50 Best Weight Loss Exercises

Written by Jyotsana Rao, BE  • 

Not every one of us can afford a good physical trainer who can guide us through our weight loss journey to become fit and fabulous, right? So here, we have got for you the 50 best and most popular exercises that not only just guarantee weight loss but also make you stronger and fitter.

Exercises For Weight Loss:

Let’s have a brief idea about the exercises that will help to lose weight effectively:

1. Plank:

Exercises For Weight Loss - Plank
Image: Shutterstock

Plank is one of the most basic moves that you can follow to keep yourself fit. It has so many benefits that you will love it for sure.

How To Do It:

  1. Get down on the floor on your hands and the balls of your feet.
  2. Make sure your body is in a straight line and your hands are underneath your shoulders.
  3. Keep your abs tight and belly button sucked in.

2. Jumping Jacks:

Exercises For Weight Loss - Jumping Jacks
Image: Shutterstock

Jumping Jacks are one of the best cardio moves that are very effective in incinerating fat from the entire body.

How To Do It:

  1. Stand with your back erect and abs tight keep your feet together.
  2. Now jump and open your feet wide.
  3. At the same time lift your arms overhead.
  4. Jump again and come back to the starting position.

[Read: Benefits of Jumping Jacks]

3. Skipping:

Exercises For Weight Loss - Skipping
Image: Shutterstock

Skipping or rope jumping is a cardio exercise that can burn 300-400 calories in 45 minutes depending on your weight.

How To Do It:

  1. Stand with your back erect and abs tight.
  2. Keep your feet together.
  3. Now jump off the ground a few inches letting the rope pass under your feet and bring it back up.
  4. If you do not have a rope, just jump up and down without the rope but keep moving your hands as if you are holding a rope.

[ Read: Cardio Exercises For Weight Loss ]

4. Cross -Trainer:

Exercises For Weight Loss - Cross -Trainer
Image: Shutterstock

Elliptical trainer or cross-trainer does not only burn a major amount of calories but also builds leg muscles and helps in shedding arm fat.

How To Do It:

  1. Step on the peddles and get hold of the handlebars firmly.
  2. Now move your feet along the peddles as if you are stepping forward, it nearly imitates the walking motion.
  3. With every step, make sure you move handlebars also, one towards your chest and alternating the movement.

5. Butt Kicks:

Exercises For Weight Loss - Butt Kicks
Image: Shutterstock

Butt kicks are cardiovascular exercises. The difference between butt kicks and jogging is that in butt kicks you try to touch your butt alternatively with each leg. To increase the intensity, increase your speed.

How To  Do It:

  1. Stand with your feet hip-width apart and keep your abs tight.
  2. Now start jogging on the spot with your calves kicking back and feet almost touching your butt.

[ Video: “>Weight Loss Workout For Women ]

6. Mountain Climbers:

Exercises For Weight Loss - Mountain Climbers
Image: Shutterstock

Mountain climbers burn fat from the abdominal area and help in getting rid of love handles.

How To Do It:

  1. Get into a plank.
  2. Bending one knee, place it slightly forward.
  3. Now start shifting your legs forward and backward by interchanging their positions.

7. Plank Jacks:

Exercises For Weight Loss - Plank Jacks
Image: Shutterstock

Plank Jacks are a cardio version of planks which give the benefit of both cardio and strengthening the core.

How To Do It:

  1. Get into the plank and jump your legs open.
  2. Jump again and bring your feet together.
  3. Open and close is the movement you follow while your upper body remain stationary in plank.

8. Push-Ups:

Exercises For Weight Loss - Push-Ups
Image: Shutterstock

Push-ups are amazingly effective for toning arms and strengthening the whole body.

How To Do It:

  1. Get into plank.
  2. Now, bend your elbows as you lower yourself toward the floor.
  3. Press back up by straightening your arms.

9. Triceps Push-ups:

Exercises For Weight Loss - Triceps Push-ups
Image: Shutterstock

We all detest those bingo wings. So, kill that tricep fat by doing triceps push-up.

How To Do It:

  1. Get into the plank.
  2. Remain on your toes or put your knees down.
  3. Now press into the floor by pushing your elbows back.
  4. Straighten your arms and push back up.

10. Spider Push-up:

Exercises For Weight Loss - Spider Push-up
Image: Shutterstock

These push-ups work your arms, shoulders, legs and glutes all at the same time.

