You don’t need a fancy exercise equipment to lose weight. All it takes is a positive frame of mind and a bit of ingenuity. Learning these 5 no-equipment workouts can also help you shed excess fat and achieve a more ideal body weight.
1. Running
The only equipment you will need for this workout is a pair of good running shoes. That is if you can consider these as equipment at all. Running works the heart, forcing it to pump in a more forceful and faster manner.
We know that the heart has very powerful muscles. And when you force these muscles to work very hard, you are also forcing them to burn more calories.
Running does not only help you lose weight. It can also improve your endurance. You can use this to accomplish more workouts.
2. Squats
You can also lose weight by performing several repetitions of body weight squats. This workout will target your hamstrings, glutes, and quadriceps. These are very large groups of muscles that you will contract as you execute the squat.
Contracting the muscles requires a large amount of energy. Your muscles will have to mobilize the fats that are present under the skin and in the abdominal cavity.
The more muscles you activate, the more energy that they will need. The other benefit of doing squats is that you also get to strengthen your core and lower back.
3. Plank
You may have seen people doing the plank on different social media. You will also be making the same pose, except with a few modifications. Instead of lying flat on your belly, you will be straightening your body at an angle.
Your elbows will prop your body so that it lies at a 15- to 30-degree angle relative to the surface of the floor. The key here is to keep your body, legs, and arms as straight as possible. This is the only way you can activate the muscles of the abdominal region, the lower back, the legs, and the trunk.
4. Pushups
Members of the military are fond of this workout because of the benefits it brings to the muscles of the shoulders, torso, and chest. They improve the strength of these muscle groups, while allowing them to use up every bit of energy that the body can provide.
Think of pushups as a mobile version of the plank. You will be pushing your body against gravity. You will also have to maintain the perfect alignment of your body during the whole time you are performing the workout.
5. Burpees
If you want a high-intensity workout that can burn more calories than you can imagine, then you have to include burpees in your routine. This is a combination of pushups and straight jumping jacks that you will perform in a very rapid manner.
You will be panting after only a few repetitions of this workout. It will be like running a 10K marathon in under 30 minutes.
There are many workouts that can help you lose weight without needing any equipment. The secret is to engage as many muscles as you possibly can.