Smile, Sweat and Repeat ! Yes, Today is the day. You don’t have to be the best to start, but start to be the best. Shed all that unwanted flab with a smart fix “aerobics”. Aerobic exercise is a word used so widely, people sometimes have no clue what fits into aerobics and what not. Today let’s clear out the confusion associated with aerobic exercises. Here are the Top 12 Types Of Aerobic Exercise for Weight Loss.
Aerobic exercise means cardiovascular or fat burning exercise with rhythmic motion of more than one muscle group in the body. It refers to any activity that keeps you moving and sweating. This form of exercise has a preference for using fat as the source of energy, thus we tend to lose weight.
How does Aerobic exercises help ?
Aerobic exercises helps not just in weight loss but there are a more benefits of it.
- There is a feel good and look good factor involved.
- Releases endorphin hormones that relieve anxiety, depression and stress.
- Protects from cardiovascular diseases and reduces blockages.
- Controls blood pressure and maintains elasticity of the veins and arteries.
- With aerobics there is more oxygen consumed, thus it reduces lactic acid formation. This prevents post workout body ache.
- Improves your stamina and boosts immune system.
- Improves blood circulation and keeps toxins at bay.
what is the minimum time of aerobic activity required for weight loss?
Minimum 60 minutes of moderate aerobic activity or 45 minutes of vigorous aerobic activity at least 5 days a week.
Top 12 Types Of Aerobic Exercise for Weight Loss
Here are the Top 12 Types Of Aerobic Exercise for Weight Loss. You can choose any one from it or combine 2 or more forms of these Aerobic exercises to lose weight. These are simple Aerobic exercises and can be easily done at home it self. You do not need any expensive or fancy equipments for these exercises.
1] Brisk Walking:
Walking is the simplest and the most cheapest form of Aerobic exercises. Walk with a high intensity and speed that is much above than your normal. 35 – 45 minutes of brisk walking is enough.
Some interesting reads to guide you for walking
2] Stair Training:
With a steady pace, go up and come down the stairs for at least 10-15 minutes. It can be your warm-up exercise. Stair climbing helps a great deal in Losing fat from hips and thigh . It tones the hamstrings and gluteal muscles. Stair climbing also improves blood circulation and increases metabolism . One should start gradually by taking 1 step at a time at a regular pace instead of running or jogging . Once you get used to this workout , you can increase your speed . You can also increase the intensity of the workout by carrying kettle-bells or dumbbells while climbing the stairs.
3] Skipping:
Stand with your feet at waist width apart. Hold each of the handles and use your wrists to swing the rope over your head. Repeat it continuously for at least 10 – 15 minutes. Skipping rope is a full body workout. It trains your heart, arms, abs, legs, and most importantly- your mind. Read more about benefits of skipping.
4] Invisible Rope Jump:
This is modified skipping where you can skip without the ropes. The posture is same, the only difference is you jump only 2 inches above ground. Land on your toes and jump with help of balls of foot. Hand movements mimic the skipping activity. Benefits are same as skipping rope.
5] High Knees:
This is modified on the spot jog. Stand with your feet hip-width apart and jog on the spot.Try to pull your knees till your chest. 2 – 3 minutes is sufficient. This work out helps in developing strength and endurance of Hip flexors and quads . This exercises is specially beneficial if you are into any form of running.
6] Butt kicks:
Butt kick is a very good warm up exercise. It is specially useful in strengthening and shaping your hamstrings. So if you are looking to lose some fat from our thighs , this aerobic exercise is a must in your routine. Another modified on the spot jog. Stand with feet hip width apart. Flex both the arms towards chest. Start to jog in place with legs flexing behind the body. With each kick in air try to touch your buttocks. Read more about how to lose fats from hips and thigh.
