Tired of stepping on the scale and seeing no change, even though you’re trying your best? Do you feel stuck because you can’t hit the gym or go outside for a workout due to bad weather, a busy schedule, or just the comfort of staying at home? You’re not alone—and the good news is, you don’t need fancy equipment to lose extra kilos. With the right indoor exercise for weight loss, you can burn calories, boost metabolism, and tone your body all from the comfort of your living room.
Whether you want low-impact moves or someone ready to break a sweat with high-energy routines, this blog is your guide to the eight best workouts that actually work. From jumping jacks to mountain climbers, each indoor exercise for weight loss we’ve listed targets fat burning while keeping your routine fun, doable, and effective, no matter your fitness level or home space.
Table Of Contents
1. What Is The Best Indoor Exercise To Lose Weight? Top 8 Exercises
2. Which Indoor Exercise Burns The Most Belly Fat? Top 7 Exercises
3. Expert’s Advice
4. The Final Say
5. FAQs
6. References
What Is The Best Indoor Exercise To Lose Weight? Top 8 Exercises
There isn't one single "best" exercise, but rather a bunch of active movements you can do at home that are really good for burning calories and fat. These exercises help build your body's strength and challenge it, too.
Just remember, don't push yourself too hard at the beginning while doing powerful exercises for weight loss at home. Always start with a warm-up to get your body ready and end with a cool-down afterwards to prevent injuries.
When you start, try doing each exercise for three to six rounds (that's what "sets" means), and in each round, do the movement six to twelve times (that's "reps"). As you get stronger and can keep going for longer, you can try doing more reps in each set.
Now let’s have a look at these indoor exercises to lose weight in your comfort space:
1. Squats
These are compound exercises, meaning they work several large muscle groups at once. This makes full-body weight squat exercise highly effective for burning calories and building overall strength, which indirectly aids in weight loss by increasing your metabolism. They primarily target your quadriceps (front of thighs), hamstrings (back of thighs), and glutes (buttocks), contributing to toned and stronger lower body muscles.
Steps to perform this indoor exercise to lose weight:
1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, chest up, and back straight.
2. You can keep your arms by your sides or extended forward for balance.
3. Lower your hips as if you're sitting back into a chair, keeping your back straight and your knees tracking over your toes.
4. Aim to get your thighs parallel to the floor or as low as comfortably possible.
5. Push through your heels to return to the starting standing position, engaging your glutes at the top.
2. Squat Jumps
They build upon the benefits of regular squats by adding a plyometric (jumping) element. This increases the intensity, leading to a higher calorie burn and improved cardiovascular fitness, both crucial for weight loss. These variations of squat workouts target the same primary muscles as squats – quadriceps, hamstrings, and glutes – but also engage your calves more dynamically for the jump.
Steps to perform this indoor exercise to lose weight:
1. Begin in a regular squat position with your feet shoulder-width apart, chest up, and back straight.
2. From the bottom of the squat position, explosively jump upwards, extending your legs fully in the air.
3. Land softly back into the squat position, immediately preparing for the next jump.
3. Star Jumps
These are a dynamic, full-body exercise that significantly elevates your heart rate, making them excellent for burning calories and improving cardiovascular health, both essential for weight loss. They engage multiple muscle groups simultaneously, including your arms, legs (quadriceps, hamstrings, calves), and core for stability. This total body activation contributes to efficient energy expenditure.
Steps to perform this indoor exercise to lose weight:
1. Start in a standing position with your feet together and your arms by your sides.
2. In one explosive movement, jump your feet out to the sides, wider than shoulder-width, while simultaneously raising your arms out to the sides and overhead, forming a star shape with your body.
3. Immediately reverse the movement by jumping your feet back together and bringing your arms back down to your sides, returning to the starting position.
