5 Best Exercises for Weight Loss When You Have Only 30 Minutes

We all want to lose weight, but it's not always easy to find the time to exercise. This is especially true for those of us with a busy schedule who need to stretch the most out of every minute. Luckily, there are many exercises you can do in just 30 minutes that will help you lose weight and get healthier overall.

In this piece, we'll cover five bodyweight exercises, including squat jumps, lunges, and crunches, which you can do at home or anywhere else with little space—all while working different muscles and helping burn calories! These movements will also strengthen your bones and decrease the risk of stress fractures from weight-bearing activities.

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Best Exercises for Weight Loss When You Only Have 30 Minutes

1. Squat Jumps

The squat jump is a full-body exercise that will get your heart pumping while also engaging all of your core muscles. It’s simple to do and provides a lot of benefits.

How should you do it?

• Stand with feet shoulder-width apart and toes facing forward
• Squat down and bend your knees until they are slightly lower than your hips, keeping your back straight and chest up.
• Jump up as high as possible while extending your arms overhead.

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2. Lunges

Lunges help tone your lower body and improve your overall fitness. You can add as much or as little weight as you want, so if basic lunges are too easy for you, add some resistance via barbells, dumbbells, and kettlebells.

How should you do it?

• Stand with feet hip-width apart, hands on hips. Hold a dumbbell in each hand, palms facing each other.
• Step forward with the left leg and lower into a squat position until the knee of the right leg nearly touches the floor. Push back up to the start position, then repeat with the opposite leg for one rep; that's 1 rep total for both sides. Do 3 sets of 10 reps per side as part of your workout or anytime you need to get rid of some stress!
• Important note: Ensure not to lean forward while doing lunges—this can cause injury. Be sure not to lock out your knees because this could also cause injury.

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3. Bicycle Crunches

Bicycle crunches are well suited for the abs, especially the obliques. They work the upper body, too. Therefore, if you're looking to lose weight and tone up in one go, this is a good move.

How should you do it?

• Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor.
• Bring hands behind the head.
• Lift feet off the floor and extend legs at a 90-degree angle from the torso; keep your hands behind your head.
• Rotate the torso to the left so that the right elbow touches the left knee; continue rotating until the other elbow touches the opposite knee.
• Reverse the motion slowly until your arms return to the starting position alongside the body. That's one rep; do 10 reps per set before moving on to the next exercise in your circuit.

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4. Mountain Climbers

Mountain climbers are an all-around exercise that help burn fat, build strength and endurance, and sculpt your upper body. It's also one of the quickest exercises to do without any equipment so you can do them anywhere—at home or in the gym!

How should you do it?

• Start by lying face down on the floor with hands under you and palms flat on the floor.
• Keeping your legs straight, raise them off the ground until they form a 90-degree angle with your body.
• Then, pull your knees into your chest while raising your hips toward the ceiling; this is one rep.
• Lower hips back down but don't rest them on the ground. Instead, jump up as high as possible from this position with arms overhead; land softly on both feet again. That's 1 set of 10 reps total!

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5. High Knees

If you have only a few minutes to spare and want to get your heart pumping, high knees are a great exercise. This move is great for your heart and lungs because it increases their workload during exercise. It's also a fun way to work out with friends or family as it can be done solo as well as in a group.

How should you do it?

• Stand with feet shoulder-width apart.
• Quickly lift one knee toward the chest while swinging the opposite arm forward at waist level until both are raised high over the hips.
• Return leg back down into the starting position; repeat on the opposite side.

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Conclusion

There you have them! These 5 exercises are some of the best for weight loss when you only have 30 minutes. If you’re looking for more workouts that don’t take too much time, check out this article on how to get fit with just half an hour a day.