7] Squat Jumps:
Squat jumps help in toning the calves, glutes, hamstrings, core, and quadriceps muscles. Standing with your feet shoulder width apart. Go for a normal squat. While coming up jump in the air. As you lower to the ground, again perform a squat. Do 3 – 4 sets of 10-15 reps with less than 30-60 seconds of rest between each set. You can increase the intensity of workout by carrying a kettle – bell or a dumbbell in your hand while performing this aerobic exercises.
8] Burpees:
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Burpees is one of the best Top 12 Types Of Aerobic Exercise for Weight Loss. It is a full body strength training exercise. With every repetition, you work on your arms, chest, quadriceps, glutes, hamstrings, and abdomen. Stand with hands on side and feet shoulder width apart. Drop to squat position, touching your palms on ground like a frog. Jump back, pushing your legs behind, forming a plank position. Jump back to squat position and again jump to standing position. Do at least 10 – 15 reps.
9] Jumping Jacks:
Jumping Jacks helps in increasing the oxygen supply and the heart rate. This in turns helps in increasing the rate at which calories are burnt in the body. Thus helping in weight loss. For Jumping jacks Stand with feet together and hands down by the side. Jump and take your feet wide out to the side and raise both arms above your head simultaneously.Jump back to starting position and repeat. Do at least 20 – 25 reps.
10 ] Plank Jacks:
Plank jacks have the same benefits as jumping jacks with added benefits on your core and back strength. Lay in a plank position. Tighten your core and jump your feet apart and jump them back together. Repeat it for at least 30 seconds or till you can hold your core without straining your body. Try to maintain correct posture – back has to be straight, to avoid any spinal cord or shoulder joint injury.
11] Jump forward and jog back:
Stand with feet waist apart and bend knees a bit. Bend in such a way that knees do not cross the toe line. Swing your hand back and take a long jump of 4 – 5 feet. Keep your knees bent and jog back to the start position. Repeat for minimum 10 – 15 reps at a time.
12] Dance:
Any dance form that requires lot of strength and involves immense sweating is included in aerobic exercise. Zumba, dandiya and bhangda are the latest trend followed by the people. Aerobics dancing is where dance is choreographed using fast beats’ song.
All these dance forms are modified using exercise techniques, beats and counts. These forms elevate the heart beats and use fats as source of energy. It improves the blood circulation, increases stamina and enhances the mood. Hence dance is one in the Top 12 Types Of Aerobic Exercise for Weight Loss
The correct Workout:
here is how to use the Top 12 Types Of Aerobic Exercise for Weight Loss in a proper workout format. The correct workout starts with warm up, followed by the exercise and ends with cool down exercises. Warm up and cool down exercises are important to reduce any injury during or post exercise. It helps heart rate to increase and come back to its original pace without any harm.
- Warm up:Start with few body stretches or any warm up exercises like spot jogs or burpees or stair climbing. This takes only 10 -15 minutes of the workout.
- Exercise: Next 30 – 35 minutes are for the actual exercise that you do. Fats are used as source of energy only after 20 minutes into the exercise. Post 10 – 15 minutes warm up, it is your fat that is used for energy. It can be combination of any of the above exercises. You can try new combinations each time you work out.
- Cool down: Post workouts give your body time to come down to original temperature and heart rate. Simple body and neck stretching or breathing exercises or just lying down for few minutes does the trick.
Read – How to burn body fat for weight loss.
– Aerobic VS Yoga Vs strength training for weight loss
– Top 10 yoga poses for weight loss .
End Note:
Aerobics is a definite way of healthy weight loss. It targets whole body fat and not just one particular body part. Follow correct steps and you can lose 500 -1000 calories per hour. A proper exercise and diet routine will never fail to give desired results. Hope these Top 12 Types Of Aerobic Exercise for Weight Loss help you achieve your health goals. If you have any doubts please comment below and allow us to help you .
Very informative and nicely explained. I had just bookmarked your blog. I found it really interesting.
Hi Vansh ,
Thank you so much for reading at Dietburrp . I am really grateful for the kind words o appreciation . Keep reading 🙂