makes performing exercises more fun, and challenging and gets faster results. Check out the following workouts to reduce unwanted fat from your abdomen and get rid of a beer belly.

Planks

Test your mettle and try to hold a plank position on an exercise ball for up to one minute. 

Note, that there are variations to planks performed on a gym ball. The Stability Ball Forearm will force you to tighten your glutes and pull in your abdominal muscles to keep your body in a straight line. Execute this move to fatten your tummy, strengthen your back, and improve posture.

How to do:

1. Place your elbows on the gym ball, keeping them directly under your shoulders, and engage your core to form a straight line from head to heels.
2. Focus on squeezing your abdominal muscles and glutes throughout the exercise.
3. Hold this position for the desired amount of time.
4. Breathe deeply and steadily while maintaining the plank position
5. To finish the exercise, gently lower your knees to the floor, and carefully roll off the gym ball.

Tips:

• Maintain proper form and do not push yourself too hard.
• Gradually increase the time you hold the plank as you become more comfortable and strong.

Optimal Sets & Reps: Three- four sets with a 30-60 second.

Mountain Climbers

Feel the burn when you work out your core muscles, increase your heart rate, and burn off fat doing mountain climbing. To get the benefits from this exercise, you place your body in a push-up position and move your legs alternately for an intense stretch. Mountain climbers target beer guts and eventually help reveal hidden abs.

How to do:

1. Begin in a push-up position with your hands on the gym ball.
2. Your hands should be directly under your shoulders, and your body should form a straight line from head to heels.
3. Start by bringing one knee in towards your chest, using your core and hip flexors. Keep your other leg extended behind you.
4. Quickly switch legs, bringing the extended leg back while bringing the other knee towards your chest.
5. Maintain a steady and controlled pace.  Aim for a smooth, continuous motion.
6. Inhale and exhale steadily to maintain proper oxygen flow.

Tips:

• Focus on keeping your core tight and your back straight.
• Avoid letting your hips rise too high or sagging down.
• Emphasize control over speed.

Optimal Sets & Reps: Three sets with 30 seconds.

Glute Bridge

If you need an exercise that doesn’t stress the lower back and doesn’t require squatting, look no further. Perform a glute bridge with a stability ball to target stubborn belly fat, stretch the hamstrings, and firm the gluteus muscles. Practicing this move also supports improved blood circulation, and digestion and strengthens the core.

If you need an exercise that doesn’t stress the lower back and doesn’t require squatting, look no further. Perform a glute bridge with a stability ball to target stubborn belly fat, stretch the hamstrings, and firm the gluteus muscles. Practicing this move also supports improved blood circulation, and digestion and strengthens the core.

How to do:

1. Place your feet flat on the gym ball and lift your hips off the ground, forming a straight line from your shoulders to your knees.
2. Ensure your knees are directly over your ankles to target your glutes effectively.
3. Prioritize core engagement during the exercise.
4. Squeeze your glutes at the top of the bridge and maintain a tight core to protect your lower back and maximize the workout for your buttocks.
5. Lower your hips back down with control and avoid arching your back. Focus on a smooth and deliberate motion to fully engage your glutes.

Tips:

• Be cautious not to overach your lower back when lifting your hips. 
• Always perform a brief warm-up before engaging in any exercise routine to prepare your muscles and joints for the workout.
• Avoid lifting your shoulders off the floor to protect your neck.

Optimal Sets & Reps: Three sets of 12-15 reps

Exercise Ball Crunches

Get off the floor slightly and execute reverse crunches, side crunches, and typical abdominal crunches using a stability ball. Commit yourself to completing many reps of this exercise to flatten and tone abs, and build a strong core comfortably.

How to do:

1. Sit on the gym ball with your feet flat on the floor, hip-width apart. 
2. Before starting the crunch, engage your core muscles by drawing your navel toward your spine.
3. Lift your upper body off the ball by curling your torso forward, focusing on using your abdominal muscles.
4. Exhale as you crunch up and inhale as you return to the starting position.

Tips:

• Ensure that the gym ball is properly inflated and stable before starting the exercise.
•  Focus on a controlled and deliberate range of motion.
• Place your hands gently behind your ears or across your chest, rather than pulling on your neck.
• Exhale as you crunch up and contract your abs, and inhale as you return to the starting position.

Optimal Sets & Reps: Three sets of 15-20 reps

Stability Ball Pike

Push the limits of your body, improve your balance, burn belly fat, and try completing pikes on a stability ball. You will end up in an inverted V position while balancing your lower body on the stability ball. Doing this incredible move targets all of your ab muscles and demands the engagement of your core muscles while toning the shoulders and legs.

How to do:

1. Sit on the gym ball with your feet flat on the floor, hip-width apart.
2. Before starting the crunch, engage your core muscles by drawing your navel toward your spine.
3. Lift your upper body off the ball by curling your torso forward, focusing on using your abdominal muscles.
4. Exhale as you crunch up and inhale as you return to the starting position. 

Tips:

• Be cautious with the gym ball’s movement.
• Coordinate your breathing with the movement.
• Always perform a brief warm-up before engaging in any exercise routine to prepare your muscles and joints for the workout.’

Optimal Sets & Reps: Three sets of 10-15 reps

How To Choose A Gym Ball?

If you want to execute belly exercises, it is helpful to use an exercise ball, weights, or a resistance cable to make it more challenging. An exercise ball is a large vinyl ball used for strengthening muscles, building flexibility, and improving balance. Other names for exercise balls include physioballs, fit balls, gym balls, and Swiss balls. Depending on your height, weight, and personal needs, you will want to select the best exercise ball accordingly.

When performing moves with a stability ball, you want to have your knees at a 90-degree angle when sitting on the ball with your feet flat on the floor. Persons between 5 feet 1 inch and 5 feet 7 inches should choose a stability ball measuring 55 centimeters. Persons under 5 feet and less should get a ball measuring 45 centimeters. Taller people over 6 foot 2 inches should snag a stability ball measuring 75 centimeters.

Why And How Does Belly Fat Form?

Three types of fat cells^[1] exist in the human body, and they are not all bad if the levels are balanced. The body contains subcutaneous fat, visceral fat, and essential fat. Visceral fat^[2] tends to get stored around the abdomen, and liver and triggers metabolic syndrome issues if in excess. Alongside regularly getting enough exercise and cardio, there are multiple things you can do to help reduce fat and flatten a beer belly.

Major Causes Of Belly Fat

The human body requires a certain percentage of fat to stay healthy and support the optimal function of the immune system, hormonal response, enzyme release, and cushion of the organs. An excess of fat on the abdomen poses increased health risks. The following are contributors to a beer gut that won’t budge easily.

• Stress
• Poor Sleep
• Poor Dietary Choices
• Sedentary Lifestyle
• Genetics
• Age

How To Shrink Belly Fat

The battle to curb a bulging abdomen and lose weight requires some effort. You can make an effort to reduce your consumption of processed foods, plan out your meals, and eat more fiber-soluble foods^[3] than carbs or fat-laden choices. Also, blast a beer belly using exercise ball workouts for beer fat, drink water, reduce stress, and support a healthy gut microbiome.

Boost Metabolism And Fat Burning

Optimize the fat-burning results of stability ball workouts for belly fat by boosting your metabolism naturally with supplements and positive lifestyle changes. It is essential to increase metabolic activity if you are struggling with a sluggish metabolism because of a genetic predisposition to obesity^[4], poor diet, poor sleep, stress, or other factors.

Doing the following can help boost metabolic activity and help you achieve a flatter tummy in no time.

1. Eat more protein at meals to raise the thermic effect of food and stay fuller longer.
2. Engage in high-intensity workouts regularly.
3. Try to stand more instead of sitting when working and avoid being sedentary.
4. Consume green tea or oolong tea.
5. Eat foods containing capsaicin, found in chili peppers.
6. Cook foods using oils high in medium-chain fats like coconut oil.

Exercising regularly may target select muscles in the abdomen, core muscles, and upper and lower body. However, the body still needs to burn off enough fat to allow tone muscles to show. Avoid overeating, increase water intake, get adequate sleep nightly, and engage in practices that boost metabolism to turn your body into a fat-burning machine.

Health Problems Triggered By A Beer Belly

It is crucial to find ways to get rid of a beer belly for your health and personal appearance. Living with unwanted excess fat around your tummy and waistline can bring about ailments to your metabolism, digestive system, and immune system. People struggling with obesity and belly fat tend to have a higher risk of insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes, heart problems, and stress on their frame.

Resist the urge to engage in cigarette smoking, binge drinking, overeating, and a sedentary lifestyle. Choose foods that support a healthy gut microbiome^[5] to keep bloating, hormonal response, fat levels, and your immune system in check. As the gut microbiome is a crucial factor in the body’s health and weight management^[6], stress, poor dietary choices, and persistent digestive problems often contribute to a beer belly.

Precautions

Consult your physician before you begin a new exercise regimen, make significant changes to your diet, start taking supplements, or make other significant lifestyle changes. If you are pregnant, postnatal, have certain genetic conditions, or existing health conditions, or are taking prescription medications, make sure any new activities and changes in your life will not have an adverse effect.

Take your time and ease into new exercises carefully. Consider enlisting the help of a personal trainer to ensure you are using good form and do not injure yourself. Give yourself enough time to see noticeable results and seek professional support if needed.

Children with autism typically have trouble expressing themselves. Most therapies for managing this condition do not get your kids to move around a lot. 

However, autistic kids need exercise, especially since they are twice as likely to be obese^[1] than their counterparts, and exercises for kids with autism aim to address this need.

Getting autistic kids involved in exercise can be a challenge. Nevertheless, if you stick to simple routines, you could help them meet their workout goals for a fit body and sharp mind.

Exercises For Kids With Autism: Eight Important Workouts

Walking 

A simple walk is an easy way to include exercise in your autistic child’s life. You do not have to hit 10 miles daily before your walk counts as exercise.  

Start small exercises, a short distance from your home, and increase the distance as your child’s tolerance increases.  

You could spice things up by taking your pet along. Your kid might get some comfort from having your dog around during the walk. 

You do not have to stop for a little walk around your neighborhood. If your child is feeling up to it, you could try going hiking. Look up trails in your neighborhood that you think your child can handle. 

Remember to pack up a snack bag, water, and anything else your child might need to have a good time. 

Biking 

Stationary bikes are excellent for getting some leg workouts into your child’s schedule. 

Time on the bike will help turn up your kid’s heart rate and burn fat. 

Want to include a nice view? You could include something here about traditional gym-style workouts being unappealing to kids and it’s better to make it into some sort of outdoor activity or game to keep them interested.

You might want to opt for regular bikes. A bike trip around the neighborhood would add some excitement to this workout. 

Biking around the neighborhood could also be a fun group activity for the neighborhood kids that could help your child foster social relations. 

Arm Circles 

Taking a break from fast-paced exercises, arm circles are great for upper body workouts.

The best part about arm circles is that it is similar to autistic movements.  Such exercises could help provide feedback^[2] for your child and possibly reduce repetitive behaviors. 

You do not need any fancy equipment just have your kids following:

How to do:

1. Stand with their feet apart. 
2. Raise their arms to shoulder level at their sides. 
3. Spin their arms in small circles. 
4. Gradually make the circles bigger. 
5. Repeat the process 20 times. 
6. Start over in the reverse direction. 

Tips: 

• Start with small, slow circles to help children feel comfortable and gradually increase the size and speed as they become more at ease with the movement.
• Use visual cues like colorful circles on the floor or music with a rhythmic beat to make the exercise more engaging and enjoyable for kids with autism.
• Maintain a supportive and patient approach, offering praise and encouragement throughout the exercise to boost their self-confidence and sense of accomplishment.

Optimal Sets and Reps: two to three sets of 10-15 reps.

Medicine Ball Slams 

Core strengthening exercises like throwing weighted objects like medicine balls might be excellent for your autistic child.  

Medicine ball slams also help improve coordination and might have therapeutic benefits for your child. You could mention ball-slamming as an anger management technique here. We know that autistic kids get more easily frustrated than neurotypical kids.

To get started, you need only get the medicine balls.

How to do:

1. Stand with your feet apart and hold the medicine ball in your hands.
2. Lift the ball over your head.
3. Slam the ball on the ground with great force. 
4. Get in a squatting position to pick up the ball. 
5. Repeat the process 20 times. 
6. Throw the ball at targets to challenge and improve your kid’s coordination.

Tips:

• Start with a lightweight medicine ball to ensure safety and comfort. Teach proper form by demonstrating the slam motion and encourage kids to follow a controlled, rhythmic movement to release any pent-up energy.
• Use clear and concise verbal instructions, accompanied by visual cues or demonstration. This combination of auditory and visual guidance can help kids with autism understand and execute the exercise effectively.
• Foster a calm and supportive environment during the activity. Praise their efforts and progress, emphasizing the fun and stress-relieving aspects of medicine ball slams.
• Incorporate a countdown or rhythmic pattern when counting repetitions.

Optimal Sets and Reps: two to three sets of eight to 10 reps.

Star Jumps 

A full-body workout such as star jumps could help your child with autism become more aware of their body and develop cardiovascular endurance.  

Star jumps also help strengthen leg and core muscles. You won’t need exercise equipment for this workout either.  You and your child would need to:

How to do:

1. Start by squatting with your arms tucked close to your chest 
2. Jump up quickly 
3. While in the air, extend your arms and legs into a wide X
4. Land on the ground and return to the original squatting position 
5. Repeat the process 20 times.

Tips:

• Incorporate visual aids like flashcards or picture charts to demonstrate the sequence of the exercise. Visual cues can help children with autism better understand and follow the movements.
• Some children with autism may benefit from sensory input or sensory play. Consider using a soft, textured mat or providing a sensory toy before or after the exercise to help them self-regulate.
• Start with a lower number of repetitions, such as five to 10, and gradually increase as the child becomes more comfortable with the exercise. Monitor their response and adjust the sets and repetitions accordingly.

Optimal Sets and Reps: two sets of five to 10 reps.

Jumping Jacks 

Jumping jacks are also full-body exercises that work on your lungs, heart, and muscles.  

You need only some free space to start jumping and you’re on your way to burning calories and building endurance.  

How to do:

1. Start standing, arms at your sides and feet apart. 
2. Jump up and spread your feet wide while bringing your arms to nearly touch your head.
3. Jump again and close your feet while returning your arms to your side. 
4. Repeat the process.

Tips:

• Begin with a few jumping jacks at a slower pace to help kids get accustomed to the movement. As they become more comfortable, gradually increase the speed and intensity to match their abilities.
• Incorporate visual aids like pictures or diagrams demonstrating the Jumping Jack motion. Visual cues can help children with autism better understand and follow the exercise.
• Establish a regular schedule for jumping jacks within their exercise program, ensuring predictability and routine, which can be comforting for individuals with autism.
• Ensure the exercise area is free from distractions, and provide a structured, organized space for performing to help children focus and feel more comfortable during the activity.

Optimal Sets and Reps: one to two sets of five to 10 reps.

Karate 

Kids with autism can also benefit from martial arts like karate. It will help them develop body awareness and improve coordination.  

Karate is also a great way for your kids to build strength. 

If your kids are having trouble communicating and expressing themselves, karate could help improve^[3] their language skills and communication deficit. 

Yoga 

Yoga could help your child better handle social settings. For instance, personal yoga mats could help your kid understand and respect personal space.  

Following slowed-down facial and vocal cues could also help your autistic child develop imitation and other skills^[4] that would be useful for building meaningful relationships. 

Furthermore, yoga might help your kid improve flexibility, muscle strength, coordination, and spatial perception and relieve anxiety.

Benefits Of Physical Exercise For Kids With Autism

When we are looking for reasons to get on the treadmill, we usually think of weight loss, strength training, active play, and clearing our heads. These are the typical benefits of exercise that come off the top of our heads. 

These benefits extend to autistic kids, too. Children with autism are two times as likely to become overweight or obese and would benefit from an effective autism workout to stay in shape. 

So, if you have an autistic child under your care, you might need to work twice as hard to maintain a healthy weight.

Exercise benefits for children with autism go beyond weight loss and strength training.  It could help with the development of motor and social skills^[5] that help your kid build relationships. 

For example, some kids with autism have trouble developing coordination for routine activities such as kicking a ball during a football game or handling scissors for an art project.

These limitations could hold your child back from potentially beneficial social interactions. However, exercise might help your kid develop the skills they need to participate. 

Speech therapy is not news to many parents of autistic kids. Some kids need that push from speech and behavior therapy to overcome their communication deficits. 

Exercises such as karate and yoga in addition to traditional behavior therapy help improve sensory processing issues and decrease communication deficits. 

Group activities or autism exercise programs where your child is comfortable could also help them integrate better into social settings. 

Exercise Tips For Kids With Autism  

• Consult your doctor: Start your physical exercise routine with a doctor’s appointment to get the okay signal. Some exercises for overweight autistic children such as jumping jacks or star jumps can be hard on the ankles and you want to make sure your child is ready to handle such strain. 
• Start slow: You are not training for a marathon, so there is no need to try all the exercises on the list on your first attempt. A few physical activities a couple of minutes each day will go a long way and you can bump things up as your child gets more comfortable. 
• Stay simple: Stick to simple physical activities that do not require complex steps. Complex workouts can be overwhelming and your autistic child could have trouble keeping up. 
• Pay attention to your kid’s needs: Check regularly to see that your child is not in pain during workouts. You definitely do not want your kids to get hurt while working out.  
• Set a routine: Autistic children typically work better with routines, so you could set one up. A simple daily routine for exercise would be excellent for getting your child to stay open to the idea of exercise. You could mention something like a morning wake-up workout that mom, dad, and kids do together. It could include many of the exercises you mentioned like arm circles, jumping jacks, etc. This way it is more implementable than just suggesting each exercise on its own.

Conclusion 

Including exercise in your autistic child’s routine is an excellent way to keep fit, build muscle strength, and improve motor skills. Moreover, it plays a crucial role in enhancing their sensory processing, social skills, and integration. 

Alongside physical activity, paying attention to proper nutrition and providing essential nutrients tailored to your child’s needs can further support their overall development and well-being. 

Balancing exercise and a nutritious diet is a holistic approach to helping your child thrive and improve their quality of life.

Desk workouts are one popular craze taking the professional world by storm. Some big brands specialize in making fitness convenient and manageable for anybody, on any schedule.

These products go far beyond the all-but-forgotten abdominal roller lying idle in your home office; it’s a technology that puts the capabilities of an entire gym right in your home.

Contrary to popular belief, you don’t necessarily need an exercise bike to squeeze in a quick workout at your desk (although we can confirm that they are, in fact, awesome for this purpose). Get ready to kiss those depressing afternoon blues at the office goodbye.

Desk Workouts To Do Right At Your Desk

No matter how you prefer to break a sweat, there’s plenty that you can do at your desk to stay active during your downtime. 

Some of these desk exercises can be entirely equipment-free, and others require things like dumbbells or other exercise gear. All of these options are perfect for both experienced fitness fanatics and beginners just trying to keep themselves in shape. 

Tricep Chair Dips

Tricep dips are some of the most desk-friendly workouts that you’ll find. All that you need is a chair with no wheels and the floor below you. 

Tricep chair dips primarily target the triceps, help improve upper body strength, enhance arm definition, and can aid in everyday activities that involve pushing or lifting. Incorporating this exercise into your routine contributes to overall upper-body fitness.

How to do:

1. Sit on the chair. Plant your feet on the ground in front of you.
2. Press your palms into the seat of the chair, right at the edge, next to you on either side.
3. Lift your bum off of the chair and dip below it in front so that your elbows make two ninety-degree angles.
4. Straighten your arms, lifting your body up.
5. Repeat until your next big Zoom meeting.

Tips:

• Sit on the edge of your chair with your hands gripping the front edge, fingers pointing forward. Keep your feet flat on the floor and your knees bent at a 90-degree angle.
• Slowly lower your body down by bending your elbows until they reach a 90-degree angle. Ensure your back remains close to the chair.
• Push your body back up to the starting position by maintaining a straight line in your arms without locking your elbows.

Optimal Sets and Reps: three sets of 12-15 reps.

Desk Squats

Squats are the perfect booty buster for those short afternoon lulls between assignments or tasks. All that you have to do is scoot your chair out of the way, and you’re ready to plunge.

The best part about desk squats? When duty comes calling again, all that you’ll have to do is sit right back into your throne.

How to do:

1. Stand in front of your desk with your feet spread as far as is comfortable.
2. Hold onto your desk for support and squat in front of it.
3. Press your hands into the desk to help you stand back up.
4. As you become stronger, you may not need the desk for leverage.

Tips:

• Begin by standing in front of your desk with your feet hip-width apart and your arms straight and extended forward for balance.
• Go as low as your mobility allows, ideally until your thighs are parallel to the ground, then return to the starting position by pushing through your heels.
• If ordinary squats are too easy for you, keep a small medicine ball, some dumbbell weights, or anything else that’s heavy and easy to hold nearby for an extra challenge. 

Optimal Sets and Reps: three sets of 12-15 reps.

Standing Leg Pulses

You can do leg pulses against your desk with your palms supporting you against its surface. They’re incredibly simple and can be done either with a bent knee or with your active leg outstretched, ballerina-style.

How to do:

1. Lean forward and lift one leg up slightly behind you with your hands on your desk.
2. Pulse the leg behind you up and down. 
3. After performing as many sets as desired, switch and repeat on the other side.

Tips:

• Stand beside your desk with one hand lightly resting on it for support, maintain good posture, and engage your core muscles throughout the exercise.
• These will end up being as challenging as you make them. You can go more slowly for a deeper burn or keep them light, shallow, and quick to focus more on your heart rate.

Optimal Sets and Reps: three sets of 15-20 reps for each leg.

Standing Desks

Standing desks are just what they sound like ordinary desks are either set upon taller legs or adjustable to a comfortable standing height.

The math is simple: standing burns more calories than sitting, effectively increasing your resting metabolic rate^[1] for the day. If your profession is technical, complicated, and focus-intensive, a standing desk is one way to keep your body active at your desk without distracting from your responsibilities.

In an educational setting^[2], standing desks have been shown to improve the executive function and short-term memory of students and provide one convenient measure against a sedentary school day. Over two semesters, the results validating the benefits of standing while learning were more than conclusive.

