Weight loss in women has been one of the most debatable topics over decades. That’s because of the diverse concepts and perspectives about health and weight that people have across the globe. For some people, weight loss is all about looking better and younger on the outside but for others, it’s all about being fit and healthy on the inside. Well, all are legit and hence, I am sharing the most effective weight loss exercises for women that you can try at home.
Why Weight Loss is Important for Women?
Weight loss is important in people of all ages and gender. The general reason for weight loss is to maintain a healthy lifestyle and reduce the chances of diseases.
Obesity and overweight can cause many alarming health issues such as high cholesterol, high blood pressure, hair fall, weakness, fatigue, cardiovascular diseases, kidney diseases, anxiety, depression, and even death.
Excessive weight gain reduces the metabolic rate of our body and the calorie-burning capacity of the body. As a result, people tend to gain more weight instead of losing it.
However, in women, there are multiple additional problems that trigger weight loss. It can fluctuate the menstrual cycle, cause early menopause and even lead to difficulty in childbirth. Though weight gain doesn’t have any direct link to all these problems there are multiple layers in this process.
Excess body weight has a direct link to abnormal BMI and hormonal changes, which cause all the above health issues. Moreover, the altered estrogen and androgen along with increased insulin resistance can even lead to a miscarriage.
Additionally, many women suffer from poor bone health by the age of 30 or even before that. Arthritis is a common problem in women across the globe and excess body weight can make the condition even worse as it usually increases bone and muscle pain to some extent.
In contrast, weight loss tends to ease arthritis pain and thereby, has the potential to improve the overall quality of life for those living with this bone issue. For all these reasons, weight loss is quite important for women, especially for older women.
How Much Weight Can I Lose in a Month?
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states that losing 1 to 2 pounds weight every week is safe and anything more than that can cause further problems.
If you follow their opinion, you can aim to lose 4 pounds of weight per month, which can be extended up to 8 pounds maximum. I recommend you follow their suggestion and prepare a diet chart alongside maintaining a daily exercise schedule.
How Do I Know How Much Weight I Need to Lose?
Calculating how much weight you need to lose is extremely important because it varies from person to person.
For example, if someone needs to lose 40 pounds and you need to lose only 15, your weight loss goals won’t be the same. Hence, to determine your weight loss goal, knowing how much weight you should reduce will take you one step ahead.
Now, the process of calculating excess weight may sound difficult but in actuality, it’s pretty easy and you can do it at home. All you need to do is open the BMI calculator from your browser and input your height and weight at the given fields. The calculator will tell you whether you have normal weight or you are overweight.
After calculating your BMI, you need to check how many pounds you need to reduce so that the calculator marks your weight as normal. Suppose you are 5 feet 5 inches tall and your weight is 170 pounds. The BMI calculator will show you that your BMI is 28.3 and you are overweight.
Now, if you put 140 pounds instead of 170 pounds, the calculator will show that your BMI is 23.3 and you are normal weight. It means that you need to reduce 30 pounds based on your height and weight.
Check out this awesome BEGINNER Weight Loss Workout For Women Over 40 At Home video:
Is it Possible to Lose Weight by Exercising at Home?
Yes, of course, it’s absolutely possible to lose weight by exercising at home. All you need to have is a strong determination that you will work hard.
Since workout at home includes some freehand exercises and a few weight-lifting workouts, the process is not as fast as you can expect from a steam bath or a course of weight loss pills.
But it is safer than any other form of exercising and there are long-term benefits associated.
Why It’s Harder for Older Women to Lose Weight?
Losing weight once a woman turns 40 is a bit challenging. The main reason why it’s hard is that the metabolic rate of the body starts to slow down as we start aging.
Slow metabolism is directly connected to the reduction of the calorie-burning capacity of your body.
Some other reasons why the process is so challenging are hormonal changes in women who are approaching or are already going through menopause. Adding to it, lifestyle changes in older age is another significant factor. Having said that, it’s not impossible for older women to lose weight.
All they need to follow is the right weight loss plan, which is available in many online articles and reviews.
