6 Exercises to Help You Lose Weight and Tone Up

If your goal is to lose weight and tone up, try a variety of exercises and find what works best for your needs.

The following exercises are a good place to start. Not only do they work all the major muscle groups, but they can also help you reach your fitness goals in no time while also burning some serious calories.

Exercises to Lose Weight and Tone Up

Here's a look at six such exercises:

#1 Jumping Jack

If you prefer cardio exercises, jumping jacks are a great way to work up a sweat. Not only can you do them anywhere, but they're also easy and fun.

Jumping jacks are good for the heart, as they pump blood through the body at an accelerated rate. This process helps reduce the amount of fat stored in the arteries, which means less stress on the heart and less chance of developing cardiovascular disease.

When combined with other forms of exercise such as running or swimming, jumping jacks can help you lose weight faster than simply sitting around all day.

Here's how it's done:

Start by jumping up and spreading your legs out wide, beyond your shoulders.
As you jump, raise your arms above your head.
Perform a few reps.

#2 Jogging

Jogging is a great way to get the heart rate up, burn calories, and tone the muscles.

You can do it anywhere, in any temperature, and with minimal equipment. It’s also a very social form of exercise, where you can enjoy the company of others while getting fit.

Set aside ten minutes each day for jogging. If you want to start slowly or have trouble running long distances, try walking instead. After a month or two, switch to jogging for the duration of each session (about 30 minutes).

Find a route that's away from traffic and not too close to busy streets, if possible, so you won't be distracted by cars whizzing past. Don't forget the water.

#3 Squat

Squats are a great way to strengthen the core, legs, and glutes. This exercise not only helps burn calories but also toning by working out multiple muscles at once.

For example, squats work out the quads (front of thighs), hamstrings (back of thighs), calves as well as gluteus maximus in the glute region, which makes it easier for women to slim down their hip and lower body.

To do them:

Stand with your feet slightly wider than hip width and toes pointing forward.
Squat down till your thighs are parallel to the floor.
Make sure to keep your back straight throughout the movement by contracting the abdominal muscles for support.

#4 Push-up

Push-ups are a classic bodyweight exercise that can help you get toned and lean. The basic push-up targets the chest, shoulders, and triceps.

Here's how to do it:

Start on your hands and knees on the floor, keeping your back straight.
Your shoulder blades should be down towards your hips and slightly pulled back so that they form a 'V' shape.
Place your hands directly under your shoulders, with your palms facing forward.
Inhale as you lower yourself till both arms are bent at 90 degrees, lowering them till you feel a stretch in your chest muscles just below the clavicle (collarbone).
Keep looking forward throughout the movement rather than down at the floor or up at the ceiling.
Exhale as you press back up into the starting position. Pause briefly before doing 10-12 reps.

#5 Lunge

Lunges are a great way to tone up and slim down the legs. They are also easy to do no matter where you are, regardless of whether or not you have weak knees. Lunges work all the muscles in the body, including those around the core, so they're great for overall strength.

How to do a lunge:

Stand with your feet together, holding dumbbells by the sides.
Step forward with your left foot into a lunge position, keeping your back knee behind your toes — letting it rest there.
Bend both knees about 90 degrees. Keep the front thigh parallel to the floor and weight on the heels as much as possible.
Push back up through the heel of the leading leg till the thigh is nearly vertical.
Repeat on the other side ten times.

#6 Jump Rope

Jumping rope is one of the best exercises for people who don’t have a lot of time to exercise. It’s also good for people with joint pain, as it doesn’t put much pressure on the knees, ankles, or hips. You can jump rope anywhere: at home or work, at a park or playground.

You burn more calories when you jump rope compared to doing other cardio workouts, as your feet are always moving and the intensity increases with speed (the faster you go, the harder it becomes).

Jumping rope is great for losing weight and toning up, as it works all the muscles — including those in the arms and legs — so they become stronger and leaner.

Here's how it's done:

Start by standing in front of the rope. Hold it with your wrists, and tuck your elbows in.
Using momentum, bring the rope forward, and jump over it. Gradually increase the pace till you're challenging yourself.
Perform as many reps as you can.

It might take a while before you get used to jumping rope, but once you do, you will start seeing results.

Takeaway

You don’t need fancy equipments to get in shape. The aforementioned simple exercises are great for anyone who wants to lose weight and tone up their body at home.