How To Do It:

  1. Get in the plank and put your right hand out beside your head and your right foot in line with that hand.
  2. Now, press down and as you push back up, get back into plank.
  3. Switch sides with every push-up.

11. Side Plank:

Exercises For Weight Loss - Side Plank
Image: Shutterstock

Side planks are good for toning obliques, shedding muffin tops and losing arm fat.

How To Do It:

  1. Get into the plank pose.
  2. Now shift to your right side by balancing on your right hand and foot.
  3. Hold that and then roll over to your left side.

12. Forearm Plank:

Exercises For Weight Loss - Forearm Plank
Image: Shutterstock

Forearm plank strengthens your shoulders and upper arms along with a strong core.

How To Do It:

  1. Get into the plank position with abs tight, body straight and hands directly underneath shoulders.
  2. Now, lower yourself onto your forearms with elbows lined with your shoulders.
  3. This is also called dolphin plank. Hold for minimum 30 second.

13. Hip Twists:

Exercises For Weight Loss - Hip Twists
Image: Shutterstock

Hip twists are also known as waist whittlers because they are very effective in shedding inches off your waist.

How To Do It:

  1. Get into the forearm plank.
  2. Now, twist your hips and touch your right hip to the floor.
  3. Twist again and touch the left hip to floor.
  4. Keep twisting for at least 1 minute.

14. Bridge:

Exercises For Weight Loss - Bridge
Image: Shutterstock

Bridge pose and bridge dips are one the best exercises for your booty. It makes your butt bigger and perkier and strengthens the abdominals.

How To Do It:

  1. Lie down on your back with knees bent and feet on the floor.
  2. Raise your hips up as high as you can until you get a straight line from shoulders to knees.
  3. Squeeze your butt-cheeks together.
  4. Lower your booty towards the floor and then raise back up.

15. Bridge With Leg Lift:

Exercises For Weight Loss - Bridge With Leg Lift
Image: Shutterstock

Bridge with Leg Lifts is an advanced variation of simple bridge dips which focuses on your butt muscles from all angles and works on the lower abs more effectively.

How To Do It:

  1. Lie on your back with feet flat on the floor and knees bent.
  2. Raise your hips until you get the straight line from knees to shoulders.
  3. Lift one leg straight up.
  4. Now, do the dips for 1 minute.
  5. Then do with opposite leg.

16. Squat Jumps:

Exercises For Weight Loss - Squat Jumps
Image: Shutterstock

Squat jump is a plyometric exercise which burns major calories and are very effective for strengthening quads and glutes. If you have any joint problems, you should avoid squat jumps.

How To Do It:

  1. Stand straight with your feet hip width apart.
  2. Squat by pushing your booty back and bending your knees.
  3. Now jump up and then squat again as you reach the ground.
  4. Do at least 20 reps.

[ Read: Simple Tips To Lose Weight In Just A Week ]

17. Deadlifts:

Exercises For Weight Loss - Deadlifts
Image: Shutterstock

Deadlifts are one of the best exercises for training that booty. Grab a dumbbell in each hand and stand straight with back erect.

How To Do It:

  1. Now bend at your waist forward.
  2. Go as low as you can without hunching your shoulders or back.
  3. Keep your back flat.
  4. Rise up and do 20 reps.
  5. Deadlifts are very good for your booty and hamstrings.

18. Side Lunges:

Exercises For Weight Loss - Side Lunges
Image: Shutterstock

Side lunges are good for inner as well outer thighs and butt.

How To Do It:

  1. Stand with your feet wide apart.
  2. Now push your butt to your left side and lower it towards the floor by bending your left knee.
  3. Make sure your right leg is straight.
  4. Then bring your butt to the right side and keep alternating for 20 reps.

19. Plank Push-ups:

Exercises For Weight Loss - Plank Push-ups
Image: Shutterstock

This is one of the best arm exercises. it is a slightly intermediate exercise, but very effective for strengthening your triceps, biceps, shoulders as well as abs.

How To Do It:

  1. Get into plank position with arms straight and hands under shoulders.
  2. Now, one by one bend your elbows and come down in forearm plank.
  3. One by one straighten your arms into standard plank again.
  4. Do 10-15 reps.

20. Candlestick Dipper:

Exercises For Weight Loss - Candlestick Dipper
Image: Shutterstock

Amazingly effective for love handles and muffin tops, candlestick dippers are deceptively easy. They are good for getting rid of side fat.