4. Push-Ups
These are highly effective bodyweight training exercises for building upper body strength, which contributes to overall muscle mass and a higher resting metabolism, aiding in weight loss. They primarily target your chest (pectorals), shoulders (deltoids), and triceps (back of arms), while also engaging your core muscles for stability throughout the movement.
Steps to perform this indoor exercise to lose weight:
1. Start in a plank position with your hands shoulder-width apart, fingers pointing forward, and your body in a straight line from head to heels.1
2. Lower your chest towards the floor by bending your elbows, keeping your body straight and your core engaged. Aim to bring your chest as close to the floor as comfortably possible.
Push back up to the starting plank position by straightening your arms, maintaining a straight body line.
4. You can modify by performing push-ups on your knees if needed.
Consider ToneOp Fit's Home Workout Plan for personalised workout routines that complement your fitness sessions. Choose from bodyweight exercises, HIIT workouts, or targeted strength training to build muscle and accelerate metabolism.
Try these additional high and low-impact exercises to lose weight:
5. Resistance Band Exercises
Resistance bands offer a budget-friendly and versatile approach to at-home resistance training for weight loss, providing a full-body workout with varying levels of resistance depending on the band's thickness.
Exercises like bicep curls, tricep extensions, and shoulder presses can be done with handled bands, while looped bands are suitable for movements like donkey kicks and leg lifts, ultimately contributing to fat loss through muscle engagement.
6. Dumbbell Exercises
Having a selection of dumbbell weights at home is beneficial for weight loss as it allows for targeted strength training across different muscle groups, using lighter weights for smaller muscles and heavier ones for larger areas.
Dumbbell exercises can be incorporated into various effective training of bicep curls, squats, lunges, and chest presses, all contributing to muscle building and increased calorie expenditure.
7. Weight Loss Yoga
While not always the first thought for weight loss, yoga offers a multifaceted approach by incorporating physical postures that build muscle and increase calorie burn, especially in more dynamic styles, while also enhancing mindfulness and reducing stress, which can indirectly support weight loss. The low-impact nature of many yoga practices makes it accessible while still providing a workout that engages various muscle groups.
8. Different Dance Styles
Dancing is an enjoyable and effective aerobic activity for weight loss, providing a full-body workout that burns calories, improves coordination, and elevates mood. Engaging in various dance styles like Zumba, hip-hop, or even freestyle to your favourite music can lead to significant calorie expenditure, improve joint mobility and flexibility, and make exercise a fun and sustainable part of a weight management plan.
Also Read: 10 Summer Workout Tips, Exercises & Workout Plan
Which Indoor Exercise Burns The Most Belly Fat? Top 7 Exercises
When aiming to reduce overall body fat, including stubborn belly fat, indoor exercises that elevate your heart rate and engage multiple muscles are key.
These exercises stand out for their efficiency in burning calories and targeting the abdominal region, contributing significantly to fat loss:
1. Crunches
These are basic yet effective exercises for building abdominal muscle endurance, requiring no equipment and focusing on contracting the abdominal muscles to lift the upper body while keeping the lower back grounded. This targeted movement helps strengthen the core, though combine it with other exercises for overall fat loss. While crunches primarily target the rectus abdominis, they offer a foundational movement for core strength.
2. Bicycle Crunches
These are a dynamic variation of traditional crunches that engage the abdominal muscles and obliques more intensely through a twisting, pedalling motion where you bring one knee to the chest while lifting the opposite shoulder, alternating sides to work the core comprehensively. This increased activation of the oblique muscles through the benefits of bicycle crunches helps in sculpting the waistline.
3. Stair Climbing
This is a highly recommended indoor activity for weight loss, effectively working the core and leg muscles to help control waist expansion while also enhancing flexibility, coordination, and balance, leading to a significant calorie burn and contributing to overall fitness and health. Engaging the large muscles in your legs during stair climbing elevates your heart rate efficiently.
