The perfect gym-free weight loss workout
Here's a perfect weight loss exercise routine for anyone who wants to lose weight, no equipment required.
Picture: iStock
It’s not mandatory to exercise if you want to lose weight. You can get skinnier without exercise, but it will take much longer, and you will be less healthy in the end.
If you do less than one hour of physical work a day (if you have a desk job and then end up sitting in traffic, this is probably you), then you need to do some exercise. This is not only good for your weight loss goals, but it is also essential for a healthy mind!
Exercise helps release ‘happy’ hormones, and is a great way to relieve stress. Doing exercise during the day helps you sleep better at night – and we all know that good sleep is essential for weight loss.
The bottom line is that, although it’s possible to lose weight without exercise, it’s not the recommended method.
Incorporating some exercise into your day will help speed up your weight loss efforts as well as have numerous other positive impacts on your life.
Now before you moan about ‘going to the gym’, let me remind you that exercise doesn’t have to happen in the gym. It can happen in your own lounge, garden or neighbourhood. Depending on your space and time, you can adapt the following exercise workout. You will start feeling more positive about your 2018 weight loss goals within a few days!
Here’s a perfect weight loss exercise routine for anyone who wants to lose weight, no equipment required. And it will only take about 20 to 30 minutes, three or four times per week.
1. Warm up
The first few minutes of every workout should be spent warming up. If the weather is nice, go for a walk around the neighbourhood. If not, do five minutes of vigorous stretching of all the major muscles and then do two rounds of one-minute constant star jumps.
You should end the warm up feeling more ‘stretchy’, maybe even breaking a slight sweat.
2. Circuit time
Now do a circuit of the following exercises. Start with three rounds of the entire circuit the first week, and increase by one round per week until you’re doing seven rounds.
Do each exercise for 12 repetitions per round.
Sit-ups
Air squats
Push-ups
Camel cats
Plank (60 seconds)
3. Intervals
No, not a half-time drinks break. Go outside and run hard for 40 metres. Take a 60-second break and repeat five times. Don’t run so hard that you feel in danger of hurting yourself. You can build this up over time. Add one interval per week until you’re at ten intervals.
If you can’t go outside you may have to do this with air squats. Do squats for 20 seconds, take a 20-second break and repeat for five minutes.
4. Cool down
Spend five minutes cooling down with another walk or some stretching. Then go and have a refreshing shower. You’ve earned it!
Brought to you by All4Women
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