Additional Tips for Weight Loss
Here are some additional tips for women who are aiming for weight loss:
- Drink Plenty of Fluids: Once you are on a weight loss regime, it’s extremely crucial to drink at least 2-2.5 liters of water daily. The fluids will keep your muscles dehydrated and you’ll feel a lot more energetic.
- Follow a Healthy Diet: The foods you eat play a significant role in the way you exercise and follow your weight loss plan. You need to follow a high-protein, low-carb and low-fat diet and also include plenty of fruits and vegetables.
- Try Weight Loss Supplements: There are plenty of weight loss supplements available but opt for only the ones that are labeled as natural or organic. Weight loss supplements usually come in powder and capsules formulation.
- Consult your Doctor: If you notice any health issues after starting your weight loss plan, visit your doctor immediately. Also, if you had any health issues in the past, it is better to start with your doctor’s consultation.
- Practice Mindfulness: Mental health plays a vital role in weight loss and hence, you can include some meditation exercises in your workout routine. Spending at least 10 minutes practicing mindfulness can show you an excellent result.
Our Top Weight Loss Exercises at Home for Women
Here are the best weight loss exercises for women to practice at home. Most of these workouts don’t require any additional equipment and hence, are the easiest to try.
Aerobic Workouts
Walking is a part of the day-to-day activities of many women. For burning calories, walking is one of the best aerobic exercises that you can do at home or outdoors.
The best part of walking is that it gives minimal stress to your bone joints while helping you to shed those extra pounds daily.
Begin your aerobics workouts with 15 minutes of walking and then, increase your pace gradually. After 2-3 weeks, you’ll be able to jog for 15 more minutes and after a few months, you can try running for another 15 minutes.
The process will take some time and hence, you need to keep patience.
Skipping
Jumping rope is a fabulous full-body workout. As a cardiovascular exercise, it’s good for heart health as well.
To try this exercise, you need to stand on a flat surface with your back straight. Your feet should be together, pointing straight. Then, keeping the hands straight, point them down so that the rope swirls to the ground. Jump off and repeat this step at least 20 times initially. Gradually, you need to increase your jumping speed and number.
Push-Ups
One of the most popular home exercises, push-ups can help you tone your body muscles so that they don’t weaken as you become lean. On an anti-slippery surface, lie on your chest and place your hands folded right beside your shoulder.
Keep the legs slightly apart so that you feel comfortable. Now, push your body up by putting all your body weight on your hands and keeping your core tight. Next, bend your shoulders towards the floor and push up back again. Repeat this set at least 15-30 times daily. After six months, you can aim to perform 80-100 push-ups or even more.
Lunges
It is a strength training workout that can improve your overall fitness. You can work on your back, core, and legs with this workout. Begin by standing straight while your back and abs are upright. Now, keep your right leg in front by bending your knees.
Come back to the initial position and repeat the same with your left leg. Repeat this set for at least 20-30 minutes for one week and then try to increase the number.
Squats
Another popular muscle-strengthening exercise, squats tend to improve the body’s lower part. To begin with, you need to stand up straight while your feet should be placed wider than your hips and your toes should face front. Now, slowly bend your knees while pushing your hips back.
Stay in this position for 2-3 seconds and then come back to the beginning position. Repeat this set at least 15-30 times daily and then you can increase the number.
Planks
For your core muscles, this exercise is a must. Since there are various types of plank workouts, you can search online to see which one is the easiest to try. Once you know how to do the basic plank, you can try the others as well.
Yoga
This 5000-year-old Indian workout is quite therapeutic and you can learn it from online tutorials or an authorized Yoga trainer. The 5 basic principles that you need to follow while starting yoga are breathing, diet, exercise, relaxation, and meditation.
Conclusion
Now that you know which exercises you can try at home to lose weight faster, go ahead and make the most of it. However, try to maintain the same exercise pattern and routine every day as that will help you to improve faster. Also, maintaining a healthy lifestyle and eating right is extremely beneficial if you want to accelerate your performance in the long run.