Advanced Desk Exercise Gear: Peloton Desk Bikes And Walking Desks

Walking desks and bike chairs are a relatively recent movement in the world of fitness; these devices actually have you walking, jogging, or pumping pedals at your desk, the same cardio you enjoy in your off-hours at the gym. 

The perks that office fitness gear confers include all of the benefits of ordinary exercise after work – more effective glucose management, lower cholesterol, and many other associated health benefits^[3] that soar high above what a standing desk alone will offer. 

Both will make you more alert and burn more calories than prolonged sitting all day. If you can afford and accommodate a treadmill desk or a bike chair, either of these will be an objectively superior option.

The Health Benefits Of Office Workouts

The most studious and hard-working among us are already rolling their eyes. Why expend energy working out when there are more important matters to attend to when at work or school, piling up in our inboxes and to-do lists?

Daily exercise^[4] is one lifestyle commitment that will keep your mental facilities sharp throughout your entire life. Attention span, impulse control, and even working memory all stand to benefit greatly from regular exercise, according to many studies. If exercise at your desk is the best fit for your needs and schedule, why not take advantage of a desk workout routine?

Moreover, cycling and exercise, in general, have both been shown clinically^[5] to stimulate an arousing effect in terms of cognitive performance; this effect can be shown at work both in the moment and for some time after the fact. Elevating your heart rate might actually prime you for a more productive and efficient working day, turbo-charging your afternoon productivity long after your morning cappuccino has already run its course.

Another common objection to desk exercises: doesn’t it leave you starving all day as you struggle to focus on the mental work that your job or schoolwork requires? 

One study found^[6] no significant difference between the hunger levels of trial participants who exercised on a cycling desk while performing a mental task and those who simply performed the mental task alone. Both perceived appetite and short-term food intake were consistent among the two groups of test subjects.

Stay Active No Matter Where You Are 

The office, stereotypically, is seen by many as a necessary evil, but your own working area doesn’t have to be devoid of joy. Moving your body, even briefly, can often be more invigorating than a cup of coffee. Why shouldn’t your desk be yet another place to celebrate your body and your health?

With any luck, at least one of these desk exercises hits the spot for you. They’re the perfect way to prime yourself for the work ahead on your plate (and your real gym session later on, too!).

If you have tried countless diets and exercise regimens, yet your unwanted fat rolls refuse to disappear, you are not alone. CoolSculpting is a fairly new procedure that can help you eliminate stubborn fat that defies diet and exercise. 

Consider getting close to your weight goals before you try CoolSculpting for the best results. If you are still far from your ideal weight, consider including CBD oil in your weight loss routine. Many CBD proponents say that the compound can help you lose weight. 

How Much Weight Can You Lose With CoolSculpting?

Like any fat removal treatment, CoolSculpting can help you lose about 20 to 25 percent^[1] of the fat cells in your desired area. You might not notice any change in the numbers on your scale but you could see changes in your appearance. It offers you a non-invasive body contouring procedure to get rid of stubborn fat. 

The sensitivity of fat cells to cold temperatures for the science behind the effectiveness of CoolSculpting. 

Everyone has different results from CoolSculpting so, do not expect to get the same results as anyone else. Your current weight can affect the outcome of your procedure. 

If you have excess fat or you are far from your ideal weight, you might not notice drastic changes from your weight loss treatment. Therefore, you might need multiple sessions to observe significant fat reduction. 

If you have hit your goal weight or are only about 30 pounds away, CoolSculpting might help you achieve your body goals. A few sessions later, you should begin to see your tummy rolls and bra bump melting away. 

How Does CoolSculpting Work?

Unlike plastic surgery, CoolSculpting does not require any incision for fat removal. The process is only mildly uncomfortable. Hence, you typically will not need anesthesia like you would for invasive procedures like liposuction. 

CoolSculpting fat reduction treatment capitalizes on the sensitivity of fat cells to cold temperatures. The suction paddles are placed on the area of your body you desire to work on. These panels send controlled cool temperatures to specific sections of your body. 

If you are worried about how your skin would react to the cold, you should not. A gel layer applied to your skin before the procedure begins protects it from damage. 

For about two hours, you sit reclined allowing the blast of cold to work on your fat cells. These temperatures trigger cell death^[2] in the fat cells beneath your skin. 

Over several weeks, your body slowly gets rid of the dead fat cells through your lymphatic system. This elimination process is why you will wait to see your CoolSculpting results. 

If you are getting CoolSculpting to look perfect for a wedding or some big event, you need to consider this waiting period.  

Depending on your body’s response, you should begin to see your results between three weeks to three months after your procedure. You can expect to see parts of your body appearing slimmer but do not expect to lose weight.

So, consider scheduling your CoolSculpting appointment several weeks or a few months ahead of your big event.  

Your fat loss results from CoolSculpting are permanent as you cannot regenerate the dead fat cells.  However, it does not prevent you from gaining weight. That is because if you do not stick to a healthy lifestyle, the remaining fat cells can store more fat leading to body weight gain.

Losing Weight After CoolSculpting Is Hard

If you are looking for a means of losing weight, CoolSculpting is not the solution. That is because the processes of fat loss and weight loss are different.  

When you gain weight, your fat cells store more fat and increase in size. Losing weight involves using your fat stores causing your fat cells to shrink. Therefore, your total number of fat cells remains the same. 

On the other hand, the process of fat loss which CoolSculpting facilitates, causes your fat cells to die, resulting in the reduction of the fat cells.  

CoolSculpting might reduce up to 25 percent of your fat cells but this might not be enough to tip the scales.  However, it could be enough to produce visible signs of fat loss such as slimmer arms and a thinner midsection.  

Getting Ready For CoolSculpting 

If you are more than 30 pounds heavier than your weight goal, you might want to work on losing weight before turning to CoolSculpting for fat loss. 

The more you weigh, the less dramatic your CoolSculpting results will be. Being further off from your goal weight might also affect the number of sessions you need for visible results. If possible, aim to be within 10 pounds of your desired weight.

Sustainable weight loss should be your goal.  There is no need to hop on a drastic diet right before CoolSculpting because your results might be more difficult to maintain if you do not follow up with lifestyle changes. 

The combination of a healthy diet and exercise will bring you closer to your weight goals and ready for body contouring sooner than you realize.  

Weight loss supplements such as CBD oil can also supplement your exercise and dieting efforts. However, you should contact your doctor before using supplements for weight loss. 

You might notice that your weight loss affects various parts of your body, including your problem areas such as your arms and thighs. Body parts that you least expect might also change when you drop a few pounds and the relationship between weight loss and your feet might surprise you.  

What To Do After CoolSculpting?

So, you have finished your CoolSculpting procedure, what is next? 

Wait. Yes, wait.  

Your CoolSculpting results will not appear immediately because your body needs time to process and eliminate dead fat cells.  

You might start seeing results as early as three weeks later. If you want to see results faster, you could try massaging the treated area.  

Five-minute massages, five times daily, after your procedure can help you see your results sooner.  

You might want to give up foods that can slow down your lymphatic systems such as yogurt, milk, and cheese. You might also want to cut back on trans fats and foods with high added sugars. 

Just because you got rid of fat cells by CoolSculpting does not mean that you can no longer gain weight.  Weight gain could still occur from expanding your remaining fat cells due to increased fat storage. 

Fat can be distributed to other fat cells in your body if you return to old habits. If you are already at your weight goal and happy with your CoolSculpting results, switching to a healthy lifestyle of exercise and healthy foods will help you maintain your results.  

Seeing your body change after CoolSculpting could motivate you to work on losing more weight. However, it is best to do it right with healthy lifestyle changes to maintain your results long-term. 

Sometimes, you might need to return to the CoolSculpting facility for more sessions if you do not have noticeable results.  Your next session would need to be after the waiting period for your first session has passed.  

Conclusion 

CoolSculpting is an innovative non-invasive way to lose body fat. It involves exposing fat cells to cold which kills them. You could lose between 20 to 25 percent of the fat cells in the treated area. However, CoolSculpting does not help with weight loss. 

Your CoolSculpting results might take a few weeks to appear and you might need routine massages and diet changes to speed up the process. 

How much fat you lose depends on your body and you might need several sessions before you get your desired results. You could get better results if you are closer to your weight goal. A healthy diet and exercise can help you get to your ideal weight before your procedure and maintain your results afterward.

Not everyone works out to lose weight and get rid of belly fat. Some people struggle with gaining weight and achieving the optimal weight for their height and build, while others want to increase their muscle size and strength. For them, “toning” is their goal, with or without weight loss. Yoga can do both.

Yoga can be an amazing workout for losing body weight as much as for increasing your muscle size while at the same time helping increase your balance^[1], flexibility, and mobility levels. 

With technology came the age of mobile applications (apps), which brought all of the fitness classes and experiences into the comfort of your own home. So, if you can’t find the time to make it to a yoga studio, download one of these amazing fitness or yoga apps and get your body moving in your living room. 

Yoga For Weight Gain

Chair Pose

Also known as utkatasana in Sanskrit, the chair pose is an excellent exercise that targets your lower body and helps build the strength of your glutes, hamstrings, quadriceps, and calves. 

Start in a standing position with your arms by your sides and both feet together. Lift your arms over your head, keeping them parallel and palms facing each other. Bend your knees and activate your core. Keep your upper body still as you bring your hips down as far as you can like you’re trying to sit in an imaginary chair behind you. 

Bring your shoulders down and away from your ears and breathe. With every inhale, try to push your thighs into one another, and with every exhale, try to sit a little deeper into the pose. Stay for at least five long inhales and exhales. On your last exhale, extend your legs and bring your arms back by your sides.

How to do: 

1. Stand tall, feet together, arms at sides.
2. Inhale, raise arms overhead.
3. Exhale, bend knees, hips back.
4. Hold a chair-like position, and engage the core.
5. Breathe, aim for 30-60 seconds.

Tips:

• Keep your back straight, chest lifted, and knees aligned over your ankles to prevent strain.
• Activate your abdominal muscles to stabilize your body and improve balance.
• Take slow, deep breaths to help you hold the pose comfortably.

Optimal Sets and Reps: Hold for 30-60 seconds in each repetition, two or three times during a single yoga session.

Chaturanga

One of the most powerful poses in yoga, chaturanga is a low-plank position that works your entire body, from your arms and shoulders to your core and legs. 

Start in a traditional high plank pose, palms right under your shoulders and feet high on your balls, heels lifted. Make sure your hips are aligned in a straight line from your neck to your heels, preventing them from dropping too low or lifting too high. 

Take an inhale and shift your body slightly forward and over your wrists; exhale and bend your elbows, lowering your chin and your entire body close to the floor while keeping your elbows at a 90-degree angle. 

You can stay here for a few moments, shaking through the hard hold, transition into an upward-facing dog, or push yourself back and straighten your arms into the starting plank position. 

How to do: 

1. Start in a high plank position.
2. Lower body, keeping elbows close to ribs.
3. Hover a few inches above the ground.
4. Straighten arms, and push up to plank.
5. Engage the core, and maintain proper form.

Tips:

• Keep elbows close to your body to protect your shoulders.
• Engage your core and maintain a straight line from head to heels.
• Start with modified versions to build strength before attempting full Chaturanga.

Optimal Sets and Reps: Yoga pose that is incorporated into a yoga flow or sequence, and the focus is on maintaining proper form and alignment rather than counting sets and reps.

Warrior One (Warrior I)

Warriors are powerful yoga asanas that work your entire body, starting from the ground up. Your front leg is bent and needs to be strong to efficiently hold the pose for three to five long inhales and exhales. Furthermore, your core has to be fully engaged so that it prevents your lower back from collapsing and causing tension. 

Activate your core muscles and keep your hips as low as you can. Lift your torso and bring your arms straight over your head. Clasp your palms together and send your shoulders away from your ears. Keep your spine straight, hips squared, your front leg bent, and your back leg straight. Hold the position for at least three to five inhales and exhales. 

On your last exhale, bring your palms back to the floor and switch legs. Repeat everything on the other leg. 

How to do: 

1. Begin in a runner’s lunge: Front leg bent, back leg extended, toes raised.
2. Place both palms on the floor beside your front foot.
3. Ground your front foot, and lower your back heel fully.

Tips:

• Keep the front knee directly above the ankle to protect your joints.
• Square your hips toward the front, enhancing hip flexibility.
• Engage core muscles for stability and balance during the pose.

Optimal Sets and Reps: You may hold for 30 seconds to 1 minute on each side.

Warrior Two (Warrior II)

Starting from Warrior I, open your back foot so that it’s parallel to the mat and bring your arms halfway down so that they’re straight and parallel to the floor. Shift your torso slightly backward to align your shoulders with your hips and bring your shoulders down. 

How to do: 

1. Swing your back foot open, both feet grounded.
2. Inhale to straighten your spine, exhale to deepen the lunge.
3. Aim for a 90-degree angle in your front knee.
4. Engage the front thigh and glute muscles for strength.
5. Exhale, lower palms by your front foot.
6. Transition to a plank and switch legs for Warrior I on the opposite side.

Tips:

• Keep your front knee directly above the ankle for joint safety.
• Extend your arms parallel to the floor, engaging your shoulder muscles.
• Gaze over your front hand while maintaining steady breath and core engagement.

Optimal Sets and Reps: Hold for 30 seconds to one minute or longer on each side.

Warrior Three (Warrior III)

The last pose in the Warrior series, Warrior III, brings the challenge to a new level. It requires a strong core and powerful activation of the standing leg as you balance it and create a capital-T shape with your body. 

How to do: 

1. Lift your back leg and align it parallel to the floor.
2. Straighten and engage your front leg while balancing on it.
3. Extend your clasped arms or keep them alongside your torso.
4. Hold for 3-5 breath cycles, then switch sides.

Tips:

• Maintain a strong core for balance and stability.
• Keep a micro-bend in your standing knee to avoid hyperextension.
• Use a focal point to aid balance during the pose.

Optimal Sets and Reps: Aim to hold the pose for 30 seconds to one minute on each side.

Cobra Pose

One of the best yoga asanas for your upper body and strengthening your back muscles is the cobra pose. It’s easy to perform, but it’s also easy to control and notice progress over time. 

How to do: 

1. Begin lying on the floor, feet together, and palms by chest.
2. Inhale, press the tops of the feet down, and lift the torso and head.
3. Gaze forward or up, and keep your hips on the floor.
4. Stay for 3-5 breaths, then exhale, lower torso gently.

Tips:

• Protect your lower back by engaging core muscles.
• Start with a gentle lift, avoiding excessive backbend.
• Listen to your body, don’t push into discomfort or pain.

Optimal Sets and Reps: Hold for 15-30 seconds to start, gradually increasing the duration as your practice progresses.

Goddess Pose

Goddess pose is one of the best yoga asanas for increasing muscle strength of your glutes and entire legs and improving your blood circulation. Start in a standing position, feet wider than your hips, and open. Inhale and lift your arms over your head. Exhale, bend your knees, and come into a partial squat position. Take a deep breath here, and on your exhale, try to go even deeper towards a full squat. 

Stay here for at least five long inhales and exhales and feel the blood rush into your legs, and your thighs start to burn. On your last exhale, straighten your legs and return to the standing position. 

How to do: 

1. Keep knees aligned with toes to protect joints.
2. Engage core muscles for stability and balance.
3. Maintain an upright spine and deep squat for proper form.

Tips:

• Maintain a wide stance with turned-out toes for balance.
• Keep your knees directly above your ankles to protect your joints.
• Engage your core and maintain an upright posture for stability.

Optimal Sets and Reps: Two or three sets of 10-15 reps per set.

Does Yoga Help You Gain Weight?

Gaining weight doesn’t always have to mean gaining fat. If you’re working on increasing your muscle mass, fine-tuning your diet to include a higher number of protein-rich foods, and adding more strength training into your routine, the scale might start showing a slightly higher number. Muscle weighs in, too. 

Yoga does not necessarily help you gain weight per se, but it can help increase your muscle size and enhance your endurance level. When combined with hypertrophy training^[2] and a caloric surplus^[3], it will result in muscle gain. Studies show^[4] how certain yoga poses like “chair” and “warrior” result in an increase in muscle size and strength in both the upper and lower body. 

Practicing these poses on the regular will help you gain muscle and endurance, but changes you make to your diet can result in either weight gain, weight loss, or weight maintenance. To gain weight, you need to be in a caloric surplus; to lose weight, you need to be in a caloric deficit,^[5] and to maintain weight, you need to be taking roughly the same amount of calories as you’re expending.

Increasing lean muscle mass or toning your body, whether with yoga or another exercise, includes fat loss. Depending on how much you intake through food and supplements, your scale will either show a lower number, higher number, higher number, or plateau.

Diet Plan To Combine With Yoga

Since weight gain cannot be achieved without a diet that supports or promotes it, to gain weight, you need to bring your body into a caloric surplus. And since the goal is to increase muscle size and strength with minimal fat gain, you’ll have to clean up your diet and increase the amount of protein^[6] you consume.

Keeping your diet clean will support the health of your digestive system and increase your nutrient absorption, supplying your body with the vitamins and minerals you need to thrive. Increasing your protein intake will promote muscle gain and fat loss, which might tip the scales a bit and make those yoga asanas effective for gaining weight the right way.

Increase the number of vegetables and fruit, complex carbs like rice and quinoa, healthy fats like avocado and nuts, and lean protein like chicken and fish. This will lower your body mass index (BMI) while promoting healthy weight gain consistent with healthy body weight.

A higher percentage of muscle will help make you stronger, improve your metabolism, promote better blood and oxygen circulation, and keep your thyroid gland healthy^[7] and functioning.

Additionally, when looking to gain weight healthily, it’s always best to consult with a nutritionist or a registered dietitian, both pre-workout and post-workout and design the perfect meal and supplement plan for your body.

Summary

Practicing yoga weight gain that can result isn’t its main goal, but it can be a great way of increasing your muscle mass and, with it, realizing a healthy weight gain.

In addition to exercises that promote an increase in muscle size and strength, it’s important to focus on your nutrition and dietary supplements and find the best diet that works for you and your health and fitness goals.

Some people love the grind of a bustling gym environment. Others prefer to work out at home. And, the rest of us? We’d rather be hanging out in the fresh air, the cool breeze, and the sunshine, especially in the middle of summer. Luckily enough, pool workouts and pool exercises are some of the most effective ways to lose weight while soaking up plenty of sun to make your vitamin D.

What are some of the best swimming exercises for weight loss? Check out some of our absolute favorites below.

Pool Exercises For Weight Loss

Our favorite swimming exercises for weight loss are surprisingly simple—many of them involve the lower body, the core muscles, and invigorating arm movements that can help you tone your entire physique from top to bottom.

The following water exercises for belly fat are low-impact and perfect for improving strength throughout the entire body.

Walk-in-Water

As far as swimming pool exercises go, walking in water isn’t exactly the most hardcore thing that many think of first. Even if you’re not a total beginner, though, this pool exercise for weight loss is an awesome way to build strength in your midsection, while gaining a sense of balance for when you advance your pool exercise routine.

How to do: 

1. To walk in the water, find a section of the pool where the water reaches your waist. 
2. Stand up straight, lean back into your heels, and step forward with your arms extended on either side under the water. 
3. Try to engage your core and avoid walking on your tiptoes—just like any squat worth its salt, the intensity of this workout has a lot to do with how much you commit to each step.

Tips:

• Keep your back straight, and your arms extended underwater, and engage your core muscles throughout the exercise
• Focus on steady, purposeful steps to create resistance in the water.
• Start with shorter sessions and gradually increase the duration and intensity of your water walking workouts. 

Optimal Sets and Reps: Two or three sets per workout, for 10-15 minutes of continuous walking per set.

Swimming

Can you ever really deny the appeal of a classic day of swimming serenely in the sun? Even if your form isn’t exactly Olympics-caliber, even just doggy-paddling around for the afternoon works out your entire body. Once you get your sea legs, you can focus on improving your average lap time, even in a very small swimming pool.

What are some of the best swimming strokes for your pool workout? Backstrokes, breaststrokes, freestyle strokes, and butterfly strokes all bring their unique challenges to the table. Try them all, and keep practicing until you’re a star. For those comfortable in deeper water, treading water has an excellent payoff for exertion.

How to do: 

1. Enter water, and stay relaxed.
2. Flutter kick legs gently.
3. Alternate arm strokes smoothly.
4. Breathe rhythmically, and exhale in water.
5. Practice and build endurance over time.

Tips:

• Stay hydrated, and avoid overexertion to prevent cramps.
• Use proper breathing techniques for efficient swimming.
• Start slowly, and focus on form before increasing speed or distance.

Optimal Sets and Reps: Start with four to six sets of 50 meters with a 30-60 second rest between each set.

Jumping Jacks

Jumping jacks are some of the best upper-body exercises for weight loss. If you love to do them, you’ll be glad to know that you’ll be able to do them in the pool as a part of your pool exercise workout plan.

How to do: 

1. Stand with feet together, arms at sides.
2. Jump, spread your legs, and raise your arms overhead.
3. Return to the starting position for one rep.
4. Repeat for cardio and total body workout.
5. Breathe rhythmically, and engage the core.

Tips:

• Land softly to reduce the impact on joints.
• Maintain proper form to avoid strain.
• Start slowly, then increase intensity gradually.

Optimal Sets and Reps: Aim for three to four sets of 20-30 repetitions.

Leg Kicks

Pool planks and other exercises utilizing the plank position give you a significant edge if your fitness levels aren’t yet high enough to support your body on the ground. Hold for as long as possible when you first get started. Then, you can try different variations, underwater leg kicks among them.

If your pool is too deep to plant without submerging your head, you can support yourself using the wall of the pool. Flutter your legs, kicking until you begin to feel the burn. Rest briefly and repeat as many times as desired.

How to do: 

1. Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, hands on hips.
2. Kick one leg forward, then return to the starting position.
3. Alternate legs in a controlled, rhythmic motion.
4. Engage the core for balance and stability.

Tips:

• Maintain controlled and deliberate leg kicks for better results.
• Focus on your breathing to stay relaxed during the exercise.
• Gradually increase the number of kicks and sets as you progress.

Optimal Sets and Reps: Three sets of 15-20 kicks per leg.

High-Knee Lift Extensions

Underwater running also takes many forms—chaos cardio is one of them, wherein the underwater runner pushes themselves to the limit while running in place in neck-deep water.