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4. Jumping Rope
This rope is a simple yet powerful indoor exercise that significantly aids in abdominal fat removal, contributing to overall weight loss, increased stamina, improved cardiovascular health, and enhanced muscular and bone strength with just a few minutes of daily practice that can gradually increase over time. This high-impact activity engages your core for stability with each jump.
5. Mountain Climber
These full-body exercises are performed from a plank position that effectively burns belly fat and promotes weight loss by engaging multiple muscle groups, improving cardiovascular health and flexibility, and strengthening bones, simulating a running motion against the floor with alternating knee-to-chest movements at increasing speeds. This exercise intensely works the core muscles to maintain stability during the rapid movements.
6. Burpees
Burpee exercise is a highly efficient, two-part full-body exercise consisting of a push-up followed by a jump, starting and ending in a standing position, that burns a significant number of calories in a short amount of time, increases stamina, and improves muscle and bone strength, proving particularly effective for losing belly fat. The explosive nature of burpees elevates your heart rate quickly, maximising calorie expenditure.
7. Plank Exercise
The plank exercise is a static bodyweight workout highly effective for reducing belly fat and waist circumference, crucial for developing strong core muscles and even achieving visible abs, with variations like plank jacks adding a cardio element by hopping the feet in and out while maintaining a stable, engaged core. Holding a plank engages deep core muscles like the transverse abdominis.
Also Read: How To Maintain Weight After Losing It? 12 Natural Tips
Expert’s Advice
I recommend incorporating these moves into your daily routine, and you’ll see results in no time. Consistency is essential for fat loss and remaining fit, regardless of the exercises you perform. Also, I would emphasise that a good diet is basic for overall health and one of the most important elements of the weight loss equation. So, fuel your body properly and avoid ultra-processed foods heavy in added sugar, sodium, and saturated fat. Instead, prioritise nutritious foods.
Health Expert
Lavina Chauhan
The Final Say
Okay, so working out inside can really help you lose weight and get rid of extra fat. There are lots of different things you can do without even leaving your house! Doing exercises that get your heart pumping and also make your muscles stronger is a great way to burn calories and get fitter. If you stick with it and do the exercises the right way, you can totally see good changes and feel healthier.
FAQs
1. How to slim body in 7 days of exercise?
It's tough to see big changes in just one week. Exercise helps, but slimming down takes consistent effort over time with workouts and healthy eating. You might lose some water weight, but significant fat loss usually needs more than 7 days. Focus on making exercise a regular habit.
2. Does walking burn belly fat?
Yes, walking can help burn belly fat! It's a low-impact exercise that uses energy, which can lead to fat loss all over your body, including your belly. Regular walking, especially at a brisk pace, is a great way to start or add to your weight loss journey.
3. What burns fat the fastest?
High-intensity interval training (HIIT) is often said to burn fat fastest. It involves short bursts of intense exercise followed by brief recovery periods. This type of workout can really get your heart rate up and keep burning calories even after you're done exercising.
4. What is the best home exercise machine to lose weight?
There isn't one single "best" machine, as it depends on what you enjoy and will use consistently. Treadmills and ellipticals are popular for full-body workouts and burning lots of calories. Exercise bikes are gentler on the joints. The best machine is the one you'll use regularly and that fits your fitness level and space.
References
- https://www.herzindagi.com/hindi/fitness/indoor-exercises-for-belly-fat-loss-article-265831
- https://www.forhers.com/blog/at-home-workouts-to-lose-weight
- https://www.everydayhealth.com/fitness/the-best-fat-burning-exercises-for-at-home-and-the-gym/
- https://www.healthshots.com/fitness/weight-loss/5-indoor-exercises-to-lose-belly-fat-in-winter/
- https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/health-fitness/fitness/5-easy-indoor-exercises-that-burn-fat-easily/articleshow/115566287.cms
- https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/health-fitness/fitness/5-easy-indoor-exercises-that-burn-fat-easily/articleshow/115566287.cms
- https://www.health.com/fitness/at-home-workouts-to-lose-weigh
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