How To Do It:

  1. Get down on your knees and straighten your right leg sideways.
  2. Lift your arms overhead and join then in Namaste position.
  3. Now bend to your left side as low as you can and straighten up.
  4. Do 15 reps and then do change legs and do the other side.

21. Bicycle Crunches:

Exercises For Weight Loss - Bicycle Crunches
Image: Shutterstock

Bicycle crunches pack a double punch of cardio+ab training. it is the perfect answer to those who have lower belly pooch problem as it burns fat as well as strengthens the entire core.

How To Do It:

  1. Lie back on the ground and bending your knees, lift your calves until they become parallel to the floor.
  2. Now straighten your right leg and bind your hands behind your neck for support.
  3. Keep your shoulders off the floor.
  4. Now try to touch your left bent knee and opposite elbow.
  5. Then straighten the left leg and bend the right leg and touch it to the left elbow.
  6. Keep alternating as fast as you can.

22. Triceps Dips:

Exercises For Weight Loss - Triceps Dips
Image: Shutterstock

Triceps Dips are one of the 3 exercises that are fastest way to toned triceps. Unlike other 2, it can be done anywhere and without any equipment.

How To Do It:

  1. Get a chair, sofa, bed, or any raised steady platform and sit on it.
  2. Now grab the chair beside your hips with your fingers outwards and scoot forward until your hands are supporting your weight on the chair and your butt is in air.
  3. Now, bend your elbows and lower your butt towards the floor as low as you can and straighten up.
  4. Do 20 dips.

23. Triceps Kickbacks:

Exercises For Weight Loss - Triceps Kickbacks
Image: Shutterstock

You want to get rid of those bingo wings and flabby arms? Try triceps kickbacks, all you need is a pair of dumbbells.

How To Do It:

  1. Get a dumbbell in each hand and bend slightly forward with your knees soft and back flat.
  2. Bend your elbows and bring the dumbbells near your chest by pushing the elbows back and out.
  3. Now, straighten your arms by pushing the dumbbells back and bring back.
  4. Do 20 reps and make sure your feel the burn in your triceps.

24. Jackknife Sit-ups:

Exercises For Weight Loss - Jackknife Sit-ups
Image: Shutterstock

It is one of the best abdominal exercises because jackknife sit-ups target your upper and lower abs simultaneously.

How To Do It:

  1. Lie down on your back with your arms stretched overhead.
  2. Now in one movement, lift your straight arms and legs up and try to touch your toes.
  3. Lower back and do 20 reps.
  4. To intensify, do not touch your legs to the floor.

25. Lunge:

Exercises For Weight Loss - Lunge
Image: Shutterstock

One of the most basic and extremely effective exercises, lunges train your butt, thighs, abs and calves.

How To Do It:

  1. Stand with your back straight and abs tight.
  2. Now, put your right leg in the front and bend your knee until your right thigh is parallel to the ground and left thigh is perpendicular.
  3. Make sure your front knee is above your heel.
  4. Push back up and bring your feet together.
  5. Do the other leg.
  6. Do alternate lunges for 30 reps.

26. Lunge With Bicep Curls:

Exercises For Weight Loss - Lunge With Bicep Curls
Image: Shutterstock

It is a combination move of both upper and lower body. While alone bicep curl doesn’t do much for the rest of your body except your biceps, it burns major calories when combined with lunges as you are working different major muscle groups at the same time.

How To Do It:

  1. Grab a dumbbell in each hand.
  2. Now as you lunge down, do a bicep curl by bringing the dumbbells to your chest.
  3. As you rise up, lower the dumbbells down.

27. Overhead Press:

Exercises For Weight Loss - Overhead Press
Image: Shutterstock

Overhead Press is good for strengthening your shoulders as well as getting rid of triceps and upper back fat.

How To Do It:

  1. Get a dumbbell in each hand.
  2. Lift your arms and bend your elbows with your forearms parallel to the head on each side.
  3. Now raise the dumbbells overhead and bring them back.
  4. Do 20 reps.

28. Grinding:

Exercises For Weight Loss - Grinding
Image: Shutterstock

It is a yoga move that melts the belly fat.

How To Do It:

  1. Sit with your legs straight in front of you and back erect.
  2. Bring your arms forward and join your hands.
  3. Now start making a big clockwise circle as if you are grinding mill.
  4. Do 15-20 reps clockwise and then anti-clockwise.