The more you’re able to build up your stamina, the more intensely you can run on the pool floor. Knee highs, the same as the cardio workout you’re likely familiar with on dry land, can help you burn calories fast.

How to do: 

1. Stand tall with feet hip-width apart.
2. Lift your knees high, and extend the opposite arm.
3. Alternate quickly in a controlled manner.
4. Engage the core for balance and stability.

Tips:

• Focus on lifting knees high for maximum intensity.
• Maintain a brisk and controlled pace throughout.
• Keep your upper body upright with good posture.

Optimal Sets and Reps: Aim for three to four sets of 30-45 seconds for each leg.

Back Wall Glide

If you’ve ever taken a swim class, this classic move was likely one of your favorites.

To begin, grab ahold of the pool wall and lean your head back. Using the wall for support and leverage, push yourself back gently from the wall. It’s the perfect way to begin a lap of backstrokes—this is one iconic move for any routine of swimming pool workouts, offering a fun transition between different rounds of full-length stroke exercises.

How to do: 

1. Grab the pool wall, lean back, and support yourself.
2. Gently push away from the wall.
3. Ideal for transitioning to backstroke laps in your workout routine.

Tips:

• Maintain a relaxed head position for smoother backstroke transitions.
• Use the wall for support and leverage to conserve energy.
• Incorporate this move for fluid transitions in your swim workout.

Optimal Sets and Reps: Aim for 4-5 sets.

Lateral Arm Lifts

If you’ve ever done a lateral arm lift in the gym, you already know you’ll need a pair of the styrofoam dumbbells mentioned above.

How to do: 

1. Find neck-deep water in the pool.
2. Extend arms sideways with foam dumbbells.
3. Begin arm pumps, submerging dumbbells.
4. Return arms slowly to start.
5. Repeat for desired reps.

Tips:

• Maintain controlled, even arm movements for stability.
• Engage your core for balance and buoyancy.
• Gradually increase the number of reps as your strength improves.

Optimal Sets and Reps: Start with 2-3 sets, 10-15 repetitions per set.

Benefits Of Pool Workouts For Weight Loss

What can 12 weeks^[1] of pool workouts do for you? A ton. Here are a couple of reasons we love to exercise in pools. Pool exercise’s most important benefit is that it truly does reach every part of your body—the core-stabilizing muscles, your lower body, your arms, and your shoulder muscles. This allows you to continue building muscle everywhere using only a few simple moves.

Pool water offers your workout a natural form of water resistance and, when you’re working out in waist-high water, it pushes on you from all directions. Pool water is a giant set of weights that make arm exercises, leg movements, and cardio fitness moves much more effective than they would be on the sidelines.

Of course, increasing your physical activity levels alone is one excellent way to improve your quality of life in a general sense, pool workouts being no exception. Pool workouts can prevent heart disease, stroke, diabetes, obesity, and hypertension later in life. If you’re at risk for any of these conditions, losing weight in the pool is the perfect way to reap the rewards in one of the most idyllic, relaxing manners possible.

Among all of these incredible reasons to include aquatic exercises in your fitness routine, you’ll also find the following benefits in the pool area, as well:

• A pool-based exercise routine is unlikely to result in overheating, dehydration, or heat stroke, which is great for those living in very warm climates
• Exercising in water can help you improve muscle tone and build more lean muscle by facilitating better microcirculation
• Being immersed in water reduces the impact that exercise has on your bones and major muscle groups—you’re burning plenty of calories without damaging your body
• Pool workouts aren’t just great for weight loss; they’re also one powerful tool for rehabilitation after an injury, improving biomechanics throughout the body, improving pain-free movement^[2], and getting you back on your feet faster

We’re not saying that your land-based cardio workout needs to be replaced entirely—in fact, research shows that a fitness routine that includes both ordinary exercises on dry ground and water-based exercises may result in a more comprehensive and rewarding^[3] weight loss plan overall. However, counteracting gravity with the buoyancy of water allows you to exercise with the least wear and tear on your joints.

Special Equipment For Doing Pool Exercises

Many best water exercises for weight loss keep things simple—really, all you need to lose weight through water workouts is a pool and a swimsuit. 

Aside from the pool itself and any swimming pool athletic wear, you might also consider including the following pool workout gear for your nautical water workout routine:

• Aqua dumbbells—instead of heavy weights, you’ll use soft foam dumbbells that resist being pulled under pool water
• A water jogging belt, which offers you the same benefits as a treadmill, only without the wear and tear on your knees
• Swim training gloves and resistance fins, webbed gloves that increase the resistance of each stroke
• Kickboards and boogie boards, and a pool plank or diving board
• Water shoes for traction and protection from rough pool floors
• Other weighted gear if your fitness levels are high enough to carry them
• A swim bar for stabilization and strength training
• Pool noodles, because they’re both fun and can be used to support several full-body workout exercises in chest-deep water

You’ll find the majority of these things in stores like Target, Walmart, Dick’s Sporting Goods, and, of course, on Amazon. If you’re curious but you’re not sure what you need, be sure to watch plenty of demonstration videos online to get an idea of what you’ll use the most. If you’re a beginner, however, all you need is yourself in a safe water environment; you can add the other items as you become more comfortable (and adventurous). 

The Takeaway

We love pool workouts for weight loss because they’re fun, gentle, and truly help you burn more body fat for your time. Whether you’re working around issues like joint injuries or are simply looking for a new way to get fit in the sunshine, all of the pool exercises mentioned above can help you slim down fast.

Think, “Swimming is slimming!”The long and short of it: swimming pool workouts are awesome, and they can help you burn fat and lose weight right in your swimming pool. Whether you love swimming pool exercises at home, at the gym, or with a buddy, there’s nothing like a bit of waist-deep water and a lovely day in the sun.

Some people have weight issues, with most focusing on losing belly fat. So, is skipping rope an excellent way to go about it? And what exactly is it?

Jump rope exercises are among the most common. That’s because, as children grow, jumping rope has been a game all along. Almost everyone has participated in an enjoyable jump rope game, including singalongs and choruses. As a result, it is initially thought to be a children’s game, but it may be more.

Jump rope for weight loss is also a plausible idea that you could give a try if you want to shed a few pounds!

Jumping up and down is good for burning calories and great for your muscles and heart. When you burn calories, you inevitably lose weight, so in retrospect, you are having fun, bettering your body, and losing weight: a win-win situation.

This piece covers all there is to know about weight loss and jumping ropes, so let’s begin.

Jumping Rope To Lose Weight: 5 Exercises To Try

To lower your body’s fat mass, you need to use the best exercises to get to your ideal weight. Please note that each jump rope exercise may require different ropes to achieve maximum agility.

So here are five jump rope routines that will get you there: pro or novice.

Basic Jumps

Basic jumps are the simplest form that entails skipping to your choice’s rhythm. Remember when you did it while growing up?

Those are simple and basic jumps that do not entail any modifications. With this simple routine, you will gain balance and coordination and build stamina as you go. The trick here is to maintain a constant speed so that your body adjusts to the movement before you advance.

For these jump reps, you require a simple skipping rope that is light and fits snugly in your hands. It would be best if you also used good shoes so as not to injure your ankles. In each session, strive to add five minutes to increase the calories burned.

How to do: 

1. Stand with feet hip-width apart, holding jump rope handles.
2. Swing rope over and under feet, starting with small jumps.
3. Gradually increase jump height and pace.
4. Maintain a steady rhythm while engaging the core.
5. Jump for the desired duration, landing softly on the balls of the feet.

Tips:

• Start with proper rope length, allowing it to clear the ground.
• Land softly on the balls of your feet to minimize impact.
• Maintain a consistent pace and rhythm while jumping to maximize cardio benefits.

Optimal Sets and Reps: Three sets of two to three minutes of continuous jumping, with one to two minutes of rest in between.

Speed Jumps

Speed jumps are the next stage you will move to burn calories after gaining the essential coordination, balance, and timing from basic jumps. Speed jumping aims to increase the number of jumps per minute that you did in basic jumps.

The calves will be more engaged during these routine jumps since they endure extra pressure from the increased speed. Your reaction time will become faster, too, since you are jumping faster.

You will need a lighter skipping rope since the reps are faster and more intense. Always go for one that is adjustable with a good grip. With these jumps, aim to jump as many reps in a given time.

How to do: 

1. Hold the jump rope handles at your sides.
2. Begin jumping, rotating the rope rapidly under your feet.
3. Keep a brisk pace, jumping quickly and landing softly.
4. Maintain core engagement and steady breathing.
5. Perform for the desired duration, aiming for a continuous rhythm.

Tips:

• Start at a manageable pace to avoid tripping.
• Maintain proper form to minimize the risk of injury.
• Focus on quick, controlled jumps, prioritizing proper form for effectiveness and safety.

Optimal Sets and Reps: Three sets of one to two minutes of continuous speed jumping, with one to two minutes of rest in between.

Heavy Rope Jumps

As the name suggests, you will need a heavier rope that exerts more pressure on your arm, core, and shoulder muscles. Indeed, the speed you were going with the speed rope jumps will be reduced, but that is not a problem. Since you are working your upper body primarily, it is still beneficial.

These jumps work the biceps, triceps, shoulder, and core muscles while still engaging your body’s cardiovascular, pulmonary, bone, and muscle structures.

The increased intensity and resistance of the jumps push the body to produce more energy, thus, more fat burning and weight loss.

How to do: 

1. Hold a heavy rope with both hands at hip level.
2. Swing the rope over your head and jump over it.
3. Land softly, engaging core and calves.
4. Repeat for desired reps, maintaining a controlled pace.
5. Customize intensity and duration based on fitness level and goals.

Tips:

• Focus on consistent rope control and timing to maximize effectiveness.
• Start with a suitable rope weight to avoid overexertion.
• Maintain proper posture and form to prevent injury.

Optimal Sets and Reps:  Aim for three sets of one to two minutes.

High Knees And Single-Foot Hops

For this routine, you may go back to using a lighter rope.

The high knee routine entails jumping while lifting your knees as high as possible. And single-foot hops are when you jump rope to lose weight with one foot at a time. Both of these exercises are particularly beneficial for increasing the intensity of the jumps. So much so that there is more fat-burning and energy expenditure.

You also increase the mobility of the knees and ankles and your overall balancing and coordination. You must keep shifting your center of gravity with either the high knee or single-foot hops.

How to do: 

1. Begin with high knees, lifting one knee at a time.
2. Transition to single-foot hops while maintaining a brisk pace.
3. Alternate knees and hops for the desired duration.
4. Engage the core and maintain steady breathing.
5. Customize intensity based on fitness level and goals.

Tips:

• Start at a moderate pace to avoid straining or losing balance.
• Maintain proper form throughout, focusing on core engagement.
• Gradually increase the duration of each variation as your fitness improves.

Optimal Sets and Reps: Three sets of 30 seconds for each variation.

Double Unders

Double Unders are a more advanced jump routine that entails one passing two rope reps under one hop. These require more upper body stamina as you have to hold yourself airborne longer as you engage your upper body to move the rope faster. 

For double unders, you need to use a lighter rope and even lighter shoes. You have to be super careful because the injury rate with these jumps is higher.

How to do: 

1. Hold jump rope handles at hip level.
2. Jump, spinning the rope twice per jump.
3. Use wrist flick for quick rotations.
4. Land softly, keeping knees slightly bent.
5. Practice for coordination and endurance.

Tips:

• Ensure proper rope length for your height.
• Maintain a relaxed grip to avoid fatigue.
• Start slowly and progress as you improve.

Optimal Sets and Reps: Three sets of 30 seconds. Adjust according to your fitness level and goals.

Is Jump Rope Good For Weight Loss?

Does jumping rope help you lose weight? Cardio is any exercise or physical activity that gets your heart rate up and stays there for a while. And as you work out, you breathe faster and deeper, enhancing your lung capacity.

These high-intensity workouts are beneficial because they get your blood pumping faster throughout your body. As a result, more oxygen and nutrients are supplied to all your muscles and body organs.

Jumping rope is one of the best exercises that boost cardiovascular and pulmonary fitness.^[1] You breathe faster, and your heart rate goes up. So, yes, jumping rope is good cardio!

After some time of continuous jumping, more oxygenated blood must be carried to the engaged muscles, causing your pulse rate and breathing rate to increase to satisfy the higher demand for oxygen and nourishment.

This will help bolster your heart and continue to boost your lung capacity after a while, enabling you to work out for more extended periods. It results in faster detoxification, healing, respiratory health, cardiovascular fitness, and overall well-being.

Benefits Of Jumping Rope To Lose Weight

Besides the indisputable benefits for heart health^[2] from a jump rope routine, here are the other jump rope benefits you get from it:

Burning Calories

Jumping rope is an effective full-body workout that is thermogenic, and that is how it helps you burn fat and support weight loss.

Muscle cells consume calories to allow the fibers to flex when you work out. The power from these calories is primarily used for motion, although a significant portion is wasted as heat. That is why you feel hot and sweaty while jumping rope. As you increase the intensity of your workout routine, more energy is dissipated in the form of heat.

In addition to burning more calories through jump rope, you’re also losing more calories due to heat loss. This boosts the fat-burning process and speeds up weight loss.

Muscle Strengthening

Jumping rope is a great way to get a full-body workout.^[3] Jumping rope works your lower body, including the buttock, thigh, and calf muscles. In the upper body, it works the biceps, triceps, and shoulder muscles; in the midsection, it works the stomach muscles. 

This can significantly help enhance muscle endurance muscular stamina and strength, which enables your muscles to work out for more extended periods. It also helps supply raw power, which is helpful in sports such as sprinting.^[4]

It May Help Your Coordination And Balance

Including jump rope workouts in your training program will help you gain balance and coordination.^[5] Jumping rope requires arm, leg, and torso synchronization and maintaining a consistent rhythm. Additionally, you must retain perfect balance to keep your center of gravity in your core and allow your feet to lift off the floor repeatedly.

You may choose how fast you jump and rotate the rope, so you can gradually improve your posture and balance depending on your demands.

Strengthening The Bones

Jumping rope is a high-intensity activity that strengthens the bones by putting them under a healthy amount of stress. The body reacts to the increased pressure on bones by reinforcing them to be sturdier and denser as an individual skips.

In one study,^[6] after engaging in twenty minutes of skipping rope and full-body stimulation biweekly for 22 weeks, the bone mineral density of Olympic swimmers improved dramatically, mostly in the femoral neck^[7] (part of the thigh bone) and the lumbar spine.

Because a rope workout is good for bone health,^[8] it’s also an excellent strategy to avoid injuries. Moreover, jumping rope helps to increase ankle flexibility by training the muscles that support the joints.

Jumping rope and other comparable workouts have yielded similar benefits in other bones, like the hip bone in premenopausal women.^[9]

It’s Entertaining

Exercising can be a chore for many individuals, but skipping rope may change that!

Jumping rope, especially done in a group with some music, is a fun and effective workout that can help you enjoy your workout again. With such a workout routine, you can change up your practice to add variety and difficulty.

The more you enjoy your workout, the more inclined you are to continue doing it in the long run.

How Many Calories Does Jumping Rope Burn?

The number of jump ropes calories burned will depend on the type of jumps you are partaking in and the duration of your skips. Your body weight is also another factor that may affect your calorie burn rate when you skip. 

For instance, a 91-kg or 200-pound individual can burn 362 calories by jumping rope swiftly for twenty minutes. Or the same individual may burn 241 calories by jumping rope steadily for the same duration.

In a nutshell, including skipping rope into your everyday routine can assist in achieving the necessary calorie deficit for weight loss.

How Long Should I Jump Rope To Lose Weight?

You can burn between 15 and 20 calories every minute. So, according to simple math, a 15-minute jumping workout will burn 200 to 300 calories.

Regardless, you should conduct a thorough assessment before determining how long you should jump rope. Make healthier nutritional and other lifestyle choices to help this, such as minimizing alcohol and fast food consumption, which can slow you down.

Final Thought

As per the many studies on its efficiency, jumping rope is helpful for all age groups and genders: adolescents^[10] and adults. It helps with heart health, bone, metabolism, coordination, and weight loss.

Jumping rope is beneficial, so it is wise to give it a try no matter what sport you are in, be it sprinting, boxing, soccer, or swimming. It helps you gain stamina and muscle endurance and increases bone density, balance, and coordination.

Your respiratory and heart fitness is also significantly impacted. And even if you are not a sporty person, jumping rope burn fat for weight loss is also helpful. You burn enough calories to lose weight from skipping just a few minutes.

Most of us know that exercise is important for physical health, but that doesn’t mean we get enough of it. Exercise statistics are quite enlightening, as they provide insight into the proportion of Americans who don’t get enough exercise. 

Below, learn the latest exercise stats. Hopefully, learning this information will motivate you to take charge of your health and get the exercise you need.

Exercise Statistics

Exercise Time Statistics

• In 2018, 24.2%^[3] of people surveyed did not exercise or participate in sports. 
• In the same year, 18.3%^[3] of people stated they got under an hour of exercise per week.
• The percentages of people in other weekly exercise ranges were as follows:
  • One to two hours: 15.15%.^[3]
  • Three to four hours: 14.63%.^[3]
  • Five to six hours: 10.17%.^[3]
  • Seven to eight hours: 7.22%.^[3]
  • Nine to 10 hours: 4.03%.^[3]
  • 11 or more hours: 5.56%.^[3]

A significant proportion of people do not get much exercise. Nearly one-quarter^[3] do not exercise at all, and almost one-fifth^[3] get less than an hour of exercise weekly.  

Exercise Statistics By Age And Sex

• Overall, 28.3%^[1] of men and 20.4%^[1] of women got enough aerobic and muscle-strengthening exercise in 2018. 
• Among those aged 18-34, 41.3%^[1] of men and 28.7%^[1] of women got enough exercise. 
• In the age range of 35-49, 29.4%^[1] of men and 22.7%^[1] of women got enough exercise.
• Among those aged 50-64, 21.6%^[1] of men and 17.6%^[1] of women got sufficient exercise.
• In the age bracket of 65 and up, 15.3%^[1] of men and 10.8%^[1] of women exercise sufficiently.

Compared to women, men in all age brackets are more likely^[1] to get enough aerobic and muscle-strengthening exercise. In addition, the percentage of people getting sufficient activity declines^[1] with increasing age. This is true for both men and women. 

These physical exercise statistics are based on the percentage of adults meeting physical activity guidelines. These guidelines^[4] state adults should get at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic exercise weekly. Guidelines also state adults should do muscle-strengthening activities incorporating all major muscle groups at least twice weekly. 

According to government physical activity guidelines, moderate exercise^[4] includes activities like brisk walking at 2.5-4 mph. Vigorous aerobic exercise^[4] involves running, jogging, or taking an intense fitness class. 

Exercise Statistics By Race

• Among non-Hispanic Whites, 30.5%^[1] of men and 24.3%^[1] of women get enough aerobic and muscle-strengthening exercise.
• In non-Hispanic Blacks, 29.7%^[1] of men and 16.5%^[1] of women get enough exercise.
• Among Hispanics, 23.5%^[1] of men and 18.0%^[1] of women get sufficient exercise. 
• In non-Hispanic Asians, 30.2%^[1] of men and 16.7%^[1] of women get enough exercise. 

Men of all races are more likely^[1] than women to meet guidelines for aerobic and muscle-strengthening exercise. The highest rates^[1] of adherence to exercise guidelines are for non-Hispanic White men, closely followed by non-Hispanic Asian men. Hispanic men are least likely^[1] to meet exercise guidelines.

Among women, non-Hispanic Whites are most likely^[1] to get sufficient aerobic and muscle-strengthening exercise. Non-Hispanic Black women are least likely^[1] to meet exercise guidelines. 

According to Sean Klein, certified personal trainer and founder of https://programme.app/,^[5] “Historically, men have been encouraged to participate in more physical activities than women, leading to a higher tendency for exercise.” He further states, “This way, men also have more opportunities for physical activity due to their involvement in sports or other physically demanding jobs.” 

Andrew White, a certified personal trainer through the National Association of Sports Medicine, agrees. He states, “Historically, fitness spaces have been male-dominated, making them less

inviting for women.” He also adds, “Women also often shoulder more domestic responsibilities, such as childcare and household chores, limiting their time available for exercise: White is also the co-founder of garagegympro.com. 

Exercise Statistics By Income

• Among men under 100% of the Federal Poverty Level, 16.2%^[1] get sufficient aerobic and muscle-strengthening exercise.
• Among those at 100%-199% of FPL, 20.0%^[1] of men meet exercise guidelines.
• In men with incomes at least 200% of the FPL, 32.4%^[1] get enough exercise.
• In women under 100% of FPL, 9.9%^[1] get enough exercise.
• In women at 100%-199% of FPL, 13.6%^[1] get enough exercise. This is compared to 25.9%^[1] earning at least 200% of FPL.

In both men and women, exercise adherence increases^[1] with increasing income. Men of all income ranges are more likely^[1] to get sufficient exercise compared to women. 

According to Andrew White, NASM certified personal trainer, “Income levels significantly impact an individual’s access to exercise opportunities.” He further states, “Those with higher incomes often have easier access to fitness facilities and equipment, and their living environments may include personal gyms or neighborhoods with parks and running tracks.” This explains why people of higher income levels are more likely to meet exercise guidelines. 

Exercise Facts To Know

Above, we’ve provided physical exercise stats for adults. There is additional information to know about exercise, including exercise rates among children.

Most Children Don’t Get Enough Exercise 

Physical activity guidelines^[4] state that children aged six to 17 should get at least 60 minutes of daily exercise. Most exercise should consist of aerobic physical activity, and children should exercise vigorously at least three times weekly. Children should also do muscle and bone-strengthening exercises at least three times weekly as part of their 60 minutes of activity. 

Unfortunately, many children do not meet these guidelines for physical activity. In 2017, just 24%^[2] of children ages six to 17 got enough exercise. Furthermore, only 26.1%^[2] of high schoolers met exercise guidelines. 

Among high school students, 51.1%^[2] did muscle-strengthening activities at least three times per week in 2017. 

Physical Inactivity Is A Global Concern

Physical exercise statistics show that European countries also struggle with a lack of physical activity among citizens. A study of 28 European countries found that 36.2%^[6] of people in these countries are physically inactive. The World Health Organization health statistics show that 80% of adolescents and 27% of adults do not meet their recommended levels^[7] of physical activity.

