Choosing the perfect aerobics exercise for weight loss purposes is smart because aerobics gets your heart rate up, burns tons of calories, and helps you get rid of that bigger-than-normal belly.
If you think aerobics exercises are going to be too hard on your joints or muscles, think again because there are now low-impact exercises that do a great job bringing up that heart rate while allowing you to take it easy on the rest of your body.
Introduction
Aerobics has been around for decades, but if you think this type of exercise is complicated, don’t worry because it’s not. In fact, a lot of the things we did as kids – jumping rope, for example – are aerobics in nature, which makes this a great exercise to incorporate into your at-home routine.
Let’s face it, most people trying to lose weight aim for three to four workouts per week, but it’s sometimes difficult to go to the gym that often. If you choose to work out at least part of the time at home, it becomes much easier to reach your weight-loss goals.
If you’d like some simple but very effective aerobics exercises you can do at home with little to no equipment, below are some of them to consider.
1. Skipping Rope
You can buy a high-quality jump rope for under $15, so buy one and get started working out. It doesn’t really matter how you do it – both feet together or one foot at a time – because as long as you’re jumping around, you’ll do your heart some good. Not only does it give your heart a good workout, but it tones up your calves, shoulders, and quads.
2. Kicking Butt
For this exercise, you stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and lift your right leg until it hits your butt, then you do the same with the other leg.
With this exercise, you need to start out slowly and work up to the goal of two to three sets of 30 seconds to 1 minute each. Great for your glutes and hamstrings, these butt-kickers won’t take you long to perfect but will do your body so much good.
3. Inching Your Way to the Perfect Warmup
This is a great warmup before you exercise. Stand with your feet apart and place your hands on the floor in front of your feet. Walk your hands slowly as far as you can go, then walk your feet up to the same position and stand up. Aim to work your way up to two to three sets, with each set being 10 to 15 repetitions.
4. Donkey Kicks
For this one, you get down on all fours, then gently kick one leg out behind you, bringing it back to the starting position afterward. Aim for three sets of 15 to 20 repetitions each. Remember not to kick too hard but firm enough to feel like you are exercising.
5. The Corkscrew
The corkscrew is basically for the abs and obliques. Start by sitting on the floor and lifting your legs so they are perpendicular to the floor (you can place your hands under your butt if you like). Suck in your gut and keep your legs together, then make them do a complete rotation. Do as many as you can each time.
6. Box Jumping
For this exercise, you’ll need either a heavy box or a bench of some type, but make sure it isn’t too high. To start, bend your legs and swing your arms, then jump on top of the box and return by stepping back one foot at a time. Your goal is to do as many of these jumps as possible.
7. Unique Sit-ups
These sit-ups are done on a chair. Sit with your feet touching the floor and raise one of your knees slightly while touching it with the elbow on the opposite side. When you’re done, do the other side and this makes one full set.
8. Basic Jumping Jacks
Jumping jacks are truly amazing, and you don’t even need any special equipment to do them. In fact, all you have to do is the same thing you did as a kid in school and that’s it. Jumping jacks are great for your quads, calves, upper and lower back, and abs, and they can burn up to 400 calories per hour.
9. Climbing the Stairs
If you have stairs in your home, you can use them to get great exercise. Start by walking up and down the stairs as fast as you can go, and do this for 10 to 15 minutes. Then, work your way up to a good 30-minute workout for the best results.
10. Walk Like a Bear
This one is a great cardio workout, even though it might be a little awkward at first. Get down on your hands and legs and bend your knees slightly. Make sure your back is flat.
Make sure your right foot and left hand are positioned forward and start walking, alternating with the left foot and right hand as you go along. Work up to two to three sets of 15 to 20 repetitions each.
11. Practice Your Skating
From a standing position, jump to the right, but when you do you have to bring your left foot behind the right one and your left arm in front of you. Next, jump to the left and bring your right foot behind your left one and your right arm in front of you. Start by doing four of these sets and work up to more.
12. Uber Planks
Get into the plank position and tighten up your core area. Bring your right knee to the center of your stomach, then quickly switch and do the same thing with the left knee. When you get started, go slowly and work your way up to a faster pace.
13. Jogging a Different Way
To do this exercise, stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and bend your knees. Next, swing your arms and take a giant jump forward, landing on your toes. Jog backward to where you started and do the set all over again.
14. Lunging Jumps
Great for your butt, thighs, and your heart. Take a step backward and lower your hips. With that leg, place the knee on the floor and place your front thigh parallel to the floor. Jump again and switch your leg positions. Finally, jump to your original position.
15. Kicks for the Abdomen
Great for your abs and waistline, lie on the floor and place your legs perpendicular to the floor. Kick your feet up and down repeatedly for 18 to 20 repetitions. Work your way up to two to three sets of these for the best results. If you like, you can place your hands under your butt or your lower back for more support.
16. Plank-Squat Exercises
Start by standing and placing your feet shoulder-width apart. Place your hands on the floor in front of your feet and stretch your legs in the back of you to get into a plank position. Then, return to the squat position immediately and jump. Work up to 15 repetitions and do several of these sets.
17. Squat-Jack Exercises
Stand with your feet together and your arms by your side. Jump up and spread your feet as you land in a squat position. Then, push through the heels and jump back up, then return to the starting position. Work your way up to two sets of 15 to 20 repetitions each.
18. Fake Jogging
Start by standing up straight, then lift one of your knees up as high as you can and immediately place your foot on the floor again. Do this with the other leg to make a complete set. Work your way up to doing this for 30 seconds at a time. A great calorie-burning exercise!
19. Plank-Jack Exercises
Great for reducing lower-back pain, start by getting into a push-up position while your feet are together. Hop with the feet sideways and rest on the toes gently. Then, bring your feet together to hop back to the starting position. Do this as much as you can without being in pain.
20. Jumping Rope: Part 2
This is just like jumping rope except you won’t be using an actual jump rope. Make sure you do the same things with your hands, wrists, feet, and legs as you would if you were using a jump rope, and do this as long as you can.
Conclusion
Exercising is an important part of every weight-loss plan, and if you choose to work out at home at least part of the time, you’ll need exercises that you can do without any special equipment or accessories. Finding the right aerobics exercise for weight loss is easy because there are dozens of them you can do in the comfort of your home.
The important thing to remember is to keep the heart rate up for 20 to 30 minutes each time you work out, and never take it too fast. For many of these exercises, you have to work your way up to your goal, but as long as you take your time, you will eventually get there.