29. Tuck Jumps:

Exercises For Weight Loss - Tuck Jumps
Image: Shutterstock

Tuck jump is a plyometric exercise which is a combination of cardio and bodyweight exercise. Try jumping as fast as you can without compromising the form.

How To Do It:

  1. Stand straight with tightened core.
  2. Squat a little and jump up as high as you can.
  3. Try to tuck your knees in upward motion, then land back in a squat.
  4. Do 10 jumps.

30. Skaters:

Exercises For Weight Loss - Skaters
Image: Shutterstock

Skaters is a cardio move with less intensity and more result in burning calories and toning your legs.

How To Do It:

  1. Stand on your right leg with knees bent.
  2. Jump to your left side as far as you can on your left leg.
  3. Jump again to right side on right leg.
  4. Do this 15 times.

31. Squat With Punches:

Exercises For Weight Loss - Squat With Punches
Image: Shutterstock

It is one of the best weight loss exercises for women at home, which burns good calories and strengthens arms.

How To Do It:

  1. Stand with your feet wide apart and squat down.
  2. Now, start punching cross and jab as fast and with as much force as you can.
  3. After 1min, start punching upward.

32. Front Kicks:

Exercises For Weight Loss - Front Kicks
Image: Shutterstock

Front Kicks tone the legs, butt and abs, improve flexibility and boost metabolism.

How To Do It:

  1. Stand straight with your core tightened.
  2. Bring right knee up and kick it straight with force as if you are pushing something standing right in front of you.
  3. Lower it and kick with the other leg as high as you can.

33. Knee High:

Exercises For Weight Loss - Knee High
Image: Shutterstock

Knee High is another variation of spot jogging in which the movement of butt kicks is reversed. Now, you raise your knees to your hips instead of feet to butt.

How To Do It:

  1. Stand straight with abs tight.
  2. Start jogging in the place by bringing your knees alternately up as high as you can.
  3. You can even try to set a mark with your hands and try to touch it with your knees.

34. Fast Feet:

Exercises For Weight Loss - Fast Feet
Image: Shutterstock

This one is fun and effective exercise, which is great for killing those muffin tops and shedding pounds from your belly.

How To Do It:

  1. Stand with feet apart and bend slightly forward.
  2. Join your hands in front of you.
  3. Now start moving your feet as fast as you can in a wide-leg jogging.
  4. You should feel it up to your butt.

35. Pike Push-up:

Exercises For Weight Loss - Pike Push-up
Image: Shutterstock

This is great for shoulders and arm fat. if you want to do an advanced version, you can do pike push-ups with one leg straightened upin the air.

How To Do It:

  1. Get into the downward dog position.
  2. Now, bend your elbows and lower your head towards the floor.
  3. Press back up by straightening the arms.
  4. Do 10 Push-ups.

36. Split Lunge Jumps:

Exercises For Weight Loss - Split Lunge Jumps
Image: Shutterstock

It is a plyometric form of lunges which burns more calories and is an advanced move. It not only requires the force to jump but also involves balance which makes it more effective.

How To Do It:

  1. Get into the lunge position with your right leg forward.
  2. Jump and switch legs and land into a lunge with your left leg forward.
  3. Keep alternating for 20 reps.

37. Burpees:

Exercises For Weight Loss - Burpees
Image: Shutterstock

Burpees are best! Burpees are one of the best moves among all the fast weight loss exercises. If you are a beginner, you can simply step back and forward instead of jumping.

  1. Stand straight and bending forward, put your hands on the floor.
  2. Jump your feet into plank and then jump back near your hands and straighten up.
  3. You can also do side burpees by jumping your feet to one side and up, then the other side and up.

38. Frog Jumps:

Exercises For Weight Loss - Frog Jumps
Image: Shutterstock

It is plyo move that is very effective for weight loss. The key is to cover as much distance as you can and do as many reps as you can back-to-back.

How To Do It:

  1. Stand with your feet apart and knees slightly bent.
  2. Jump forward, covering as much distance as you can and backward to the starting position.
  3. Do 20 reps.

39. Walkout:

Exercises For Weight Loss - Walkout
Image: Shutterstock

Walkouts have many variations. The simplest one is the push-up variation. This exercise combines forward bend pose and Push-up exercise and works on whole integrated body.

How To Do It:

  1. Put your hands on the floor and walk forward until you get in Plank.
  2. Do one push-up and walk back into standing position.
  3. Make sure you don’t bend your knees.