As is the case in the United States, European women are less likely^[6] than men to get enough exercise. European adults 40-54 and 55-64 are less likely^[6] to exercise in moderate to high amounts than those 18-24. 

In an Ethiopian study in 2016, 54.9%^[8] of adults reported being physically active. Among men, 63.9%^[8] were physically active, compared to 50.6%^[8] of women.

Physical Activity Levels Vary By State

Statistics about working out show that there is wide variation in exercise habits among states. Colorado has the lowest rates of physical inactivity, at 17.7%.^[9] In addition to Colorado, Utah, Washington, and Vermont have rates of physical inactivity under 20%.^[9] 

Puerto Rico and seven different U.S. states had physical inactivity levels over 30%.^[9] These states included West Virginia, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Alabama, Kentucky, Arkansas, and Mississippi. 
Southern states have the highest average rates of physical inactivity, at 27.5%.^[9] The rate of physical inactivity is 25.2%^[9] in the Midwest and 24.7%^[9] in the Northeast. It is 21.0%^[9] in the West.

The Importance Of Exercise For Health

The low proportion of people who get regular physical activity is concerning because exercise provides many health benefits.  On the other hand, a sedentary lifestyle comes with health risks. These facts are described in more detail below.

Heart Health Benefits

Regular physical activity is beneficial for heart health. It reduces the risk that someone will develop heart disease.^[10] It also lowers the risk of dying from cardiovascular disease. 

Exercise protects heart health by reducing blood pressure^[11] and blood cholesterol levels. In fact, exercise is so beneficial that it’s the first line of treatment^[11] for mildly to moderate high blood pressure. 

Reduced Risk Of Cancer

People who exercise regularly are at lower risk of cancer. Statistics on the benefits of exercise show that exercise reduces cancer risk by 10%-20%.^[12]

Meeting guidelines for moderate or greater intensity exercise can reduce the risk of the following cancers:^[12]

• Bladder cancer.
• Breast cancer.
• Colon cancer.
• Endometrial cancer.
• Esophageal cancer. 

Lower Risk Of Death

Active adults are at a lower risk of dying from all causes. Those who get the recommended amounts of aerobic or muscle-strengthening activity are at reduced risk^[13] of death. 

More specifically, health statistics show that regular exercise reduces the risk of death^[13] from  heart disease, cancer, and chronic lower respiratory tract conditions and improves current health status. Meeting guidelines for both aerobic physical activity and muscle-strengthening exercises reduces death risk by 40%.^[13] 

For people with chronic conditions, physical activity^[4] improves the quality of life and reduces the risk of death from those conditions. 

Improved Mental Health

Physical activity has been found to improve brain health,^[4] which is beneficial for mental health functioning. Improvements in brain health from exercise can lead to better cognitive functioning and reduced risk of depression and anxiety. 

Reduced Diabetes Risk

Regular physical activities can prevent diabetes^[14] or delay its development. Aerobic exercise and strength training increase insulin sensitivity. This is associated with reduced diabetes risk.

In those who have diabetes, exercise improves overall health. This is true for individuals with both type 1 and type 2 diabetes. 

Immune System Functioning

Getting enough physical activity can enhance the functioning of the immune system.^[15] Regular moderate exercise is especially effective for immune system health. It can reduce inflammation and stress, promoting a healthy immune system.  While moderate exercise benefits immunity, repeated, intense exercise^[15] may be detrimental. Intensive training, such as training for a marathon, can weaken the immune system response.

Weight Management

Regular physical activity also plays a role in weight management. Exercise burns calories, which puts a person in a negative energy balance.^[16] This means they’re burning more calories than they consume, which is essential for weight loss. 

Exercise is associated with weight loss^[16] and loss of body fat. It can also help people to maintain their weight loss over time. This is important because weight regain is common. 

Benefits For Children And Older Adults 

In addition to the general health benefits of exercise, there are specific benefits for certain age groups. 

In children,^[2] exercise is associated with better grades, improved memory, and consistent school attendance. Children who regularly exercise also have improved concentration and better behavior in the school classroom. 

In older adults, regular exercise reduces^[4] the risk of falls, according to health statistics related to the benefits of exercise. 

The Risks Of Not Exercising

Regular exercise comes with health benefits, whereas not exercising is damaging to health. Sedentary behavior^[2] can lead to positive energy balance, meaning a person eats more calories than they burn. Over time, this can cause weight gain and obesity.

Other health risks^[2] associated with lack of physical activity include increased risk of the following health conditions:

• Increased risk of all types of heart disease, including coronary heart disease.
• Increased blood pressure, blood cholesterol, and triglycerides.
• Higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes because of increases in blood sugar combined with reduced insulin sensitivity. 
• Reduced bone mineral density, which can cause osteoporosis.
• Higher risk of various types of cancer. 

How To Make Exercise A Part Of Your Regular Routine

Clearly, there are benefits associated with following physical activity guidelines. If you do not get the recommended amount of physical activity, you can make changes to improve your current health status.

Remember, government guidelines recommend that adults get at least 150 minutes^[4] of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise weekly. Moderate-intensity exercise means working out at an age-adjusted (220-age) target heart rate^[17] of 64%-76%. Adults should also do strength training exercises, targeting all major muscle groups, twice weekly. 

If you’re currently not getting enough exercise for your age group, it can be helpful to start small. The benefits of physical activity, such as decreased diabetes risk, begin below the recommended^[4] 150 minutes/week. This means that you can enjoy the health benefits of physical activity, even if you aren’t quite meeting guidelines.

To get 150 minutes of moderate or greater intensity exercise weekly, you could walk briskly for 30 minutes five times weekly. If this is too much, start with two or three weekly walks, and work your way up. You might also prefer workouts on a cardio machine, like an elliptical. 

Muscle-strengthening guidelines require you to work your muscles^[4] harder than usual. This involves creating resistance by using bands, weights, or body weight. According to the CDC,^[18] adults need to follow muscle-strengthening guidelines two days a week. 

You should gradually work your way up to two weekly strength training sessions. Incorporate all muscle groups, including legs, hips, arms, shoulders, core, chest, and back. 

Be sure to consult with a doctor before starting any new exercise program. Sean Klein, certified personal trainer recommends, “I suggest finding an exercise routine that fits your lifestyle and interests.” He concludes, “It’s important to make it a priority and schedule it into your day, just like any other appointment or commitment.” 

Conclusion

Statistics related to physical activity show that most U.S. adults are not sufficiently physically active. The percentage of people who meet physical activity guidelines varies by race, sex, income, and age. However, overall, 28.3%^[1] of men and 20.4%^[1] of women got enough aerobic and muscle-strengthening exercise in 2018. 

These statistics demonstrate that many people are missing out on the benefits of regular exercise. If you’re not regularly active, it can be helpful to incorporate more exercise into your routine. Learn about the physical activity guidelines, and take steps to increase your daily exercise. 

Can you reduce the size of your mon pubis? How to reduce mons pubis at home? Many women live life dreading this part of their bodies—unlike the belly and posterior, it can often appear to be much larger than what some would consider ideal, even if one has little excess body fat to deal with elsewhere.

You know her. You love her. Every woman has a FUPA (fat upper pubic area). Here’s how you can make the most of yours.

Mons Pubis Fat Loss Exercise

As always, the best way to lose weight in any area of the body is daily cardio in combination with high-intensity interval training, and HIIT. A few mons pubis fat loss exercise to prevent weight gain in this area include the following.

Planks

This classic powerhouse move is a whole-body workout, and it requires nothing but some space and an exercise mat. 

Fun variations include side planks, forearm planks, mountain climbers, and even burpees. The harder you push yourself, the better your results will end up being.

How to do: 

1. Start in a push-up position with elbows bent 90 degrees.
2. Keep the body straight, engage the core, and hold.
3. Maintain plank for the desired duration.
4. Breathe steadily and avoid sagging or arching.
5. Gradually increase time as core strength improves.

Tips:

• Maintain a straight line from head to heels to engage core muscles effectively.
• Keep your neck in a neutral position, looking down at the floor, to avoid straining your neck.
• Focus on your breathing; inhale deeply through your nose and exhale slowly through your mouth while holding the plank position.

Optimal Sets and Reps: Three sets of 20-30 seconds hold.

Crunches

Crunches and sit-ups are some of the best home workouts to burn fat in the belly, sides, and FUPA. Bicycle crunches are especially useful in this regard, as they get your entire body moving, from head to toe.

How to do: 

1. Lie on your back with knees bent, and feet flat.
2. Cross arms over chest or place hands behind head.
3. Lift the upper body, engage the core, and exhale.
4. Lower back down without straining the neck.
5. Perform desired reps, and focus on controlled movements.

Tips: 

• Avoid pulling on your neck; instead, focus on lifting with your core.
• Exhale as you crunch up, inhale on the way down.
• Maintain a steady, controlled pace throughout the exercise to engage your core effectively.

Optimal Sets and Reps: Three sets of 15-20 reps.

Leg Flutters

Ordinary leg raises are great when conditioning your core. You can burn fat more effectively, however, by adding in a simple leg flutter. How?

How to do: 

1. Lie on your back with your legs straight and arms by your sides.
2. Lift legs slightly off the ground, keeping them straight.
3. Alternate rapid, small up-and-down movements with both legs.
4. Engage core, and breathe steadily throughout the exercise.
5. Perform for the desired duration while maintaining control.

Tips:

• Keep your lower back pressed firmly against the floor to engage your core.
• Maintain a controlled fluttering motion, avoiding excessive leg movement.
• Focus on your breathing to stay relaxed and in control during the exercise.

Optimal Sets and Reps: You can perform them in a timed duration. Perform for 30-60 seconds.

Supported Leg Lifts

Much like mountain climbers, burpees, and bicycle crunches, using a chair or a barre for support opens up a whole new world of easy cardio moves like leg lifts and drops.

How to do: 

1. Lean forward, utilizing furniture for balance.
2. Engage core and glutes, and lift knee to waist level on each side.
3. Repeat until muscle fatigue.
4. Maintain proper form, akin to a plank, for effective fat loss.

Tips:

• Focus on controlled and deliberate leg lifts to engage target muscles effectively.
• Use a stable surface or furniture for support to maintain balance.
• Engage your core and lift one leg at a time, avoiding excessive swinging.

Optimal Sets and Reps: Three sets of 12-15 repetitions per leg.

The Boat

The boat pose is a popular move in yoga, and you can modify it into what’s essentially a full-body sit-up, which is perfect when targeting fat cells in the pubic mound.

How to do: 

1. Lie flat on your back, arms straight and at your side. 
2. Lift both your upper body and your legs, keeping your arms straight and suspended as you bend inward. 
3. Draw your knees up and into your chest as you lift yourself. 
4. Return to your starting position and continue as you please.

Tips:

• Focus on maintaining steady breathing throughout the exercise to stay relaxed and engaged.
• Sit up tall, engage your core, and balance on your sitting bones.
• Keep your chest lifted and shoulders relaxed to avoid straining.

Optimal Sets and Reps: Start with three sets of 15-20 seconds hold and gradually increase duration.

What Is Mons Pubis Fat?

The mons pubis, also called the pubic mound, the mons, and the fat upper pubic area is the outermost part of the female anatomy. You may recognize it as the mound of fatty tissue on top of^[1] the pubic bone.

The mons pubis bears pubic hair, but it also acts as a cushion during sexual intercourse and secretes pheromones associated with sex. It’s a completely normal part of the female anatomy, but many women perceive themselves poorly in this area.

You don’t need a tummy tuck to reduce excess mons pubis fat, although that certainly is one way to proceed.

What Causes Mons Pubis Fat?

If you feel that your jeans are just a bit too snug in this area, you’re in luck: loose skin, excess fat, and a sagging lower belly will all usually have some root cause. A larger-than-normal fat upper pubic area may come as a result of body fat distribution, a lack of mons pubis fat loss exercise, an unhealthy diet, hormonal imbalance, or even just plain old genetics.

It’s the same as with any other area of the body—the tendency to store fat in one part of the body or another is inheritable by up to around 60 percent^[2] after BMI is factored into the equation. Fat cells in the mons pubis may or may not be reflective of your body composition overall, but maintaining healthy body weight is one way to minimize excess fat in this area naturally.

With that being said, it’s worth reiterating that your BMI as a whole should be taken into consideration before taking any extreme measures against your FUPA. If you’re already well within the healthy upper weight limit for your body size, we encourage you to embrace your mons, not try to get rid of them.

Again, the mons pubis is nothing to be ashamed of; some people have a large mons pubis, and it may have nothing to do with body fat percentage overall. However, losing weight, if you need to, will certainly help you slim down your mons pubis area. Here’s how to do it the right way.

How To Get Rid Of Excess Pubic Fat

Our advice? If you need to lose weight, doing so should be your first course of action. 

Consider this option before you consider doing anything invasive or dangerous—with the right diet and daily routine, you can improve the appearance of your pubic area significantly, all while improving your health and fitness levels as a whole in the process.

Healthy Diet And Cardio Exercise

If you’re serious about whipping your pubic area into shape, your first goal should be to lose fat through a steady, daily calorie deficit. Accomplishing this is easy through a better diet and more exercise.

Besides mons pubis fat loss exercise, we’ll talk more about how to lose mons pubis fat through diet and lifestyle in a moment—loose skin, excess fat, and a sagging lower abdomen can all be tightened up easily with the right attitude, and some time.

Plastic Surgery For Mons Pubis

If weight gain simply isn’t the problem, you do have other clinical means of action. Cosmetic surgery for the mons pubis isn’t exactly the most common type of procedure, but it’s well within the realm of what’s medically possible.

What is monsplasty? It’s a classification of procedures devoted exclusively to this sensitive region. It’s sort of like a tummy tuck that focuses on the upper pubic area—pubic fat and excess skin are removed, and the pubic area is then buttoned back up neatly.

Liposuction may also play a role in your experience. This type of procedure can either be used on its own to get rid of excess fat in the pubic area or conjunction with more extensive mentoplasty, as described above.

Your results, ideally, will be a much lower pubic mound, resulting in an anatomical profile that appears to be sexier, slimmer, and slinkier. It’s an intensive process and usually quite expensive, but it’s an option if weight loss just isn’t delivering the image you crave.

Abdominoplasty, in a general sense, is also one way to address fatty tissue located in the pubic area. This cohort^[3] of obese patients with pendulous bellies and mons pubis deformities were able to successfully improve the appearances of their lower abdomen and pubic mound. 

These results proved to be long-lasting—over nearly three years, the researchers behind this effort were able to track the patient satisfaction of the participants, which appeared to remain strong across the board.

Diet Plan To Reduce Pubic Fat

Finally, our most important piece of advice. It’s so much easier to get rid of fat in the mons pubis when you support your efforts through a rich, nourishing diet.

Maintaining your deficit will inevitably be the most important thing to remember here. You can eat what you like and when you like, as long as your dietary habits don’t outpace your activity levels as a whole.

What makes a great diet? It depends. If you love to eat, we recommend choosing low-calorie, high-volume options like big salads, veggie roasts, and sweet fruit smoothies. If you love a good fat bomb, plan your days around small, extremely sustaining meals and snacks, taking care to keep track of your intake and expenditure overall.

There’s no single, perfect way to do it—the best way to lose FUPA fat is the routine that you have time for and can stick to realistically. Beyond that, though? It’s all up to you.

Conclusion

Losing weight is never impossible, even in this area of the body that tends to be especially stubborn. Every woman’s mind is different, and we don’t always have the power to change our appearance intrinsically without resorting to drastic options like plastic surgery like a question of how to get rid of mons pubis fat without surgery. 

Instead of fixating on your pubic mound, we urge you to embrace it as a natural part of your body. If weight loss in this area compels you into a better, healthier way of life in the process, all the better.

For most people, exercising is one of the ways to lose belly fat and manage weight. Were you aware that you can use exercise to do more than lose belly fat? You can use it to gain weight and muscle mass. Exercising may not be the easiest and preferred way for most people looking for healthy weight gain, but it is very effective at bulking up. While for some people, it is challenging to lose weight through exercise, it is even more challenging to gain weight.

However, the good news is that knowing the proper exercises to help you gain weight and doing them the right way will help you achieve your desired results quickly. There are even workouts to gain weight for females that you can effectively try out. Below, we have compiled a list of exercises to gain weight for females, and the best part is you can do some of them at home with a tracking application (app) and no equipment.

Exercises To Gain Weight For Females

Pull Up

Pull-ups^[1] are an effective weight-gain exercise to bulk up muscle, especially when combined with weights. You mustn’t start with the most strenuous pull-up workouts, mainly if you are a novice. Start with basic exercises and then move on to advanced pull-ups (weighted pull-ups) once your core strength improves; thus, you can handle them more easily.

These weight-gain exercises are easy to do at home or the gym; you only need a pull-up bar.

How to do:

1. Ensure your arms are aligned to your shoulder (the width between your arms should be the same as your shoulder width), and you’re facing the back of your palms. Now, grab the bar with both hands.
2. Start pulling yourself up until your feet leave the ground, and then continue pulling your body up until the chin is clear above the bat.
3. Start lowering yourself slowly until your feet touch the ground and your arms are straight.
4. Repeat until you reach the number of pull-ups you desire.

Tips:

• Maintain a firm grip on the bar with palms facing away.
• Engage your back and core muscles to pull your body up.
• Lower yourself down with control to maximize muscle engagement.

Optimal Sets and Reps: Aim for three to four sets of six to 10 repetitions per set.

Push-Ups

If you are a novice, push-ups^[2] are an excellent exercise routine for those who want to build muscle in their upper body. It is, therefore, one of the most effective workouts to gain weight for women while strengthening their arm and shoulder muscles.

How to do: 

1. Start by lying face down on the ground.
2. Ensure your hands are slightly wider than the width of your shoulders.
3. Slowly push your upper body up until you fully extend your arms.
4. Now, lower your body until your chest is slightly off the ground.
5. After a slight pause, slowly push your body up until your arms are fully extended.
6. Repeat as many times as desired.

Tips:

• Maintain a straight line from head to heels to avoid sagging or arching.
• Engage your core and glutes for stability and support.
• Start with proper form and gradually increase sets and reps.

Optimal Sets and Reps: Aim for three to four sets of eight to 12 push-ups per set.

Squats 

One of the most standard exercise routines for those looking to strengthen and tone the lower body is squats.^[3] Additionally, they are frequently and widely used as a workout to gain weight fast for females.

As in most basic workout exercises, maintaining the correct form is essential when doing squats. Also, novices should start with conventional squats before moving on to more challenging variations (which involve adding weights).

How to do: 

1. Start by standing straight (ensure your back is straight) and position your feet, so they are a little broader than the width of your hip. Move your arms in front while still ensuring your posture remains straight.
2. Next, your glutes should be squeezed together, and start moving your butt backward.
3. Exhale to engage your body’s core muscles and simultaneously push your butt outwards as you bend your knees.
4. Sit (use an imaginary chair) while ensuring that the heel supports your weight. Continue lowering the hip joints until they are below your knee line. This position is what is called a full squat.
5. Keep yourself in this posture for a few seconds.
6. You can now exhale and start standing while ensuring your weight is only supported by your heels.

Tips:

• Keep knees aligned with toes to protect joints.
• Maintain a neutral spine by looking straight ahead.
• Engage core muscles for stability and strength.

Optimal Sets and Reps: Aim for three to four sets of eight to 12 squats per set.

Tricep Dips

These simple back and arm workouts can be done at home and do not need fancy equipment. Tricep dips^[4] are one of the best workouts to gain weight for women. While maintaining the proper form, the workouts also help promote muscular growth in the upper body. It is also a good exercise for developing lean muscles and strengthening your body for other workouts such as bench press routines.

How to do: 

1. Sit on the edge of a bench or a chair and use your hands to grip the edges.
2. Get off the seat or bench and lower your hip until it is slightly off the ground.
3. Ensure that you maintain this posture while applying pressure only to the palms.
4. Slowly raise yourself until you return to your original seated posture.
5. Repeat the steps until you get to the number of dips you desire.

Tips:

• Focus on a controlled, full range of motion to maximize effectiveness.
• Maintain a stable core and avoid shrugging your shoulders.
• Use proper form with elbows pointing backward, not flaring out.

Optimal Sets and Reps:  Two or three sets of eight to 10 reps.

Lunges

Like squats, lunges are a good exercise for women who want to tone and gain hip and leg muscles. Lunges^[5] offers an effective exercise routine to gain weight due to muscle bulking. As with most other workout exercises, beginners should start with simple workouts and then go to complex lunge variations involving weights.

How to do: 

1. Stand straight and start by flexing the abdominal muscles.
2. Take a significant forward step.
3. Begin lowering the body while ensuring that your shin remains vertical. Also, the thigh has to be parallel to the ground.
4. Press back on the heel and slowly return to your starting position.
5. Repeat the exercise with the other leg.
6. Repeat this set until you achieve the number of repetitions (reps) you desire.

Tips:

• Keep knees aligned with toes to protect your joints.
• Maintain an upright posture to avoid leaning forward.
• Engage core muscles for stability and balance.

Optimal Sets and Reps: Aim for three to four sets of eight to 12 lunges per leg.

Bench Press

These weight-centered exercises use weights to gain chest muscles. Since these exercises involve weights, you should take the necessary precautions to avoid any workout injuries. Also, training properly will lead to more efficient bench press exercise^[6] routines, meaning you will gain weight faster.

How to do: 

1. With the bar of the weights (only the bar without any weights), lay on the bench and assume the right position and form.
2. Start with warm-up exercises with only the bar before adding any weights.
3. After adding weights, make sure that you hold the bar properly and lock out your elbows.
4. Inhale while lowering the bar to your chest
5. Lower the weight slowly until it is slightly off your chest.
6. Next, slowly raise the bar of your chest while you exhale until your arms are completely stretched. Watch the ceiling, not the bar
7. Once the bar is in the initial position; you can repeat the steps until you complete your desired reps.
8. When you are finished with your reps, place the bar back in the rack with your elbows in a locked-out position.

Tips:

• Keep your feet flat on the floor and your back slightly arched to maintain proper form and stability.
• Ensure your grip on the barbell is slightly wider than shoulder-width to engage the correct muscles effectively.
• Lower the barbell to mid-chest level and press upwards in a controlled manner, avoiding locking your elbows at the top.

Optimal Sets and Reps: Three to four sets of eight to 12 repetitions each.

