No elaborate equipment or gym membership, all that bodyweight exercises require is a well-ventilated room, and an enthusiastic you! Doing bodyweight exercises to lose weight can be effective and super easy. These exercises use your body weight to build resistance against the force of gravity, burning calories in the process. This form of workout can help you improve your strength and endurance, besides helping in maintaining overall fitness and well-being. However, it is essential to pace yourself while doing these exercises. Start with what suits you and your body, and build your way up from there. Know the right way to do bodyweight exercises to lose weight, as well as what to keep in mind while doing this workout.

What are bodyweight exercises?

Bodyweight exercises are exercises that use body weight as resistance to build strength, flexibility, and endurance. “These exercises don't require any equipment or machinery, making them convenient and accessible anywhere. These exercises are elite and challenging,” explains Fit India Ambassador Wanitha Ashok. A study, published in the Strength and Conditioning Journal, states that bodyweight training movements are used to move the body against the forces of gravity and ground reaction forces.”

Bodyweight exercises for weight loss: How do these help?

Bodyweight exercises offers physical, convenience and accessibility benefits. Here are some ways it can help you lose weight:

1. Boosts metabolism

Like all strength training exercises, bodyweight exercises help increase resting metabolic rate, burning more calories. Including burpees, jump squats, and mountain climbers can help you burn calories during exercise like in cardio. Combining bodyweight exercises with a healthy diet promotes fat loss.

2. Strengthens muscles

Body weight exercises help to increase strength and flexibility. This helps you exercise more and burn more calories. A study, published in the Journal of Yoga and Physiotherapy, states that body weight exercises help to build endurance as well as increase muscle strength. It states that the exercises exhibit a greater range of motion and isolation of specific muscles. It strengthens the core and prevents injuries as well.

3. Improves balance and coordination

There are many bodyweight exercises for weight loss, which also work on your balance. A study, published in the the Frontiers in Physiology, states that strength training bodyweight exercises help improve static balance in older women. Not only does this help in weight loss, but it also helps to avoid falls and injury.

4. Increases energy levels

Body weight exercises help in weight loss as these work on your energy levels. A study published in the International Journal of Exercise Science states that body weight exercises help, that require minimal time commitment and no special equipment, can build levels of cardiorespiratory fitness in inactive adults. The study involved basic exercises performed at a self-selected challenging pace.

Besides weight loss, body weight exercises help to build muscle and increase endurance. Image courtesy: Freepik

5. Builds muscle

Bodyweight exercises that involve resistance training help to build muscle without the dependence of an external load, states a study, published in Physiology & Behavior.The study also witnessed an improvement in the aerobic capacity and muscle endurance levels of the participants.

6. Convenient

Body weight exercises to lose weight are convenient and accessible as hardly any equipment is needed. These exercises can be done anywhere even if space is a constraint. It’s cost-effective and suitable for all fitness levels.

However, to achieve weight loss and overall fitness, exercise routine should be combined with a balanced diet, regular cardio exercises, variate body weight exercises with other external resistance, overload progressively, staying, consistent and patience, explains Ashok.

What to remember while doing bodyweight exercises to weight loss?

Like all exercise routines, safety, and precautions are a must while attempting body weight exercises for weight loss. Here is what you should be careful of

Consult a doctor or fitness expert before starting.

• It is always better to exercise under the guidance from a certified fitness trainer to correct and monitor form and technique.
• Proper warm-up before a workout and cool-down after it is a must.
• Listen to your body, and rest when needed. Avoid overexertion and hydrate well.
• Most people tend to exercise selected muscles or their problem areas. Structure your routine and cover the opposing muscle groups.
• Stretching before a workout is important to avoid muscle stiffness.
• Do these exercises on alternate days only.
• Wear comfortable shoes so that you don’t end up causing injury to yourself
• Work out in a well-ventilated room.
• Rest between sets.

6 safe and easy bodyweight exercises for weight loss

1. Mountain Climbers

This exercise targets core, legs and arms. You can also do mountain climbers to burn belly fat.

How to do:

• Start in the plank position.
• ⁠Bring the right knee towards the chest.
• ⁠Quickly switch to left knee.
• ⁠⁠Continue alternating legs.
• ⁠Keep core engaged, back straight.
• Repetitions (reps): 30-60 seconds, Sets: 3-4

2. Plank

Planks target the core muscles. If you find it challenging, check out exercises to improve a plank, that can help you nail the workout.

How to do:

• ⁠Engage the core, and keep the back straight.
• ⁠Hold the position for a specified time.
• ⁠Rest for 30 seconds.
• Holds: 30-60 seconds, Sets: 3-4

3. Push-ups

These target the chest, shoulders and triceps or can be done on the wall if you have knee pain. There are some exercises to improve your push ups so that you can gain maximum benefit as well.

How to do:

• Start in the plank position.
• ⁠Lower body until chest almost touches the ground.
• ⁠Push back up to plank.
• ⁠Keep core engaged.
• Reps: 10-15, Sets: 3-4

4. Dips

This needs to be done using a chair or bench. This exercise targets the triceps. There are many variations of dips also that you can try out. Here is how to do a basic one.

How to do:

• Sit on the edge of a chair or bench.
• ⁠Place hands beside hips.
• ⁠Lower body by bending elbows.
• ⁠Straighten arms to return.
• Reps: 10-15, Sets: 3-4

Body weight exercises can be challenging, make sure to go at your own pace to avoid injuries. Image courtesy: Freepik

5. Russian twists obliques

Doing Russian twists to burn belly fat has been proved to be very effective. Here is how to do one.

How to do:

• Sit on the floor with your knees bent.
• ⁠Lean back slightly.
• ⁠Hold hands together.
• ⁠Twist the torso to the left, touching hands to the ground.
• ⁠Repeat on the right side.
• Reps: 10-15 (per side), Sets: 3-4

6. Burpees

These target all the muscles in the body. There are different ways to do burpees in order to lose weight. Here is the step-wise explanation of the most basic one.

How to do:

• Start in a standing position.
• ⁠Drop down into a squat position, placing your hands on the ground.
• ⁠From squat, kick feet back into plank position.
• ⁠Do a push-up.
• ⁠Quickly return feet to squat position.
• ⁠Stand up from squat.
• ⁠Jump up in the air, landing softly.
• Reps: 10-15, Sets: 3-4 depending on your fitness levels and joint health.

Frequently asked questions (FAQs)

1. How long should you do bodyweight exercises to lose weight?

These exercise routines should not stretch more than half an hour. You can increase this time as and when your body gets used to it.

2. How many sets should you do of each bodyweight exercise?

You should do up to 4 sets of each exercise. If you are just starting out, then you can begin with two sets of each exercise, and gradually increase.

Read Also: Can eating eggs increase the risk of high cholesterol levels?