40. Chair Pose:

Exercises For Weight Loss - Chair Pose
Image: Shutterstock

Chair pose is an intermediate yoga pose which strengthens legs and tones butt. to burn more calories, hold the pose as long as you can without compromising with the form.

How To Do It:

  1. Stand straight with your feet together and back straight.
  2. Lower your butt down as low as you can and raise your arms high overhead.
  3. Hold the pose for 30-45 sec. you can try chair pose jumps to turn this move into cardio.

41. Warrior Pose:

Exercises For Weight Loss - Warrior Pose
Image: Getty

Warrior series is good for strengthening the lower body. It includes sequencing of Warrior I, Warrior II, Warrior III and Triangle Pose.

42. Elbows To Knees:

Exercises For Weight Loss - Elbows To Knees
Image: Shutterstock

It is a dance cardio move which most bhangra-lovers would be familiar with. It tones the abdominal muscles.

How To Do It:

  1. Stand with your feet apart.
  2. Stretch your hands overhead to your left side.
  3. Now, bring your right knee up and your elbows down in a crossing motion.
  4. Straighten back and do 20 reps each side.

43. Vinyasa:

Exercises For Weight Loss - Vinyasa
Image: Shutterstock

Vinyasa is the name popularly given to the sequence down dog to cobra. it is often included in a variation of Surya Namaskara. This is one of the most effective exercises for weight loss at home to practice with.

How To Do It:

  1. Start in downward dog pose.
  2. Move to plank.
  3. Then do a chaturanga.
  4. Finally push into a cobra.

44. Kapalbhati:

Exercises For Weight Loss - Kapalbhati
Image: Shutterstock

Kapalbhati pranayama is very effective in burning belly fat and treating many internal illnesses and hormonal imbalances responsible for weight gain.

How To Do It:

  1. Sit cross-legged with your back straight.
  2. Take a deep breath. Now, exhale repetitively and continuously as long as you can.
  3. Note that with every exhale, your stomach goes in.
  4. Do it for 10-15 minutes.

45. Anulom-Vilom:

Exercises For Weight Loss - Anulom-Vilom
Image: Shutterstock

Like Kapalbhati, 15 minutes of anulom-vilom will help you lose weight effectively.

How To Do It:

  1. Sit cross-legged with your back straight.
  2. Block your left nostril with your thumb and take a deep breath with right nostril.
  3. Now, block your right nostril and exhale with your left.
  4. Now, inhale with your left and exhale with your right.

46. Walking:

Exercises For Weight Loss - Walking
Image: Shutterstock

Walking is one of the best weight loss exercises. Walking at a fast pace is good for burning calories. Make sure you keep it progressive.

[ Read: Morning Exercises for Weight Loss ]

47. Running:

Exercises For Weight Loss - Running
Image: Shutterstock

Running is seriously the king of weight loss exercises. Running not only burns calories but is also a total body integrated exercise. It strengthens legs and is effective for belly fat. Either go outside for a 30-minute run or just hop on the treadmill.

48. Surya Namaskar:

Exercises For Weight Loss - Surya Namaskar
Image: Shutterstock

Surya Namaskar is known to burn more calories in half an hour than an hour long cardio session does. It not only helps in shedding pounds but also gives the benefits of yoga. There are many different versions of sun salutations, so choose whichever you like the best. Try doing as many salutations as you can do. While salutations done in slow motion are effective in toning muscles and stretching, salutations done on a fast pace are good forms of cardio.

49. Cycling:

Exercises For Weight Loss - Cycling
Image: Shutterstock

Again, cycling is an effective cardio exercise, which strengthens leg muscles and burns abdominal fat. You can experiment with resistance and grip on the cycle to modify your workout. Another thing you should do is to replace your other vehicles with a bicycle for short distances. Nowadays, spin classes are very famous. They are fun, entertaining and effective.

50. Swimming:

Exercises For Weight Loss - Swimming
Image: Shutterstock

One hour of swimming can burn calories equal to running 3 miles! Amazing, right? It is a non-impact cardiovascular exercise, which uses water as a natural resistance and helps in burning calories. Do not forget to do good dynamic stretches of arms and legs before you go dipping.

So, now you cannot say you just don’t know how to lose weight! With all these choices, you can now lose weight easily. Go for it!

Do you know any other quick weight loss exercises? Share with us in the comments section below.

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