Deadlift 

This exercise is good for improving one’s posture and gaining muscular mass. It also serves to strengthen and tone the muscles in your legs. Deadlift^[7] equipment that can be used includes barbells, dumbbells, and kettlebells.

How to do: 

1. Start by standing and ensure the midfoot is below your barbell.
2. With your hands shoulder-width apart, bend and grasp the barbell.
3. Now, kneel until the shin and bar make contact. From this position, raise your chest and ensure your spine is straight.
4. Breathe deep, and now bring the weight to your feet. Lift the weight while maintaining your posture and ensure the knees and hips are locked for about a second.
5. Bring the weight back to the ground by sliding the hips backward and bending the legs.
6. Relax for one second, and repeat as many times as you want.

Tips:

• Keep your back straight and core engaged to prevent injury and ensure proper lifting form.
• Start with your feet hip-width apart, gripping the barbell so your arms are just outside your legs.
• Drive the lift through your heels, keeping the barbell close to your body as you stand up fully.

Optimal Sets and Reps: Perform three to five sets of five to eight repetitions.

Crunches

In addition to being a way to lose belly fat, crunches^[8] also help you gain lean muscle mass and strengthen your core muscles.

How to do: 

1. Start by lying flat on a yoga mat or carpet. Ensure your feet are flat on the mat and bend your knees.
2. Contract your abdominals and cross your hands over your chest as you inhale.
3. Relax your neck and head, and bring your upper body up as you exhale, using your abdominal muscles to pull you up.
4. Go back to the starting position and repeat the steps as frequently as desired.

Tips:

• Keep your chin off your chest and gaze upwards to avoid neck strain.
• Engage your core and lift your upper body slowly without pulling on your neck with your hands.
• Exhale as you crunch up and inhale as you lower back down, maintaining controlled movements.

Optimal Sets and Reps: Perform three sets of 15-20 repetitions each.

Do Workouts Help Females Gain Weight?

Short answer, YES. However, you have to make sure you do exercises geared towards helping you improve your muscle mass and thus weight. The workout plan to gain weight for females above is a great place to start. Also, ensure you exercise correctly and with the right workout equipment. And, remember to breathe!

How Much Weight Should You Gain?

No one answer fits all answers to this question. You can safely add two pounds per week with proper exercise and a diet plan. Remember that this is muscle mass.

You can stop or relax your exercising when you achieve the body weight you want. From this point onward, you should consider a weight gain workout that will help you maintain your weight and body shape while keeping you fit.

Conclusion

The above exercises to gain weight for females are an excellent way to get you started on your journey to achieving the body you want. To be safe and get the most from any workout session, please observe the following:

Ensure you are doing the exercises correctly, and maintain the correct form while doing them. This will help you avoid any exercise-related injuries and get the most out of your workout routine. When exercising, please ensure that you stop the exercise if you feel any pain. While exercise can be strenuous and tiring, it should not be painful.

Pain is a sign of doing something wrong or more than your body can handle. It might also be because of an injury. In short, never try to push through the pain. Ensure you combine your exercises for weight gain routines with a healthy diet plan and tracking apps. Doing so will ensure you get even better results and give your body the necessary nutrients before and after workouts.

The journey to a fitter, healthier lifestyle is never-ending without a twist board weight loss or incorporating twist board exercises. If you’re anything like us, you’ve tried it all. Two-week water cleanses? Fat burners for men and women? Done and done. What else is there to try?

Can twist boards be used to lose weight? How many calories does a twist board burn? We’ll answer all of these questions and more in this handy twist board guide.

Twist Board Exercises: Steps To Tone Your Physique With A Twist Board

Before you get into higher-intensity exercise, we recommend getting acquainted with your balancing board first. The more familiar you are with the way a twister board works and feels beneath your feet, the more likely you’ll be to avoid back injury and other disasters.

To get started, clear out some space in your home. Lay down a rug or an exercise mat, if desired, and grab a couple of hand weights if you’ve got them. 

Get In Position

• Stand on a twist board or balance board with one leg, pressing it firmly onto the board, while keeping the other leg slightly raised to maintain balance.
• Keep your knees slightly bent to maintain balance.
• Hold your arms straight out in front of you or place your hands on your hips.

This step primarily engages your core muscles, including the obliques, rectus abdominis, and transverse abdominis, to stabilize your body on the board.

Starting in this position helps improve your posture, balance, and overall core strength. It also enhances spinal stability.

Initiate The Twist

• Begin twisting your upper body to the left and right while pivoting on the board.
• Focus on contracting your core muscles to control the twisting motion.
• Keep your movements smooth and controlled.

The twisting action primarily targets the obliques, which are responsible for rotational movements.

Twisting exercises strengthen your oblique muscles, which can lead to improved waistline definition and better spinal mobility. This step also enhances your body’s ability to stabilize during dynamic movements.

Increase The Range

• As you become more comfortable with the twisting motion, gradually increase the range of your twists.
• Aim to twist your upper body as far as your flexibility allows while maintaining balance on the board.

Increasing the range of motion continues to work the obliques, along with the muscles in your lower back.

A greater range of motion challenges your core muscles further, leading to enhanced core strength and flexibility. It also contributes to better overall body coordination.

Add Intensity

• To intensify the exercise, pick up the pace of your twists without sacrificing control.
• Focus on engaging your core throughout the exercise to maintain balance and stability.

Adding intensity further engages the core muscles, including the rectus abdominis, to support the rapid twisting motion.

Increasing the speed and intensity of your twists can elevate your heart rate, leading to increased calorie burn and cardiovascular benefits. It also helps enhance core endurance.

Perform Sets And Repetitions

• Start with two to three sets of 10-15 twists in each direction (left and right).
• Gradually increase the sets and repetitions as your core strength improves.

Consistent sets and repetitions help build endurance and tone the targeted core muscles over time. Regular practice of twist board exercises can lead to a stronger core, improved balance, enhanced coordination, and a more sculpted midsection.

What Is A Twist Board?

Twist boards, sometimes called balancing boards, are a type of exercise equipment that can be adapted to several different muscle groups and exercise routines.

It’ll usually come in the form of either an oblong, flat deck with something round on the bottom that allows you to “ride” it, balancing like a stationary snowboard. One good example of this type of balance board is the Simply Fit Board, available on Amazon.

Aside from boards like the Simply Fit Board, you might also find other types of balancing boards and balance trainers, such as ones that resemble a big, bouncy balance ball with a flat, solid side to stand on. The BOSU Pro Balance Trainer is one option for those more interested in something along these lines.

No matter which type of twisting board you prefer, however, you’ll likely be feeling the burn in no time, especially if you’re not yet the proud owner of a set of washboard, six-pack abs.

Some of our favorite twist board moves for core strength, weight loss, upper bodywork, and ab work, in general, include:

1. Twist board squats: These can be performed in combination with shoulder presses or other related, weighted moves for a more intense workout)
2. Twist board planks and burpees: Perfect for those after that coveted six-pack physique
3. Upper body twist board workouts: Such as biceps curls, upright rows, and lateral raises with dumbbells or hand weights, all while balancing on your twist board
4. Yoga moves: Adapted for twist boards, especially any standing, or stationary moves that you love
5. Twist board cardio: Either straight-up or set to your favorite workout music

There are so many ways to work your core on a twist board. Here are a couple of other reasons to love these little marvels.

Twist Board Exercise Benefits

Twist boards, when used properly, are one of the best types of equipment to work out your abdominal groups. You’re able to improve balance, build a stronger midsection, and burn calories through several low-impact twist board activities.

One huge benefit of a twist board is how effectively it targets the body’s core. Your core^[1] is one of the most important groups of abdominal muscles that support the rest of the body’s ability to perform exercises. A twist board is one of the most effective tools that you can choose to improve the strength of your entire core.

Some of the other benefits of twist boards include:

• Twist boards are versatile; they can be used to strengthen your core, work out your lower body, do ab work, and perform some other exercises targeting more muscle groups
• They’re compact and cost very little
• They’re fun — they make weight loss and burning body fat an exciting game

Safety Precautions When Performing The Twister Exercise

For the most hardcore exercise fanatics out there, twist boards might feel less than challenging, but the good news is that there are no downsides to using them at home alongside a healthy diet. We consider it to be the perfect excuse to give it our all and to exercise harder.

As with any type of exercise, the best way to avoid injury and other adverse health conditions associated with exercise (such as tweaking your spine improperly, or even something like a meniscus tear, an injury of the cartilage in one’s knee – these can both come as a result of too much torque as you twist).

Twister boards are a lot of fun, but, just like with any other type of equipment, a bit of caution will help you prevent back strains and other types of injury^[2] as you use the board.

A couple of warnings if you’re new to twister boards or bodyweight exercises in general:

• Avoid twisting the back erratically or too quickly^[3]; try to keep any twisting motion or action away from the spine to avoid lower back injury.
• Take care to not lose your balance on the basic twist board, especially while performing more outlandish moves that displace your center of gravity greatly — falling off of a twist board is one of the easiest ways to end up on your rear, often literally.
• For beginners or anybody who notices low back pain or any other peculiarity after picking the habit up, short intervals of exercise might be the best way to prevent yourself from getting injured. 
• After exerting yourself vigorously, give yourself a brief cool-down period in order to give your body a chance to recover, especially if you’ve got another intense set of moves coming.

Ideally, you’ve got a spotter or a workout buddy who will be able to check you in the event of an emergency. If you’re careful, though, you should be fine, even if you’re using it on your own. 

For especially challenging moves, you can place your twist board right next to a wall or something steady that you can grab onto in the event of a misstep.

How Many Calories Does A Twist Board Exercise Burn?

As with any type of physical activity, the body fat that you burn will have a lot to do with several different factors — how high your heart rate is elevated throughout your workout, for example, and the intensity with which you perform each move.

Twisting boards are no exception to this. How many calories can you burn on a twister board?

There are few formal studies on how many calories a balancing board will burn, but the underlying principles at play remain largely the same as other forms of exercise documented more thoroughly within the scientific community. 

Body composition^[4], intensity, the magnitude of any added weighted equipment, and even whether or not you train in intervals^[5] will all have some influence over whether you burn more calories or fewer calories throughout a given session. You can expect to burn the same number of calories as you would during any other moderate bodyweight exercise routine.

The best ways to burn more calories and to achieve a strong core on a twist board include adding weights, including more muscles, trying things out in the opposite direction, and choosing challenging, unusual moves, and physical activity that your muscles aren’t used to.

When in doubt, we recommend mixing things up to maximize your weight loss and fitness goals. 

Conclusion

Those looking to burn more calories in their off-time might be interested in choosing a twist board. Weight loss, abs work, and balance training all come included in one small, convenient, and fun package, with no batteries required.

You wouldn’t think your legs are so important for abs — but they can strengthen and sculpt your abs better than crunches alone. They also target the lower abdominal muscles, which are usually the hardest to work on. 

Leg raises rank among the top exercises for activating the rectus abdominis^[1] — the much sought-after six-pack muscle. By practicing proper form and consistently incorporating leg raises into your exercise regimen, you’ll be well on your way to a stronger and more defined core.

A common misconception is that ab exercises can target stubborn tummy fat. Unfortunately, it’s impossible to target where exactly you’re going to lose weight on your body. But with a good exercise routine and healthy diet, you can work toward weight loss. And with these ab workouts, your flatter tummy will be showing off your muscles soon enough.

Best Leg Raises Abs Exercises

If you want to work your abs, leg raises are a fantastic exercise to incorporate into your fitness routine. They effectively target the entire abdominal region, including your lower abs, which can often be challenging to isolate.

Leg Raises

Let’s talk about how to perform leg raises for abs. 

How to do:

1. Begin by lying on your back, placing your hands under your gluteals with your arms straight, or on the floor beside you for support. Ensure that your lower back remains flat on the ground throughout the exercise.
2. Now, slowly lift your legs off the ground, keeping your legs straight as possible.
3. Raise your legs until they form a 90-degree angle with your body, then slowly lower your legs back down without letting them completely touch the ground.
4. Repeat for 10-15 repetitions or as many as you can do with proper form.
5. As you gain strength and increase your reps, you can add ankle weights to enhance resistance.

Tips: 

• Keep your lower back pressed firmly against the floor to engage your core effectively.
• Lift your legs slowly and with control to target your lower abdominal muscles.
• Exhale as you lift your legs and inhale as you lower them to maintain proper breathing and stability.

Optimal Sets and Reps: Three sets of 10-15 reps

Hanging Leg Raises

An effective variation of leg raises is the hanging leg raise. 

How to do:

1. Hang from a pull-up bar with your arms fully extended and your hands roughly shoulder-width apart. 
2. Engage your abdominal muscles, maintain a straight body, and lift your legs up towards your chest. 
3. Slowly lower your legs back down to the starting position, and repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

Tips: 

• Begin with a dead hang to engage your core fully.
• Lift your legs using your lower abdominal muscles, avoiding swinging motions.
• Lower your legs with control to maximize the effectiveness of the exercise.

Optimal Sets and Reps: Three sets of 10-12 reps

Ab Leg Lifts

Now let’s dive into ab leg lifts properly, another popular variation of lying leg raises. 

How to do:

1. Start in the same position as the basic leg raise, with your back flat on the ground and your hands underneath your glutes, palms facing down. 
2. Keep your legs extended, and instead of lifting both legs simultaneously, raise one leg at a time. 
3. Perform 10-15 repetitions on each leg, maintaining proper form throughout the exercise.

Remember to maintain proper form and gradually increase the number of repetitions as your strength and endurance improve. 

Tips: 

• Focus on maintaining control throughout the movement to engage your abs effectively.
• Keep your lower back flat on the floor and avoid arching it to prevent straining your lower back.
• You can modify the exercise by bending your knees slightly if needed to reduce intensity while still working your abs.

Optimal Sets and Reps: Three sets of 10-15 reps

What Are Leg Raises?

Leg raises are a popular exercise that targets your abdominal muscles, specifically the lower abs. They involve lifting your legs off the ground and lowering them back down in a controlled manner. 

The movement can be performed either lying down on your back or hanging from a pull-up bar, with variations such as seated leg tucks and hanging leg raises.

Leg raises are also easy to perform and require little or no equipment, making them convenient for home or gym workouts. Incorporating these leg raises into your fitness routine regularly will benefit your overall strength, stability, and aesthetics.

Are Leg Raises Good For Abs?

Leg raises target your abdominal muscles, particularly the lower abs, and offer numerous benefits. This exercise can improve your core strength, flexibility, and overall stability.

Strengthens Core

One significant benefit of performing leg raises is strengthening your core muscles. As you raise your legs, your abdominal muscles engage to provide the necessary support, resulting in a stronger and more toned abdomen. Your lower abs are often challenging to target, but leg raises work on them, leading to well-developed abdominal muscles.

Improves Flexibility And Decreases Risk Of Injury

Another advantage of leg raises is their ability to improve flexibility and decrease the risk of injury. The movement involves lowering your legs, which stretches your hamstrings and hip muscles. You can become more flexible by doing leg raises, ultimately preventing injuries during your workouts or daily activities.

Enhances Balance And Stability

Leg raises can also enhance your overall balance and stability. As you work on your core muscles, your body gains improved support, leading to better postural control and coordination. This can assist you in other exercises, such as squats, lunges, or deadlifts. Balance and stability are essential components of overall physical fitness and can be useful in preventing falls and accidents in daily life.

Incorporating leg raises into your exercise routine is an effective way to see these benefits. To maximize your gains, make sure to perform this exercise with proper form and adequate repetition. 

Some Common Mistakes And Precautions

Leg raises are popular for strengthening your abdominal muscles. However, performing them in the correct form is essential to avoid injury and ensure effectiveness. In this section, you’ll learn about some common mistakes and precautions to take when doing leg raises for your abs.

Maintain Correct Form

Firstly, it’s crucial to maintain proper form while performing leg raises. One common mistake is using momentum rather than engaging your core muscles. To target your abs effectively, make sure to lift your legs slowly and with control. 

Don’t Hold Your Breath

Another common error is holding your breath during exercise. Proper breathing is essential for both efficiency and safety. Inhale as you lower your legs and exhale when you lift them, ensuring consistent airflow.

Remember To Warm Up

Remember to warm up before starting any workout, including leg raises. Warming up prepares your muscles, ligaments, and tendons for the exercise, reducing the risk of injury. You can start with some light cardio or dynamic stretches to get your blood flowing.

Be Consistent

Finally, consistency is key when it comes to seeing results from leg raises. Ensure that you incorporate this exercise into your regular workout routine for the best outcomes.

Other Ab Exercises And Workouts

Russian twist

This exercise targets your obliques and helps improve core stability. To perform this exercise, sit on the ground with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor. Lean back slightly and hold a weight or medicine ball with both hands. Twist your torso to one side, bringing the weight to your hip. Repeat on the other side. 

Planks 

They target your transverse abdominis, which is a deep abdominal muscle responsible for stabilizing your spine. To perform a plank, get into a push-up position, but rest your weight on your forearms instead of your hands. Hold your body straight for as long as you can while maintaining a tight core. 

Crunches 

Crunches target your rectus abdominis, the main muscle group comprising your six-pack. To do a proper crunch, lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Place your hands behind your head, with your elbows pointing to the sides. Contract your abs and lift your head, neck, and shoulders off the ground. Lower yourself back down slowly. 

Don’t forget to be consistent with your workouts and combine them with a balanced diet for optimal results. 

Conclusion

Incorporating leg raises into your workout routine can greatly improve your abdominal strength and stability. Remember to maintain proper form and consistency to maximize the benefits and prevent potential injuries.

Combine your workouts with a healthy diet — including all the necessary vitamins and minerals — and proper hydration to optimize your progress. Supplements or fat burners are an option if you find it hard to meet your nutritional needs with your regular diet.

Lastly, remember that improvements take time and consistent effort. Stay patient and persistent in your journey toward a stronger core, and soon enough, you’ll see the fruits of your labor. 

Some of us struggle with gaining weight and building muscle, especially in certain body areas such as the arms. Worrying that your weight is too low or that you are at an unhealthy weight will not solve your problem. If you want to improve your self-esteem by enlarging a specific body part, it takes a plan. 

If you want to know how to gain weight in your arms, you need to apply the science of nutrition and exercise to your goal setting and overall plan.

How To Gain Weight In Arms: 5 Easy Exercises

Resistance exercises will promote muscle growth. This consists of doing any exercise with some resistance or weights. You can target specific muscle groups that shape and define your arm muscles. 

Perform 1-3 sets of 8-12 repetitions for each of these exercises, 2-3 times per week. Rest 1-2 minutes^[1] between sets. Make sure that you are meeting the target. If you are just starting, consider no added weight or light weights for your routine. 

Some arm exercises that support muscle gain are:

Push-ups (Traditional Push-ups, Wall Push-ups, Or Triangle Push-ups)

This classic exercise will work your shoulders, chest, and arms. If you are just starting, consider a Wall push-up, then transition to the floor while increasing strength.

How to do: 

1. Start in a plank position, hands shoulder-width apart.
2. Lower body, keeping back straight, chest near the ground.
3. Push back up to the starting position.
4. Engage the core, and maintain proper form.

Tips:

• Maintain a straight line from head to heels.
• Modify for difficulty, e.g., knees down for beginners.
• Focus on controlled, full-range-of-motion movements.

Optimal Sets and Reps: Aim for three to four sets of 10-20 push-ups.

Triceps Dips 

This is a great exercise you can do off the side of a chair or bed.  If this is your first time, start them on the floor.

How to do: 

1. Sit on the edge, hands by hips, fingers forward.
2. Lift hips off the seat, legs extended or bent.
3. Bend elbows, and lower body, and keep back close.
4. Push back up, straightening arms.

Tips:

• Keep your shoulders down and away from your ears.
• Engage your core for stability and balance.
• Modify the exercise by bending your knees if needed.

Optimal Sets and Reps: Aim for three to four sets of 12-15 repetitions.

Triceps Kickbacks

With this exercise, you can start without any added weight. As you feel ready for resistance add a couple of dumbbells or resistance bands.

How to do: 

1. Stand, hinge at hips, hold dumbbells, arms at sides.
2. Bend elbows 90 degrees, palms facing in.
3. Straighten arms back, squeezing triceps.
4. Return to the start position, and repeat.

Tips:

• Keep a stable core and neutral spine to avoid back strain.
• Choose the appropriate dumbbell weight for control and proper form.
• Focus on controlled, full-range-of-motion extensions for effectiveness.

Optimal Sets and Reps: Aim for 3-4 sets of 10-12 repetitions per arm.

Bicep Curls (Hammer Curls Or Concentration Curls) 

If this is new to you, start without weights or resistance, then add as you get stronger.

How to do: 

1. Stand with feet hip-width apart, and hold dumbbells by sides.
2. Curl weights toward shoulders, and exhale.
3. Squeeze the biceps at the top.
4. Lower weights, inhale.

Tips:

• Maintain steady, controlled movements for effective bicep engagement.
• Use proper breathing techniques to avoid breath-holding during curls.
• Start with a weight that challenges your muscles without sacrificing form.

Optimal Sets and Reps: Aim for 3-4 sets of 10-12 repetitions for each arm.

Shoulder Presses

To start, you may just use your arms, or use light weights. Then increase weight as strength improves. 

Reminder: For these exercises, you may use dumbbells, kettlebells, or resistance bands. Many gyms have machines to help with some of these exercises, too. You can start with your body weight, and once you need a challenge increase resistance or add heavier weights.

How to do: 

1. Sit or stand with dumbbells at shoulder height.
2. Press weights upward until arms fully extend.
3. Lower to shoulder height.
4. Exhale on the way up, inhale on the way down.

Tips:

• Maintain a stable core and avoid arching your back.
• Use proper breathing techniques for optimal performance.
• Start with a weight that challenges you without compromising form.

Optimal Sets and Reps: Aim for three to four sets of 10-12 repetitions.

How To Gain Weight In Your Arms?

Our bodies do not spot target fat loss or fat gain. Even if doing our best to gain fat content in specific areas by eating more, our body might choose to accumulate fat in an undesired place. 

Instead of asking yourself how to gain arm fat, concentrate on bulking up with muscle rather than adding fat mass. A combination of both nutrition and strength training will help you gain weight in your arms. 

Target Different Muscles

The arms are composed of different muscles like your biceps, triceps, shoulders, and forearms. To achieve increasing muscle mass, and get a defined look, it will require you to complete resistance training or strength training. You may be able to do this at your home or the local gym. You can also follow routines offered in workout apps or prescribed by a personal trainer. 

For a more aesthetic look, you may also want to include other upper body exercises that include chest, back, and shoulder muscles. This will also help you be physically functional. 

Stretch

Include stretching^[2] as part of your daily routine. This keeps you flexible and may prevent injury. 

Consistency

Increasing muscles and improving our health requires that you are consistent with your training program. Encourage muscle gain as it will take time. 

Rest

Appropriate rest between 7-9 hours is advisable for recovery. Adequate sleep will also help keep you energized for lifting weights while performing optimally.^[3]

Can You Gain Weight In Arms By Eating?

Food is vital to managing your body weight. What you eat is bound to affect your muscle gains. The most important item in your diet is to create a calorie surplus. This means you need to eat an additional 250-500 calories daily to promote muscle gain of one-half to one pound per week. If you eat less than that you may lose weight. You can estimate how many calories you need by consulting a dietitian.

Increasing calorie intake during the day will encourage muscle gain. This is an excellent time to eat more calories from healthy foods. Avoid overly processed foods and focus on foods that will nourish you. Focus on adding muscle weight to your arms not on how to get fatter arms. 

Timing

Eat every 2-3 hours. This will help you achieve your daily calories. Make sure you eat after your workout between thirty minutes to two hours after completion. Post-workout make sure you are consuming a high-protein snack or a balanced meal to help you build muscle. 

Consuming 30-40 grams of a casein supplement, a protein from milk, before sleeping is associated with promoting muscle synthesis during the night. You can drink a glass of low-fat milk, before bed, but the suggested amount studied,^[4] may be best found in a powder supplement. 

Starches

You can include foods like oatmeal, whole-grain rice, potatoes, pasta, whole-grain bread, and other grains. These are a good source of energy for the body and healthy calories. Make sure to include these foods daily. The Institute of Medicine recommends that you eat a minimum of 130 grams of carbohydrate per day, although if you are trying to gain weight shoot for 225 grams of carbohydrate^[5] minimum, again depending on your weight and weight gain goals.

Lean Proteins

Skinless poultry, eggs, seafood, and lean meats will provide important protein calories that will support muscle building. Choose salmon or mackerel a couple of times a week. These two are good sources of the healthy fat omega-3, which research suggests may aid in muscle recovery and prevention of injury. If you are trying to build muscle you might want to increase your protein intake to 1.2-1.7 grams/kilogram per day.

Low-fat milk and yogurt will also provide some good protein. It also contains calcium and vitamin D. The reason a low-fat option is advised is to reduce overall cardiovascular disease risk by limiting the consumption of saturated fats.

Healthy Fats

Include fats from plant sources like avocados, seeds, nuts, nut butter, and oils (avocado oil, olive oil, flaxseed oil, canola).  You can blend nuts or avocado into your smoothies or add them to a salad. They pack some higher calories, along with some antioxidant effects. The recommended fat intake is 44-77 grams per day, although you will want to add servings from this category if trying to gain weight.

If you want to know how to gain weight in your arms and legs, increasing healthy fats in your diet might be one way since fat contains more than double the calories of protein and carbohydrates.

Fruits And Vegetables

These provide some good fiber to keep your bowels healthy. Fruits and vegetables are a source of good antioxidants.  A variety of fresh or frozen fruits and vegetables should be part of your healthy diet. The American Heart Association recommends four to five servings of fresh fruits and vegetables per day.

Hydration

You may need to drink 11.5 cups of fluids a day if you are a woman and 15.5 cups of fluids per day if you are a man. Mainly drink water when thirsty, this is your cue to hydrate. The best way to determine if you are drinking enough water is by making sure your urine is a pale yellow to lemonade color.

Take care hydrating with caffeine-containing beverages since caffeine is a diuretic and may cause you to lose water in your urine thus fostering dehydration.

High Calorie/Protein Supplements

If you have a hard time eating more food, consider a protein powder. These will provide a variety of amino acids, come in various flavors, and can support you in meeting your goals. Protein powders come in handy when you need a good source of calories and amino acids to build muscle and support weight gain.

Summary

At the end of the day, working on fitness goals requires consistency. If you stick to your weight training plan and maintain positive thinking and a healthy attitude it will help you achieve your goals. Keep this up to reap the benefits of creating some healthy muscle tissue, increasing the size of your arms, and being functional every day.

Building muscle strength doesn’t happen overnight, but it doesn’t have to take forever as well. With just a few simple but effective tips, you can improve your strength much quicker than you think. 

Muscle Strength Training: 6 Effective Ways

Add Supersets To Your Workouts

Supersets are a combination of usually two, but sometimes even three compound exercises which are then performed back-to-back. They can, but don’t have to complement each other. Their purpose is to attack different muscle groups in the shortest amount of time, so your workout is faster and more intense, and it keeps your heart rate up. 

Your superset can consist of only upper-body exercises, lower-body exercises, or a combination of both. The goal is to move quickly from one exercise to the other, so when you’re building your workout, try pairing up exercises that use the same weight or exercise tool. 

Example Superset Pairings

Here’s an example of great superset pairings to help you build strength:

1. Lateral Shoulder raise and Front Shoulder lifting weights
2. Squats and Lunges
3. Squats and Shoulder Press
4. Romanian Deadlift and Upright rows
5. Triceps with a pulley and Face pulls

Minimize Rest Time

If you want to fully burn out your muscles and make them grow faster, minimize the rest periods in between your sets. This will make them work harder, and the oxygen flow through the muscle fiber will be greater. 

Time your rest periods and keep them under a minute in order to really feel the difference and build strength. It doesn’t matter if you’re performing upper or lower body exercises; try to shorten the time between them. This will make your workout a bit harder as your heart rate will always be higher, but the strength benefits are far greater than you think. 

Decrease Cardio Workouts

When aiming to build strength, it’s essential to keep your cardio workouts to a minimum as they’re detrimental to what you’re trying to achieve. Prolonged and excessive cardiovascular exercises are catabolic, meaning they break down muscle and use it as fuel. 

Too much cardio can use up your available energy stores and force your body to find another energy source than carbohydrates and fat, so lean muscle tissue is the following logical energy source. 

If you’re an endurance athlete and you’re trying to build strength, reduce your weekly mileage and make sure that’s not the only type of workout you’re doing. It’s easy to fall under the spell of cardio workouts, but they’re simply not what your body needs when looking to build muscle strength. 

Eat More Protein

Nutrition is just as important as exercise, if not more important.^[1] The nutrients you add to your body help you repair and build those hard-working muscles, so the type of food you eat really does matter. 

Protein is the most important macronutrient^[2] for building strength and muscle mass. It’s the building block of every muscle fiber, and when you’re not taking enough,^[3] muscles can’t properly function, recover, repair, and grow stronger. 

The exact amount of protein one needs to take is not entirely set out when aiming for muscle strength. Many studies have shown that anything between 1.6 g/kg – 2.2g/kg^[4] of a person’s body weight helps maximize resistance training-induced gains in muscle mass and strength.

Even though there are more factors in play (age, gender, level of activity, current muscle mass, fat storage, etc.), going way under 1.6 g/kg is bound to be counterproductive. So, when your goal is to gain strength in the least amount of time, increase your overall protein intake. 

The source of protein doesn’t really matter, as long as it’s a combination of all the essential amino acids. Animal protein has all nine essential amino acids, but plant-based protein usually has to be combined. The vegetarian foods that contain all nine essential amino acids are quinoa, tempeh, amaranth, tofu, edamame, chia seeds, nutritional yeast, buckwheat, hempseed, blue-green algae (spirulina), and soybeans. 

Other than that, try combining whole grains and beans or legumes, beans and legumes and nuts or seeds, or whole grains with nuts and seeds. Think hummus and pita bread, peanut butter on toast, lentils, barley, beans, and rice. 

Stay Consistent With Your Workouts

No pain, no gain. The saying can’t be more accurate when it comes to building strength, especially when trying to do it as fast as possible. You can’t expect to increase your strength if your schedule only allows for one or two training sessions per week. You need to increase your workout load to at least four or five times per week and stay consistent with it. 

The more often you work out on a consistent, weekly basis, the quicker your muscles will adapt, the less sore you’ll get, and the more efficient gaining strength and muscle will be. Whether you’re always working your full body or splitting your days into upper and lower body exercises, you’ll always reap the most health benefits if there are not many rest days in between. 

Honor Your Rest Days

All that being said, your rest days are still extremely important. That’s when you allow your body to repair and build while lowering stress and inflammation. As much as exercising is great for your overall health and longevity, it’s also a form of stress and by not honoring your rest days, you’re putting your body in jeopardy, making it prone to injury and high inflammation. 

Depending on how intense your workouts are, you might need two to three rest days per week. Spread them out nicely, and let those days help you reach your goals. You can do a complete “lift your legs in the air and Netflix and chill” type of rest day or be more active and aim for a few longer walks throughout the day. 

Your body works best when it’s resting and sleeping, so give yourself the much-needed time off and enjoy getting stronger by the minute. 

Conclusion

Building muscle strength should always be done in its respective time, but if for some reason you’re short on it and want to maximize gains, give these tips a go.

On a personal note, you need to eat more calories when trying to bulk up. We suggest eating at least 250 calories more than you burn to build muscle strength. And, a positive state of mind is essential as well. If you can see yourself ripped and fit, you are more likely to work towards that goal. Hold that image in your mind as you work out and strive to focus on the end prize, a new and fit you! 

Supersets have been around since before the 70s, but not everyone knows how to do them the right way. There’s still a lot of confusion out there. Can they help build muscle faster than traditional strength training programs? Do they burn fat without making your routine any harder than usual? 

Read on to master supersets effectively through scientifically-based research, understand how to have a goal in mind, and choose the best exercises to support that goal. Become aware of the benefits and risks of supersets so you can decide if they’re right for you. We’ll give you examples of exercise combinations to try as well as some strength training tips, so you know how to stay safe while maximizing your workout time!

Types Of Supersets

Here are examples of each:

A superset of leg extensions with split squats works for the same muscle group. Another example would be lat pulldowns and seated rows that build the back. The lat pulldown is great for strengthening the latissimus dorsi muscle.

In order to do two opposing muscle group supersets, try doing a dumbbell curl superset with overhead dumbbell extensions. The curls work the biceps, while the lying extension works the triceps. 

Isolation exercises plus compound exercises look like bicep curls followed by pull-ups. It is ideal for you to start with the compound exercise because it will require more energy.

What Are The Benefits Of Supersets?

As with any exercise method, there are risks and benefits, and it’s up to you to determine whether they balance each other out. If you’re a beginner to strength training, use supersets with caution to ensure you do not develop any injuries.

They Save Time

Since you’re cutting rest time in between sets, you’re saving time. They’re perfect for when you want to squeeze in a quick but productive workout. Supersets can help you shorten your time in the gym, and you can repeat the two exercises as many times as you need. For example, perform the first exercise for one set, jump straight into the second exercise, and then rest. Repeat this process until you are fatigued and ready to move on to your next designated exercise. 

You Can More Effectively Target a Muscle Group

Supersets are beneficial if you’re looking to target one muscle group more intensely. For example, if building your glutes is a personal goal, you can utilize supersets to target your gluteus maximus, gluteus medius, and gluteus minimus without wasting your time and energy on other areas of the body during your workout. However, you can also choose to target more than one muscle group, which we’ll discuss later. 

Supersets Can Help Burn More Fat

Supersets keep your heart rate up since you are not resting in between sets. When your heart rate is higher, you burn more calories. Burning more calories causes you to burn more fat, and you may see results faster this way. One study^[1] shows supersets torch more calories both before and after sessions than regular resistance training. 

Potential Risks

If Not Done Correctly, You Risk Injury

If you lift a heavy load during your first set, your muscles may not be able to lift as much during the second set. When your muscles get too tired, your form will suffer. To avoid getting hurt, reduce the resistance, take a rest, or choose an easier exercise. 

Don’t work your core with supersets because you may find yourself needing those muscles to support you in all of your other movements. Tiring those muscles out could cause instability, so keep them strong. Try saving your core workouts for a day you don’t do supersets.  

They Don’t Build Muscle Mass Any Faster Than Traditional Sets

If you don’t get enough rest periods between sets, your muscles have a more challenging time developing. Studies^[2] show you need around one minute of rest between sets for proper strength development. Without that recovery period, you either need to do fewer sets or use lighter weights. Unfortunately, neither of those is a good choice for muscle growth or strength gains.  

The Rest Of Your Workout May Be Affected

If you tire your muscles out too much with supersets, you may not have an adequate amount of energy for the next series of exercises. Research^[3] shows that if enough damage is done during supersets, it can take more than five days for those muscles to recover. 

This is especially important for beginners to note. If you’re just starting, focus on nailing your form and technique before complicating things with supersets. Have a trainer help you maintain your form if you do try them early on in your weightlifting journey.

How To Do Supersets

Here are three tips to ensure you’re using them in the right way:

Use Agonist-Antagonist Paired Sets Instead Of Traditional Supersets

Agonist-antagonist paired sets^[4] consist of paired sets of exercises for two opposing muscle groups with limited or no rest in between sets. The sets for one muscle group become the rest period for the opposite muscle group. Traditional supersets create muscle fatigue in just one muscle group. Examples of agonist-antagonist exercises are bicep curls and tricep extensions, lunges and hamstring curls, and chest presses and dumbbell rows.

Take A Two To Five-Minute Rest In Between Sets

Research data^[5] suggest that at least two minutes of rest between sets was sufficient for isolation exercises to maximize repetition performance. At least three minutes was enough for compound movements. 

Do All Of Your Heavy, Compound Exercises First 

Unless you’re doing isolation supersets, the compound exercise should be your first exercise when strength training because it is the most strenuous. Compound exercises work for more than one muscle group simultaneously, and a few examples are the lunge, deadlift, and push-up. 

It’s essential to maintain full strength when performing these exercises. Otherwise, you could hurt yourself. Supersets can tire your muscles out too much to perform compound exercises safely or effectively. Whether you’re using home equipment or are at the gym, save the supersets for the end of your workout.

Tips For Strength Training

• Warm up for five to ten minutes before strength training. Do some jumping jacks or take a fast walk. These activities will increase your range of motion, so you’re less likely to get hurt.
• Never strength train the same body part two days in a row. Your muscles need at least a day to recover. 
• Breathe properly during workouts. Exhale as you lift, push, or pull weight. Inhale as you release it. Try to avoid holding your breath.
• Focus on the form because it can protect you from injuries. Start with little or no weight, and then gradually increase it while maintaining your body’s proper alignment.
• Cool down for at least five to ten minutes. Do some static stretches for your arms and legs or take a slow walk.

Final Thoughts

The most important thing to know about supersets is how to use them. Finish your workouts more quickly without damaging your form. Just don’t use them initially, or you could slow down your progress. 

Choose to focus on one muscle group with your supersets or switch things up by targeting two opposing muscle groups a few days later. Remember to work different sets of muscles if you’re working out two days in a row, so you can give them time to heal and grow before using them again.

Remember to stay safe when using supersets to boost your strength training routine. Always warm up and cool down. Pay attention to your body, and don’t use more weight than is appropriate. Rest at least two minutes between sets.

Now that you know what to do, have fun exploring what supersets can do to enhance your strength training program!

Dorsiflexion of the ankle and foot refers to the freedom with which you’re able to lift your toes to meet your shinbones from rest. It’s a simple move, but the quality of this flexed state has a lot to do with the health of the feet, ankles, and lower leg.

Does a limited dorsiflexion range of motion put you at risk? Here are a few things you should know about this extremely important, weight-bearing system of muscles and connective tissues and how you can put your own ability to dorsiflex to the ultimate test.

What Is The Limit Of Your Dorsiflexion?

When you reach your upper limit in ankle dorsiflexion, you’ll feel muscle tightness that prevents the extremity from continuing; in the case of the hand, the movement will be backward, but in terms of ankle mobility, this will be determined by how close to the shin your toes can reach. 

The deep peroneal nerve is the nerve responsible for pulling the foot upward by way of the peroneus longus.^[1]

Movement contained in this system of bones, joints, and ligaments is called plantar flexion. Ankle joint equinus refers to the condition of limited ankle dorsiflexion range in this part of the body through any of a number of problems. 

What Types Of Issues Limit Dorsiflexion? 

There are many possible causes of an impaired ankle dorsiflexion range:

• Flat feet
• Tight calves
• Ankle injuries, and ankle sprains, sometimes as a result of previous physical activity 
• Plantar fasciitis, inflammation^[2] of the plantar fascia ligament
• Genetics
• A tight joint capsule, also known as a tight posterior ligament
• Arthritis
• Scar tissue impeding the motion of the ankle or front knee
• Carpal tunnel
• Foot or ankle surgery
• Training barefoot

Do You Have A Weak Dorsiflexion?

If you’re concerned that you might be suffering from joint restriction dorsiflexion problems, be on the look-out for these^[3] tell-tale symptoms:

• A limited range of motion in the heel, toes, back leg, and ankles
• A limit in the directions and angle at which you can move your foot
• Excessive pressure and more stress on the forefoot
• Difficulty walking
• Abnormal, irregular, eccentric, or asymmetrical gait
• Ankle pain and foot pain
• A predisposition for other injuries in the area
• The development of shin pain and shin splints

If your degree of motion is limited because of an injury, it usually won’t be difficult to tell and to later test, usually by trying to pull the foot upwards. We advise against pushing anything that feels like a risk factor too far beyond its limit for your own safety. 

If you experience sharp, unusual pain when either ankle is flexed, you should investigate the injury under the guidance of a doctor or a sports physical therapy expert.

What Is Considered Normal, Functioning Dorsiflexion?

If you can dorsiflex naturally between 0 degrees to 16.5 degrees^[4] without feeling your muscles tighten from a neutral position, your dorsiflexion range of motion and the connective tissue that allows for it is within a healthy, normal range. If you can’t, you’re either utilizing the wrong technique or struggling with something that limits dorsiflexion in this area.

To self-diagnose your degree of attainable motion in your ankles, you can try a couple of different exercises. While sitting, you can draw your big toe up by contracting your shin. You can also try lifting the balls of your feet off of the ground while standing, as well, without lifting your heels off of the ground.

How To Improve Dorsiflexion In The Foot And Ankle

How is dorsiflexion improved? The good news is that you have plenty of options. Improving your muscle strength throughout the lower extremities will be of some importance, but there are actually many different factors and systems that determine the performance of the muscles, joints, and ligaments that affect your ability to dorsiflex comfortably.

Static Standing

The most common way to improve ankle dorsiflexion motion: is static stretching. Static stretching simply means assuming an extended position and holding the position^[5] for a given amount of time – 60 seconds, for example. This is only one approach to relieving ankle joint restriction, however.

Gastrocnemius Stretching

Gastrocnemius stretching targets the soleus muscle. Stretch standing, facing a wall at arm’s length. With both palms flat against the wall, lean into its support while bending both knees, favoring one. Hold this weight-bearing position for one minute, and repeat on the other side. 

You should feel the burn in your ankles and calf muscles as your body weight pushes them beyond their natural position—maintain a rigid stance as you stretch these muscle groups, with feet flat on the ground.

Gastrocnemius stretch routines tend to be especially effective when the goal is increasing one’s dorsiflexion range of motion. This cohort of young athletes^[6] was able to improve ankle joint dorsiflexion through routine gastrocnemius stretching throughout the basketball season.

Other Strategies

You can also improve poor dorsiflexion through these strategies, as well:

• Heel raise exercises
• Running and stretching^[7]
• Superficial heat therapy
• Diathermy therapy
• The application of ice
• Myofascial release therapy
• Better, more supportive shoes
• Improving your walking and running form
• Fitness supplements

How To Improve Knee Flexion

Some evidence also suggests that improving knee flexion may confer some benefit^[8] to your ankle range. The body is a holistic system, which means that every interrelated system has some influence over the health of other joints and the normal movement that they’re all capable of. 

To improve knee flexion, you can try this simple exercise:^[9]

• Step 1: Lie on your back on a bed, facing the ceiling
• Step 2: Wrap the foot of your dominant leg with a towel or a belt, allowing you to pull it back toward your chest gently
• Step 3: Use one hand to hold the top of the leg down
• Step 4: Stretch the foot back toward you while keeping the leg straight and hold for thirty seconds
• Step 5: Repeat with the other leg, alternating anywhere from five to ten reps
• Step 6: Perform this exercise in its entirety up to three times a day

This exercise for limited dorsiflexion will be able to improve the entire kinetic chain of both legs. It takes little time, and people of all ages and fitness levels should be able to handle it, even if they’re already struggling with a limited ankle dorsiflexion range.

Has Limited Dorsiflexion Caused You Undue Pain?

The body is a system that works together. Give your ankles the relief they deserve with any of these ankle dorsiflexion tips for success.

Once your ankles and feet are in order, you’ll be feeling the love in your knees. Soon, this effect will eventually reach the shoulders. After that? Even the hip. 

Before you know it, you’ll be out of your chair and primed to take on the world, all thanks to your newfound and vastly improved mobility.

Is protein intake immediately after exercise the best way to ensure that all of those amino acids end up in the right place? Anabolic trainers believe that eating or drinking a protein shake right after exercising is the surest way to accomplish this. Are they wrong?

Anabolic activity is still something of a mystery in the world of fitness—we know how it works, but its role in body composition is contested. There is plenty of evidence in favor of this fascinating topic.

Is it all bunk, or is there more to skeletal muscle hypertrophy than meets the eye?

Is The Anabolic Window Real? How Does It Work?

When you choose to eat only during your post-exercise period, the food that you eat is supposedly much more likely to be used to support optimal muscle growth, human muscle protein synthesis, and muscle repair. 

While post-workout nutrient timing is one huge factor at play, promoting net muscle protein synthesis involves more than simply eating at the right time. The anabolic window of opportunity is best utilized with the right type of post-workout nutrition – that is, the ratio between each macronutrient that your post-workout meal includes is also extremely important when it comes to your results.

Net muscle protein balance and carb intake are both critical to the muscle mass that you gain, and anabolic theory suggests that this combination is maximized when taken at exactly the time that your body needs it. 

In short: your system has everything it needs to facilitate the protein synthesis of the muscle fibers, and its excited state may compel it to do more than it would if the meal were simply taken at rest. 

Some claim that the timing of every meal and snack is more relevant to muscle building than the caloric contents of each of the foods that you eat, but this is one of the most controversial aspects of anabolic window training. 

After intense exercise, however, one’s glycogen stores may very well be depleted—under some circumstances, the impact of the anabolic window will be significant in terms of the muscular adaptations that result, but this won’t always be the case.

How Long Is The Anabolic Window?

The “exact” length of the anabolic window varies, depending on what you’re reading. However, most basic health publications agree on one thing: the anabolic window occurs after exercise. 

Some refer to a 30-minute anabolic window as being the norm—others insist that it depends on the intensity and the duration of the activity that came before it. However, more important than the exact length of this window of opportunity will inevitably be the nature of the mechanism of action underlying the anabolic window. Namely, that of muscle anabolism.

What Is An Anabolic Response? How Does It Relate To Fitness And Health?

Muscle anabolism is one process through which your system can maintain^[2] the skeletal muscle system, the other being catabolism. 

Catabolism occurs when the rate of muscular degradation or atrophy exceeds the number of free nutrients available to repair muscle breakdown; without protein supplementation post-workout to initiate the anabolic protein response, your muscles have no choice but to break down muscle glycogen storage in place of the circulating amino acids that it would use otherwise.

On the other hand, anabolism takes advantage of your post-workout nutrient intake instead of muscle protein breakdown to refuel and rebuild muscle tissue after exercise. 

It’s often said that anabolic training is best when one’s goal is to maximize lean muscle gains instead of reducing body weight, plain and simple. On the other hand, catabolic muscle glycogen resynthesis is more effective in reducing lean body mass outright, plain, and simple.

How To Achieve An Anabolic Post-Workout Response?

Scientific research studies suggest that consuming protein and carbohydrates in the right proportions and at the right times after exercising is the key to building muscle and replenishing your depleted glycogen stores.

The presence of glycogen in your system will impede the process—the glycogen is one link in a long chain of signaling pathways, and when the chain is broken, the anabolic process is compelled into motion.

Therefore, to enter anabolism, your muscles must be depleted. You also need to give it some work to do—muscle cell repair, in this case. Once these two conditions have been met, anabolic theory indicates that your system should naturally assume this enhanced state.

Let’s say you’re interested in taking advantage of anabolic protein timing. In theory, you could chug a protein shake immediately after participating in intense weight resistance exercise or cardio. If the post-workout anabolic window occurs in the first 30 minutes after exercise, your protein ingestion will hit your system at exactly the right time.^[3]

What’s the best post-exercise protein dosage? Again, this will depend. Many sources recommend somewhere around 15 to 20 grams of high-quality, easily-digested protein, supplemented with the co-ingestion of around 30 grams of carbohydrates for optimal glycogen resynthesis. These figures may differ with weight, fitness levels, and activity intensity, but it’s a great place to start experimenting.

While we love protein shakes, whey protein, and protein powder to replenish our post-workout energy levels, you’re free to use any post-workout meal that you like. You need to ensure that what you’re eating contains the right ratio of protein and carbohydrate content combined for your muscles to recover completely. Both play key roles in protein breakdown and anabolic recovery in your muscles after your session.

Pre-Workout Nutrition

As much as 80%^[4] of the energy we expend during exercise and resistance training comes from our glycogen stores. Is total protein intake before your training session relevant to sports nutrition?

Eating before resistance exercise is not the best way to train anabolically, but that doesn’t mean that carb or protein intake before working out is always the wrong thing to do.

Some studies on nutrient timing speak very positively to the benefits of adequate carbohydrate intake before resistance training—primarily, the way that the right pre-workout meal tends to improve athletic performance^[5] overall during resistance exercise. Again, these findings qualify this with the caveat that exercise intensity and the timing and constitution of the meal that you eat.

Fasted exercise is another popular notion in fitness.^[6] Still, some research finds the validity of fasted training in terms of muscle tissue hypertrophy, gained muscle strength, and body composition outcomes to be spotty at best. 

Final Thought

The world of sports nutrition is full of drama. Try anabolic training out for yourself and see where it takes you. Who knows? Your results may end up converting you into a true believer.

In any case, we always recommend listening to what your system is telling you, as well as the advice of your doctor or personal trainer. There are a million different ways to spin your workout—the anabolic window isn’t right for everybody, but it may very well be the answer for you.

Average walking speed, also sometimes called preferred walking speed, is a simple attribute that describes how fast the average person walks. 

Walking is one of the most common forms of moderate-intensity exercise, and the speed at which you walk on average will vary, depending on a number of factors. Still, there are many health benefits associated with walking at the right place, and if your own pace doesn’t fall into the optimal zone for overall fitness, you might be at risk for cardiovascular disease, cancer mortality, obesity, and more.

What You Should Know About Average Walking Speed

What Is The Average Walking Speeds?

According to the study cited above, slower walking speeds may actually indicate a poorer prognosis for health outcomes and quality of life later on. If your average speed falls anywhere around 0.6 to 0.7 meters per second or below, you might be leading a life slightly more sedentary than you should be. Faster walking, whenever you find yourself out and about, may actually result in better health and a longer life devoid of heart disease.

What Factors Affect Walking Speed?

Many things will play into one’s tendency to walk fast or slow. People walk and exercise according to the following influences:

• Fitness level and fitness needs, including overall muscle strength
• Energy level, and whether they’ve already exerted themselves
• Their environment—whether they’re walking uphill or on difficult terrain
• Body composition, the fat, and the muscles that have already been developed
• Other body measurements like waist circumference
• Age makes a big difference; older adults tend to walk more slowly than younger people
• Metabolism rate, another huge indicator of fitness levels 

Walking speed is measured in many ways, but the following factors^[2] may enlighten you when self-evaluating:

• Speed
• Walking rhythm
• Intensity
• Stride length and distance between feet
• Arm motion
• Breathing and oxygen consumption
• Calories burned

So, now you know what goes into an average pace when walking. How can you measure your own average speed at home or at the gym?

How To Test Your Average Walking Pace

What makes an effective level of exercise and physical activity? Your average walking pace can be found using this handy walking pace formula:

• Pace = Time/Distance

If you spent an hour walking, for example, and you walked one kilometer, your average walking pace would be one km/h. Simple enough, right?

You can also use tools like this online walking pace calculator from Race at Your Pace. Simply record your stats from your daily walking routine and plug them in. No math is required.

What Speed Is Considered To Be A Brisk Pace?

A brisk walk doesn’t have a number inherently attached to it—instead, brisk walking can be described as walking at a faster pace than your average miles-per-hour walked ordinarily.

Brisk walking is one awesome way to get your heart rate into your target range for weight loss.

How To Improve Your Self-Rated Walking Pace?

Improving your brisk walking pace doesn’t necessarily mean speed walking or power walking everywhere you go. You can tone up, lose belly fat, and improve your overall health by

• Making a deliberate effort to exceed your comfort zone for physical activity
• Do your best to push yourself until you’re out of breath
• Maintain your brisk walking pace and heart rate for as long as you can

If you don’t want to walk faster but would like to burn calories at a higher rate, you can try these tips to start walking your way to weight loss:

• Use a fitness band to ratchet things up; ankle weights may strain the ankle joint and leg muscles in brisk walking so best to avoid these.
• Include another moderate-intensity activity to your slow walking routines, such as farmer’s walks and other weighted moves. A farmer’s walk is when you carry weights in both hands as you walk.
• A fasted walk may help you lose weight; it’s one of the best habits you can adopt for gut health, too.
• You can support your workout with supplements and fat burners.

For new walkers, we recommend trying a mile a day. If you started today, you’d have walked seven miles this time next week. After you’re up to speed, you’ll be able to maintain this physical activity easily every week.

Progress is a journey. Why leave your future self at risk? Get your heart rate up with the millions of other avid walkers and us globally, mile by steady mile.

How To Burn More Calories Through a Daily Walking Program?

It’s easy to adopt healthy habits when cardiovascular exercise doesn’t have us keeling over after five minutes. Increase your life expectancy, improve cardiovascular function, lower your blood pressure, and avoid a myriad of other related health problems by learning to be a fast walker. 

Exercise is always worth the effort. Getting the ball rolling with a daily walk is one of the best investments in yourself that you’ll ever make.

When starting your weight loss and fitness journey, you will naturally wonder how long it will take you to notice results. Even more so, if you’ve already planned to include some helpful tools like CBD oils to speed up the process. 

How Long Does It Take To See Workout Results

Starting Point 

How fast you’ll see results will definitely be different if you’re only just beginning or if you’re coming back from a short break. Muscle memory^[1] is a real thing and it plays a huge role in how fast your body will respond to exercise. If you’ve worked out before and you’ve developed a certain baseline for your muscles, once you start working out again, they’ll quickly get back into their familiar fitness routine, bringing you those results much faster. 

On the other hand, if you’ve never worked out before, your body needs to figure out what it’s doing and your muscles need to adapt to the stress, learning when to push and pull, how to activate specific muscle fibers, and how to rest and recover, so they’re able to grow, burn fat, lose weight, and increase blood flow. 

Age, Genetics, And Gender

Even though you might see 50-year-olds performing hard exercises (such as high-intensity interval training) and looking better than some 20-year-olds, they do have to work twice (if not three times) as hard as the younger folks to see results and maintain their level of fitness day after day after day. 

Unfortunately, age does matter. So do genetics and gender. Younger bodies generally perform better, adapt faster, and show results much quicker. Add to that a family history of active individuals with fit lifestyles and you got yourself a group of people who’ll go to the gym for a month and already look completely different than they did when they started. 

Gender also plays a role. Women are less likely to see changes faster because of their hormonal profile,^[2] which changes every single day, depending on which part of their menstrual cycle they’re in. This can severely impact their exercise level, endurance, strength, fatigue, and even recovery rate. All of this makes any kinds of predictions on when you’ll be able to see results completely useless. 

Men, on the other hand, don’t have a highly variable hormonal profile and are therefore usually those whose results show faster. And since their bodies can endure surviving on really low body fat percentages, their muscles will pop out with much higher emphasis, making the changes visible. 

Type Of Exercise

Just like there’s not one diet that works for everyone, no one way of working out will provide physical benefits (such as reduced weight gain, high blood pressure, supported body composition, and improved fitness) to everyone. We’re all differently built, with different muscle fibers that activate and react completely differently, so it’s only natural that one person may thrive off of a specific workout regimen while another person might find it counterproductive. 

It’s important to discover what type of exercise works best for your body and level, brings the least amount of stress into your body, doesn’t put too much pressure on your joints and tendons, and allows your muscles enough time and energy to recover, rest, and recuperate after a tough session while maximizing your training potential. 

Sometimes it’s as simple as doing the thing you love and your body enjoying it, and other times it takes a bit of trial and error until you get it right. 

Commitment

How committed you are to your training regimen and everything else around it greatly impacts how quickly you’ll see your results. Are you prioritizing sleep, paying attention to your stress levels, implementing self-care routines, moving your body and adding extra steps to your day, and choosing healthier food options? 

If the answer is yes, you’re more likely to see results faster as your body will work in a minimally inflamed state and be able to focus on burning unnecessary fat and supporting muscle growth, increasing range of motion and flexibility, as well as promoting faster recovery rates and cell regeneration. 

If the answer is “not really”, that’s already telling you a lot. You cannot expect to see results if all you’re focusing on is working out alone. You have to put in the work in all the other areas as well and let everything combined do its magic. There’s no amount of squats or push-ups you can do that will trump over having frozen pizza five days a week. 

Attitude

Another important aspect of working out that will impact how fast you’ll be able to see results is your attitude towards working out itself. Suppose you’re heading into your workout already hating the fact that you have to do it. In that case, you’ll subconsciously train with less workout intensity and focus, making yourself more vulnerable to injuries, as well as slowing down your progress. 

However, if you love your workouts and look forward to sweating in the gym or shaking when holding those long yoga poses, you’ll give your 100% every single time and increase your chances of seeing results much quicker. 

It’s incredible how our mindset can influence our actions, so it’s important to find the type of exercise that works best for you and the one you’ll fall in love with, so you’re able to stick to it and see progress. 

The Dangers Of Quick Results

You might be triggered by the media with “detox teas” and “waist trainers” which promise fascinating results in only 5 days, but in reality, anything that yields results that fast is only going to hurt you in the long run. 

Initially, as your body starts moving and your metabolism starts improving, it’s normal to lose a few pounds of water, reducing puffiness and making you look slimmer in a matter of days. Once this part is regulated, your body will plateau after a few weeks and look pretty much the same for quite some time until your inner composition starts to change and your muscle mass increases while your body fat decreases. 

Any other scenario is not allowing your body to do what it needs to do to adapt at its own pace, signaling some sort of danger and activating your “fight or flight mode” which will only make your body hold on to those fat deposits even more as it’s fighting for survival. For your body, whether you’re being attacked by a lion or overexercising and undereating; it’s the same. 

Once you’re in that situation, your body will start asking for more food in shorter increments (which can lead to binge eating) as well as more frequent rest periods (which leads to overworked adrenal glands and hormonal imbalance). And that’s how the vicious cycle begins, and it’s really hard to get out of. 

Conclusion

All in all, when it comes to working out and seeing results, it depends on a plethora of factors. From age and gender to exercise type and attitude, they all work in unison to create your ideal working schedule that will yield results in the healthy and optimal timeframe for your specific situation. Don’t compare yourself to others and focus on getting the most out of every single workout routine you do – that’s all you need to see results.

Swimming is one of the best exercises because the entire body is being challenged no matter what stroke is performed. This particular aquatic exercise builds muscle strength and endurance, and it also helps with joint pain, cardiovascular fitness, and healthy weight maintenance by burning a significant amount of calories. 

Swimming also helps dieters benefit from supplements such as fat burners that can be taken to complement a healthy diet and regular exercise regime. However, other aquatic activities can prove beneficial for your health, too. So, if you fancy something more tranquil, you may want to take up water walking instead of swimming because of the change of pace that still offers similar benefits.

What Is Water Walking?

Water walking is one of those aquatic exercises that do not involve entering deep water. So, if you are water-phobic, this is an excellent way to keep active in the water without worrying about your fear of water interfering with your exercise routine. 

The activity itself is a low-impact cardio exercise that does exactly what the title suggests in that it involves walking in waist-high or chest-high water. This gentle form of exercise is great for those who may suffer from diseases of the joints and bones, such as arthritis and osteoporosis. Water walking is also ideal for seniors or those undergoing rehab after an accident or injury. 

The natural buoyancy of the water allows muscular activity and joint range of motion without the pulling or challenging exertions needed against gravity which can jeopardize the joints. Yet, the density of deeper water offers resistance against the body, and this is why water walking pushes the muscles a little harder than if you were simply walking on land.

As well as being a suitable form of exercise for those suffering from medical conditions, water walking is highly recommended for individuals who may be fasting as part of a diet regime. This and other low-impact exercises can increase fat and calorie burning without causing issues such as dizziness and sudden drops in blood sugar, whether it is an intermittent fast or alternate-day fasting. 

The equipment needed is the same as swimwear, with the addition of optional water shoes to help protect and cushion the soles of the whole right and left foot. It may take a while to adjust to it, but to benefit from deep water walking, you are required to keep your back straight, shoulders back, and chin up. Walking long strides is best, and this will prevent you from being tempted to continuously lean forward. Pressing into your heels and then your toes and swinging your arms as you walk will help you maintain balance in the water.

The Benefits Of Water Walking

Muscle Toning

If you don’t fancy or cannot physically complete or tolerate gym and body weight training sessions for whatever reason, then you should consider water walking as an alternative. It won’t build massive amounts of lean muscle, but it will help tone the body, which is more of a holistic approach. 

Walking in water uses more strengthen muscles than you think! Besides being an obvious workout for the legs and hips, it can tone the stomach, arms, and shoulders when you keep your arms by your sides while walking. With all these muscles engaged as they help push against the resistance created by water, the whole body gets a workout with less chance of muscle pulls and injuries. Also, maintaining the correct posture in water requires both flexion and relaxation of opposing muscles, resulting in a balanced strengthening of many muscle groups.

Fat Burning

Like land-based walking, water walking offers a great cardio workout and helps you burn fat. The fat-burning process can be enhanced further if you also follow a diet that puts you in a caloric deficit. 

Water walking can burn more calories and more body fat than land walking because the body is working that much harder. As already mentioned, water adds a natural resistance that the body needs to push against, and this can be cranked up further still by adding weights to your ankles and wrists. The inevitable increase in heart rate will lead to this cardio workout utilizing your fat storage as fuel even more. Adding weights also helps build muscle mass and gives you an overall toned look.

Pain Relief

Water walking is a safer alternative physical therapy exercise for those who suffer from chronic pain caused by joint stiffness, arthritis, osteoporosis, and musculoskeletal problems. Again, due to the buoyancy at work, it is gentle yet effective at restoring flexibility in joints and alleviating stiffness. This, in turn, decreases the amount of pain suffered by many individuals. This is important, as pain is a major reason many will give up on exercise.

Aquatic walking and therapy can be a good starting point for aiding recovery and increasing the mobility of those suffering from pain and stiffness due to various conditions.

Increased Exercise Intensity

Studies have shown^[2] that even though water walking is considered a light form of exercise, it still works the muscles intensely. This all comes down to drag forces in water that decrease walking speeds but make the body work harder to combat the resistance created. 

This is especially beneficial for the legs as research has shown that the activity in the tibialis anterior and vastus medialis is higher during water walking^[3] than land walking. The conclusion is that high energy levels can be used up while you are water walking without the risk of injury associated with more vigorous exercise.^[4]

Calorie Burning

Many aquatic exercises are great for dieters because they help burn calories but put far less stress on the body’s physical function than gym sessions. A vigorous workout using a treadmill or exercise bike will burn off more calories than water walking. However, when comparing water sideways walking and water jogging, together, against the land-based equivalent, the water variants win hands down as better calorie burners. 

Other Aquatic Exercises To Try

One-Legged Balance

A very simple exercise is the one-legged balance. This again follows the principle that the aquatic version works the muscles harder than the land-based equivalent, especially with oppositional muscular action required to maintain posture in the water. 

All you do here is stand in waist-high water and lift one leg as high as you can while leaving it slightly bent at the knee as you raise it. When you swap legs, you will need to work the muscles hard to stay balanced because of the added resistance of the water combined with a tendency to fall forward or backward from the buoyancy of the water environment. 

This exercise is excellent for all the leg muscles, and it also strengthens your core as well. Ten reps for each leg, holding the position on the leg for thirty seconds, is adequate.

Fly-Backs

Fly-backs are great for the back, arms, and upper chest and help with posture. In chest-high water, begin in a lunge position with your right knee bent and your left leg straightened out behind you. Next, reach out with your arms at chest height in front of you, and then push your left arm out straight from your sides in a “wing-spreading” action. Relax and return to the original position to complete another rep.

Chaos Cardio

Chaos cardio involves jogging at high intensity in a zig-zag formation from one end of the pool to the other. This activity is great for strengthening the lower body and core. 

Make sure your abdominals are doing most of the work here while letting your arms and shoulders take on the remaining workload. The zig-zag pattern creates an even stronger water resistance that the upper body has to power through than just water walking. You do not have to do many of these to get the heart pumping, and five minutes should do the job!

Final Thoughts

Water walking is a gentle but effective form of exercise for everyone who enjoys healthy living. What is unique about this form of exercise is that it is a great workout that is suitable for chronic pain sufferers, individuals with diseases such as osteoporosis and arthritis, and seniors. In addition, because it can relieve stiffness and improve mobility in the joints, it can simultaneously soothe pain while achieving exercise goals, instead of aggravating the condition being treated like some more vigorous forms of exercise have been known to do.

Most people think low impact equals low intensity, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. Think of the immense strength that Tour de France cyclists need; their hearts reach over 80%^[1] of their maximum capacity for hours, and their legs push the power of 25 kilos^[2] or more. 

Low-impact exercises can give you all the same benefits as high-impact exercises. It’s perfect for when you’re tired, just starting to work out, have an injury, or if you’re suffering from a chronic condition. Read on for the best low-impact exercise for weight loss to help you reach a healthy weight and boost your mental health.

10 Best Low-Impact Exercises For Weight Loss

There’s not just one low-impact weight loss exercise that leads to better overall health. These ten are some of the best low-impact exercises to increase both your physical and mental health: 

Walking

The benefits of walking, even if in small amounts, are underrated. Even though 10,000 steps a day is recommended, 7,000^[3] steps still give benefits towards a healthy weight and mental health. Plus, going at either a moderate or brisk pace will greatly change your cardio activity and calories burned.  

Currently, the average US adult already walks 6,500 steps per day. If you make the time for it, a 20-minute walk in the park will give you 2,000-3,000 added steps without ever having to step foot in a gym. You’ll also get a mood boost by spending time in green space^[4].

Low-Impact HIIT

Low impact doesn’t mean you can’t get the full benefits of a high-intensity interval training, or HIIT, workout^[5]. High-intensity low-impact training, or HILIT, burns calories, increases heart rate, and improves muscle strength while protecting you from injury or added pain. You can post a YouTube video and find short low-impact HILIT cardio exercises for weight loss at home.

Cycling

This low-impact cardio workout is perfect for just about any intensity. You can do a one-hour cycling class and leave feeling so exhausted that you can’t make it home, or take a relaxing bike ride with the entire family on a Sunday afternoon. It’s an exercise that works for everyone. 

Cycling is great for weight loss and improving overall body composition. It also works to lower cholesterol levels^[6], which is perfect for older adults looking for low-impact exercises to reduce their risk of disease. 

Finally, one of its biggest advantages is that you don’t need a gym to get the benefits. Biking outside is even better for your health^[7] than biking indoors because most people bike in natural settings, like parks or along rivers and meadows (or for the more adventurous mountains). Nature (i.e., “green space”), of course, is one of the best antidepressants^[8] there are, reducing stress hormones, anxiety, and depression.

Elliptical Machines

The elliptical machine became famous as soon as it was introduced to the gym for a reason. It gives you a great aerobic workout on your feet, at the intensity of your choice, without worrying about the knee or ankle damage that usually comes with running. You can choose the intensity of your choice and burn fat more quickly with a HIIT-style program^[9], switching between medium and high-intensity intervals. Using a ratio of 2:1 (high: low) intensity, like 30 seconds of high to 15 seconds of low, can help with weight loss.

Swimming

Swimming is one of the easiest low-impact exercises on joints and one of the highest energy-using workouts to burn fat. Any type of movement in the water, like an aerobics class or laps, offers great low-impact exercises for knee pain. 

Plus, if you’re near a beach, this activity will have you spend time in a natural setting, which further lowers stress levels and improves mental health. Sitting on the sand and listening to the waves afterward is the perfect spot for a short meditation, too.

Rowing

A rowing machine is a great way to keep your knees and joints protected while building core and upper body strength, along with pushing your heart to higher capacities. If a rower sounds boring, you can select 20-minute HIIT-style programs to switch between moderate and vigorous aerobic activity.

Yoga

If you think yoga is just holding relaxing poses and stretching, you’re half right. There’s another side to yoga with styles that have you in constant movement, putting your heart to work like any cardio workout. 

Vinyasa and power yoga can be especially fast, with other slower styles like Hatha^[10] still showing the same mood benefits as other activities, like swimming. 

Low-Impact Dance Or Barre

The number of dance classes available online or in person has skyrocketed. You can let out your inner ballerina or jazz dancer no matter how old you are. Open YouTube and you’ll find plenty of low-impact exercises for weight loss at home to choose from.  

There’s something for everyone, with styles ranging from Zumba to hip-hop, to even ballroom dancing with a partner. Barre has become especially popular recently because of its variety and entire-body cardio workout. It uses elements of pilates, yoga, and ballet and improves strength and flexibility while getting your heart rate pumping. 

Skating Or Rollerblading

The side-to-side motion and strength needed to push yourself forward target muscles that rarely get attention. This is an entirely different low-impact workout than walking or cycling, perfect for when you feel the need to switch things up. It gets your entire body moving and burning calories while having fun, and your constantly changing center of gravity works out your core muscles continuously. 

Additionally, you’re breathing fresh air and enjoying the mental health benefits of the outdoors. The average American spends 90% of their time indoors, giving this unique exercise even more reason to try it out. 

Kayaking

If you’re ready for adventure, grab some friends together or head out for a solo kayak. A weekend might give you more time to drive to the water to switch up your usual low-impact workout routine (and get you to some relaxing nature spots). 

It’s not just for the upper body, either. It improves cardio health, muscle strength, and even lower body strength from rotating your torso and putting pressure on your legs.

What Is Low-Impact Exercise?

Low-impact exercise minimizes the pressure and stresses normally felt by muscles and joints when working out. It still gets your heart rate up, but it has the added benefit of being easier for people to do at their own pace and prevent injury. 

One way to identify low-impact exercise is whether at least one foot is on the ground at any time. Think of jumping jacks where you’re jumping, and both feet are in the air: high-impact. One foot is always firmly in place with low-impact jacks while the other toe taps to the side. 

Most low-impact exercises offer a range of cardio intensity, making it a flexible workout for everyone’s needs and fitness level.

Why Should You Do Low-Impact Exercises?

It’s a myth that low-impact is only for people of a certain age, sex, or health condition. Everybody can benefit from low-impact exercises. Here are some specific examples of when it’s great to do a low-impact workout:  

Hormonal Imbalances

Many women suffer from PCOS, adrenal, hypothalamus, or thyroid issues. These conditions can make them sensitive to exercise^[11] since cortisol, prolactin, growth hormone, and testosterone often increase during exercise. (Progesterone may decrease.) While it’s not always the case, a combination of low-impact and low-intensity workouts might be helpful. 

It’s also important to take note of the amount and intensity of training. Overtraining may cause hormonal imbalances or menstrual irregularities (e.g., period loss). 

On top of that, if you’re feeling stressed, high-impact workouts may add even more strain to your body. On days when you’re feeling burned out and exhausted, a relaxed yoga class or light walk in the park might be exactly what you need.

Lower Chance Of Injury 

If you’ve just experienced an injury, are overweight, pregnant, or elderly, a low-impact workout can reduce your chances of injury.

Build Bone Density 

A sedentary lifestyle and aging increase your chances of developing osteoporosis. While that might sound too far away for many women to worry about, it’s common and can even occur at a young age, with 2% of university-aged women already demonstrating it. 

Another important thing to keep in mind is that very athletic women younger than 30 with nutrient deficiencies are more likely to get early-onset osteoporosis. 

Luckily, low-impact workouts can offer great strength training and keep bones strong. Even walking^[12] reduces the risks of fractures and makes you more likely to age with a higher quality of life. 

Chronic Conditions

If you suffer from a chronic health condition^[13], exercise is a great way to reduce or prevent symptoms. 

• Diabetes: lowers blood sugar levels, increases weight loss and hormonal balance
• Asthma: helps control the severity and frequency of asthma attacks
• Heart disease: lowers cholesterol levels and improves heart strength 
• Back or joint pain: increases back strength and prevents further injury or pain (it’s a myth you shouldn’t exercise your back if you have back pain)
• Arthritis: reduces pain and stiffness and maintains muscle strength
• Cancer: lowers the risk of death from breast, colorectal, and prostate cancer

Low-impact and low-intensity exercise is a great way to manage symptoms, avoid injury, and slowly build strength.

Part Of A Balanced Workout Plan

Whether you’re just starting or feeling tired, low-impact exercises can offer great benefits without the strain. You don’t have to push your heart rate to the maximum or go to a gym; it can be gentle but still give endorphins and boost your mood and strength. 

Plus, anyone can do it almost anywhere.  You can grab your friends or family and head out for a relaxing walk, swim at the beach, or yoga class at home. 

The Bottom Line

Low-impact exercises are great for anyone wanting a balanced workout plan. It can burn calories, help you lose weight, improve cardio and mental health, and increase strength. It’s a total body workout that’s also helpful for people suffering from chronic conditions who don’t want to risk injury. 

If you head outside to do activities like walking, biking, swimming, yoga, or rollerblading, you’ll also get the added benefits of spending time in nature. Not only will you build muscle mass and get your heart rate pumping, but you’ll also reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression. 

Finally, if you’re focused on feeling healthier overall, you don’t need to worry about which exercise will burn more calories. Setting a manageable fitness goal that has you doing activities you love while prioritizing a healthy diet with lots of self-care will get you the best long-term results.

Weight Loss requires a shift in diet and exercise. You’ll notice a shift in body weight when you change what you eat. One good way to ensure you start to lose weight is by having a high-protein breakfast.

A high-protein breakfast for weight loss includes more protein and fewer carbs. The advantage is that protein is slower to digest. So, you remain full for longer. In this article, you can find the best healthy breakfast ideas for weight loss. Have fun with these high-protein breakfast ideas.

Best High Protein Breakfast For Weight Loss

Scrambled Eggs

Are you looking for a high-protein breakfast for weight loss? At the top of the list of the best choices is scrambled eggs. You can enjoy your eggs alone or add nutritious carbs like whole-wheat bread for a balanced meal.

Scrambled eggs are the best for a protein-packed breakfast. One large egg^[1] has only 72 calories and close to 7 grams of protein, so you can have two for a healthy breakfast.

Opt for eggs on toast if you aren’t a fan of scrambled eggs or want a more filling meal. You can also enjoy egg whites or hard-boiled eggs.

Greek Yogurt

You can also have protein-rich Greek yogurt with a handful of berries in the morning.

Greek yogurt only has 73 calories per 100 grams. This has fewer calories than natural yogurt and is a good option for high-protein breakfast ideas. One hundred grams of Greek yogurt^[2] also contains close to 10 grams of protein.

Smoked Salmon

Do you crave more savory breakfasts in the morning? Adding smoked salmon to your meal plan to help you lose weight.

Smoked salmon continues to be a perfect pick when you want to eat fewer calories. 100g of smoked salmon^[3] contains only 117 calories but 18 grams of filling fat-burning protein.

Chicken Sausage

Chicken sausage is another quality, high-protein breakfast for weight loss. Chicken sausage is preferred over pork as a healthier, leaner option. While pork sausages contain red meat, chicken sausages are made using white meat.

One hundred grams of chicken sausage^[4] has around 183 calories and 21.4 grams of protein. This is the right pick for a protein boost when you want to lose weight.

Chia Seeds

Did you know that chia seeds^[5] are a healthy option for a quick and easy breakfast? Chia seeds go well with Greek yogurt and fruits like berries. Adding sweet berries or fruits will make all the difference and boost fiber.

In 100g of chia seeds, there are roughly 130 calories and 4.7 grams of protein. Mixing the chia seeds with Greek yogurt boosts the protein content in your healthy breakfast.

Whey Protein Powder

Perhaps you aren’t interested in cooking anything for breakfast. Well, there are still numerous high-protein breakfast ideas that you can try out.

You can enjoy a convenient and nutritious whey protein powder. One hundred grams of whey protein powder contains 369 calories and 34.36 grams of protein.

Always opt for protein powder brands that contain 100% all-natural ingredients and no food additives.

Turkey Sausage

Healthy turkey sausage can be another great option for a high-protein breakfast to add more diversity to your morning meals. 

A serving of turkey sausage^[6] has roughly 88  calories and 5 grams of protein. You can have two servings plus another high-protein food option, like scrambled eggs, for this calorie amount. 

The goal is to increase protein intake and lower the number of carbs in the first meal.

Egg Muffins

Egg muffins rock when it comes to delicious breakfast meals. You can enjoy an egg muffin at home with other healthy ingredients.

For example, egg muffins are made using eggs, bell peppers, mushrooms, spinach, onions, and garlic. The result is a low-calorie yet filling meal that keeps you going all morning.

There are 4.69 grams of protein per 1 medium-sized egg muffin and 116 calories.

Oatmeal

Oats are a good source of healthy protein for your weight loss journey. Oatmeal has a balanced nutritional content. There are 13 grams of protein per 100 grams of oatmeal^[7] and 303 calories. One advantage of oats is feeling full for longer^[8] and being less prone to hunger cravings during the day.

Eating oatmeal for breakfast helps you accomplish your morning protein intake. Plus, your stomach will take longer to empty^[9] due to the fiber content of the oats, which is good for weight loss.

Black Beans

Add black beans to your breakfast burrito and enjoy a high-protein breakfast to lose belly fat. Black beans are nutritious and, best of all, filling. You end up feeling fullness, which helps curb cravings and hunger pangs when restricting caloric intake.

One cup of black beans^[10] contains 227 calories and 15 grams of protein.  You can enjoy one to two ounces in the morning to get your protein and fiber fix without overdoing it on calories.

Nuts

When making your chia pudding with Greek yogurt, toss in an assortment of nuts. They are rich in protein and healthy fats essential for weight loss. While you would need to consume a lot to meet your breakfast protein needs from nuts alone, they are a wonderful additive to your other high-protein breakfast foods.

You can add nuts to a high-protein breakfast, including almonds, walnuts, pistachios, nutritional yeast, hazelnuts, and peanuts. Depending on the type of nut, their protein content^[11] varies from 6-8 grams per one-ounce serving.

How Much Protein To Eat In The Morning

When you want to lose weight, you must eat fewer calories. Lowering caloric intake helps you control your body weight better, but getting more of those calories from protein will help you burn fat and stay satisfied.

Opt for a  high-protein and low-carb breakfast whenever possible. Above is a list of high-protein breakfast foods you can enjoy daily. Foods like eggs^[12] have enough protein to keep you going until it’s time for the next meal.

The goal is around 15 grams to 25 grams of protein for breakfast when you’re aiming to lose weight. This helps get rid of body fat while you retain lean muscle mass. A high-protein breakfast helps to curb cravings and hunger so you can burn fat.^[13]

Keep in mind these protein recommendations are general guidelines for weight loss, but you should always speak to your registered dietitian or doctor for personalized nutrition guidance.

How Protein Helps You Lose Weight?

Protein is important, so you need it as a breakfast meal. It becomes easier to achieve healthy weight loss when you have a morning meal that boosts your protein intake. Foods like eggs, chicken, and smoked salmon can help you lose weight.

Achieve your weight loss goals is easier when you have a protein-rich breakfast. Protein^[14] can help you eat less, especially as part of a morning meal. You feel fuller for longer with high protein rather than eating high-carb and high-fat meals.

A 2005 study^[15] included 19 women who wanted to lose weight. They increased their protein intake from 15% to 30% of their calories per day. In 12 weeks, the women had lost 11 pounds each due to improved satiety.

Feeling fuller helps you eat less,^[16] which is good since you need to take in fewer calories to lose weight. There’s also a drop in ghrelin^[17] (the hunger hormone) when you eat breakfast with more protein than your morning meal, which can help control appetite throughout the day and prevent cravings.

The Benefits Of Eating Protein At Breakfast

Weight Loss

Eating more protein for breakfast will make achieving your weight loss goals easier. This is especially true if you increase protein intake and lower the number of carbs.

The body needs more calories^[18] during digestion when you eat more protein. Burning more calories improves metabolism, which is good for weight loss.

Maintain Lean Muscle Mass

Muscle mass loss^[19] can happen when you start losing weight. However, you can lower the lean muscle mass loss rate by eating more protein for breakfast. Eating enough protein helps keep you looking lean and your metabolism high by preserving and building muscle mass.

Maintain Healthy Blood Sugar Levels

The good news is protein doesn’t spike blood sugar like carbohydrates. Protein stabilizes your blood sugar levels since it takes longer to break down in the stomach.

This is another reason why a high-protein breakfast is good for your health and well-being.

Other High Protein Breakfasts To Eat For Weight Loss

Here are a few more specific breakfast ideas to add to your morning weight-loss routine.

High Protein Breakfast Burrito

A breakfast burrito can help you increase your daily protein intake. Not only are burritos delicious, but they are also filling. Therefore, you can achieve your weight loss goals since you won’t keep snacking all day.

Stuff your burrito with protein goodness to make the perfect high-protein breakfast meal. Include eggs, black beans, chicken sausages, turkey sausages, and mushrooms. Add a bit of cheddar cottage cheese to the mix, and you’re good to go. 

High Protein Pancakes

Protein pancakes are a great way to start your day and feel full all morning. The best recipes use protein powder in place of wheat flour. This is because protein powder has a higher protein percentage which adds to your protein intake.

In addition, you can add an egg or rolled oats to your protein pancake batter for an extra protein boost.

High Protein Shake

You can also blend a simple protein shake as your breakfast. You can include ingredients like protein powder, chia seeds, and Greek yogurt. Find some lovely shake recipes and add high-protein foods, fruits, or greens to the mix.

The Takeaway

Don’t skimp on breakfast in an attempt to cut calories and lose weight.

Starting your day with a high-protein breakfast is satisfying, keeps cravings at bay, and helps you lose weight. Including high-protein foods like eggs, almond milk, almond butter, smoked salmon, turkey sausage, chicken sausage, chia seeds, or oatmeal will help you meet your breakfast protein needs easily.

Vary your high protein breakfasts to keep things interesting and make it easier to stick to your weight loss plan.

Protein is usually heralded as the best macronutrient to help you lose weight. But does protein turn into fat if you eat too much of it?

Eating too much protein can turn into fat and make you gain weight – but it’s not as easy for your body as turning carbohydrates (carbs) or fat into fat. Read on to learn why eating too much protein turns into fat and how much protein you should eat to avoid gaining unwanted weight.

Does Protein Make You Fat?

Gaining body weight doesn’t necessarily mean gaining body fat. Muscle is heavier than fat, so if you’re gaining more muscle from eating more protein and exercising, you may gain weight.

Most studies don’t show an increase in body fat after eating a diet high in protein. However, some studies suggest^[1] that it can lead to weight gain – but not a bigger waist size. 

So, rather than gaining fat around your belly, you may be more likely to “bulk up” overall – probably from gaining muscle. 

Does Excess Protein Turn Into Fat Or Muscle?

Your body turns extra glucose into fat if you don’t need it. The thing is, protein isn’t usually converted to glucose – your body “prefers” carbs and fats because they’re easier to convert into calories.

If Not Energy, What Do You Need Protein For?

Proteins are long, complex molecules that your body uses to build muscle, enzymes, and other “functional” structures. 

They’re broken down in your stomach acid into amino acids or peptides (a smaller version of proteins), which are further broken down in your intestines and absorbed into the bloodstream. Your body then recombines the amino acids to make the proteins it needs.

How Does Eating More Protein Affect Body Weight?

Studies show that when resistance-trained male athletes increased their protein intake^[2] for one year, they didn’t gain fat weight – despite eating significantly more calories overall. 

Resistance-trained men didn’t even gain weight^[3] after eating more than five times the recommended amount of protein for eight weeks. This is also confirmed in female athletes^[4] – i.e., no weight gain or change in body composition.

But what if you’re a person who doesn’t exercise much and you overeat protein? The extra amino acids have to go somewhere.

What Is The Immediate Fate Of Excess Dietary Protein In The Body?

As stated, protein is first broken down in your stomach and intestines into amino acids. These are transported via the bloodstream to the liver and the rest of the body, where they’re primarily transformed into proteins. 

But your body can’t store amino acids. So, if you eat more than you need to build functional proteins, they’ll be made into glucose for storage as glycogen or burned for energy. 

Glucose can also be made into triglycerides and stored as fat. Some amino acids are ketogenic (i.e. leucine and lysine) and are preferentially turned into ketones^[5] – an alternative energy source to glucose.

So, amino acids from excess dietary protein can get turned into^[6] either:

• Urea, which comes out in your pee.
• Glucose (which is burned for energy, and stored as glycogen).
• Fat (excess glucose is turned into triglycerides and stored as fat).
• Ketones (an alternative energy source) from ketogenic amino acids.
• Energy, is made directly from amino acids.

However, using protein supplements for energy isn’t the easiest, so your body only uses it as a last resort when there aren’t enough carbs or fats available (or you’re eating much more protein than you need for its amino acids).

Conversion To Glucose: The Last Resort

Very little glucose comes from amino acids. After eating four eggs, the participants in one study produced around 50 grams of glucose over eight hours^[7] – but only four grams (8%) came directly from the amino acids. 

So, after the person used all they needed for protein synthesis, they burned most of the excess amino acids as energy directly (measured by CO₂ production).

However, this was a study using normal amounts of protein consumption. A diet high-protein intake is different. If you’re overeating protein, the excess will be used as energy – around four calories of energy per gram. If you don’t need that energy right away, it’ll be stored as fat.

Does Protein Make You Gain Weight?

An increase in excessive protein intake is usually associated with higher satiety, weight loss, and fat loss over time.

But, of course, it depends on exactly what you’re eating and the type and amount of physical activity you’re doing. Plus, many high-protein foods don’t only contain protein.

High-Protein Foods Contain Carbs And Fat

Eating lots of protein means you’re probably eating more fats and carbs, too – especially if you’re eating high-fat protein sources such as meat, cheese, and other full-fat milk products. So, it can be easy to gain body weight by over-eating protein-rich foods.

Having said that, eating more protein usually leads to eating fewer calories^[8] because it’s more filling than fats or carbs. It takes longer for your stomach to digest it, hence why you feel fuller for longer after a protein-rich meal.

So, while it’s difficult to gain weight by eating more protein, it’s not impossible. At the end of the day, you need to ensure you’re not eating more excess calories than you’re burning through daily physical activity. 

Risks Of Consuming Too Much Protein

Most people^[9] eat much more protein than they need. There are some risks of eating too much protein, but most of the risks are due to eating too many animal sources of protein rather than plant-based sources.

Shorter Lifespan

Eating more protein instead of carbohydrates can increase your risk of all-cause death.

Conversely, a lower protein diet may be associated with living longer. Studies have found that one amino acid, particularly high in animal-based sources of protein, is associated with how long you live: methionine. 

By restricting methionine^[10] in the diet, such as by following a plant-based diet, scientists have found that you can potentially extend your lifespan^[11].

Heart Disease

Overeating red meat or dairy is linked to an increased risk of heart disease^[12]. 

However, this probably isn’t referring to the protein itself. Rather, it’s referring to the saturated fats also present in meat and dairy. So, swapping meat for plant-based sources of protein can improve heart health^[13].

Constipation

A low-fiber diet is associated with gut issues – especially constipation^[14]. Many animal-based high-protein sources are low in fiber, which you need to keep stuff moving through your gut. 

Calcium Loss

Studies suggest that eating a lot of protein can lead to calcium loss in your bones^[15]. Amino acids are acidic, so your body needs to compensate for the extra acidity by drawing alkaline minerals from your bones.

As doing lots of training also increases the acid load, high-performance athletes should consume^[16] more magnesium, potassium, and 1500 mg of calcium to counteract the effects.

What if You’re Not a “High-Performance” Athlete?

You probably don’t have to worry. Combined with exercise, protein can have a beneficial impact on bone health^[17] – especially reducing the risk of osteoporosis in postmenopausal women^[18] (without leading to weight gain).

Cancer

Studies show that eating too much meat can increase your risk of cancer and overall mortality risk. Red or processed meat is especially linked to a higher risk of colorectal cancer^[19] – one of the most common cancers of the digestive tract. 

Kidney Problems

People with kidney disease are usually told to follow a low-protein diet^[20]. That’s because when you overeat protein, your kidneys need to do more work^[21] to filter the excess amino acids into your pee. Athletes may also experience slightly reduced kidney function^[22] on a high-protein diet. 

However, studies show that a high-protein diet isn’t usually a problem for those with healthy kidney function doing a normal amount of exercise.

A weight-loss study that put healthy obese people on a high-protein diet^[23] for two years found no problems associated with kidney function or electrolyte balance.

Recommended Intake

The recommended amount of protein^[24] you should eat depends on how much physical activity you do. The more exercise you do, the more your muscles need to be repaired and the more protein you need.

Standard recommendation: 0.8 grams/kilogram body weight or 15-16% of energy intake^[25].

For athletes:

• Mildly active: 0.8-1.2 g/kg body weight.
• Very active: 1.2-1.4 g/kg body weight.
• Professional athlete^[26] or bodybuilder: 1.4-2.0 g/kg body weight.
• Some evidence exists that 3 g/kg may have beneficial effects on body composition – but only in resistance-trained athletes.

For women:

• Pregnant women: an extra 1 gram in the first trimester, nine grams during the second, and 28 grams during the third trimester.
• Breast-feeding women: an extra 19 grams/day in the first six months of lactation and 13 grams/day after that.

Your body isn’t physically able to use more than 2.0 grams of protein per kilogram (kg) of body weight (calculated for extremely active individuals), so if you exceed this, it will be used as energy rather than building proteins.

Best Sources Of Protein