Lose Weight By Exercising at Home: Core Exercises You Can Begin with if You're Starting with Your Weight-Loss Journey! (2020)

• It is very convenient. When you come home after a day of work, getting ready and facing that traffic to reach your gym can be a burden. If you are working out at home, all you need to do is put on something comfortable, blast your favorite music, and get on with it.


• You might not be in a mood to do that strenuous exercise but will have to do it if the instructor at your gym has that planned out for the day while working out at home, you can decide the kind of exercise out you wish to follow and do it. You can take a break when you want to or just end up sooner than you usually do.


• Don't you hate getting to the gym and then waiting for a piece of equipment to be available for you to start your exercise? Well, you will never face this issue while working out in your home!


• Germs are a major concern, especially with so much happening due to COVID 19. The equipment in the gym is loaded with thousands of germs and bacteria which can enter you through sweat. When people work out, they sweat and leave it on anything they touch. If you are a neat freak, then working out in the safe environment of your home is a good cause to start it.

• You will not have anyone staring at you while you are busy doing your exercises at home. Gossiping and people staring at you while you work out might be a major distraction for you while you work out. You can avoid all of these disturbing incidents if you work out at home.


• You are much more comfortable at home because you can listen to the music of your choice, wear whatever you want, turn on the TV and watch Netflix while you work out or keep an eye on kids.


• When you workout at home, you feel less pressured because you are not competing with anyone or there is no one to judge you by the way you look or what you wear. You can be as silly as you want and get the job done.


• The best part of working out at home is that it is much easier on your pocket. A high-class gym costs you a load of money while you can do precisely the same amount of workout from home without spending a dime. You can start with bodyweight exercises and later on upgrade according to your budget by adding pieces of equipment.


• While working out from home, you won't be making any excuses such as not wanting to drive to the gym. You can simply pep yourself up and start your exercise whenever you want without making any excuses.


• Working out from home as no age limits. Some gyms do not allow people less than 16-year-old or older people, but you can work out at home without having to worry about your age as long as you are doing age-appropriate exercises.

Method

• Get a pair of dumbbells and stand on one foot.
• Keep your core tight and chest up while doing this move.
• Lift your other foot behind you and bend your knee so that your lower leg is parallel to the floor.
• Now bent forward from your hips and slowly lower your body as low as you can.
• Pause there and push your body back to the starting position.
• While coming up think as if you are using your glutes to push your hips forward, don't use your back to pull yourself up.
• Do 10 reps on each side.

• Helps to stabilize your hips by using the obliques muscles, gluteus medius and gluteus maximus
• Aligns your shoulders
• Helps in maintaining good posture and builds a strong core

Method

• Lie on your right side first with legs extended and stacked over each other from hit to feet.
• Keep the elbow of the right arm under your shoulder and head your head should be in line with your spin.
• Keep your left arm along the left side of your body.
• Now, pull up your abdominal muscles and draw your navel towards your spine.
• Slowly lift your hips and knees off the mat and exhale.
• Your torso should be in line, do not sag or bend on either side.
• Hold your position for about 30 seconds if you are new to this, but your goal should be to hold it up to 60 seconds.
• Take deep breaths and inhale and return to the starting position.
• Now change sides and repeat.

Some of the common mistakes people do while doing the side plank are that they let their hips sag due to which they are not able to maintain a straight line. They try to hold it for a long time in the beginning; remember if you start to sag or roll forward or backward, you need to take a break, or you might injure yourself.

Method

• Stand tall, then bend on all fours.
• Keep your hands on the floor, they should be slightly wider and should be in line with your shoulders.
• Keep your feet close to each other.
• Lower your body till your chest touches the floor, it does not have to touch the floor completely.
• Keep your hips lifted, and core tucked in the entire time.
• Now push yourself back again to the starting position.
• Repeat this 15 times.

If you want to challenge yourself further, you can try doing the traditional push-up.

• Kneel of the mat or on the floor with your feet together behind you.
• Bring yourself in a high plank position.
• Your palms should be flat on the floor and hands should be shoulder-width apart. Keep your fingers facing forward and hand slightly turned in.
• Keep your back flat, and abs pulled in.
• Now lower your body towards the floor by keeping your torso tight and head aligned with your spine.
• Make sure not to sag your lower back or hips hiked up.
• Lower yourself until your chest or chin touches the ground.
• Now, press your body upwards with the help of your arms till you get back to the plank position.
• Start with 5 to 10 push-ups in the beginning.

To do correct push-ups, you need to have your back straight, and your core tucked tightly inwards. Your butt should be down, and the body should form a straight line. You can ask a friend to see if your body is in the correct position before starting push-ups.

Method

• Lie on a hard surface with your back firmly on the ground.
• Bend your legs and place your hands either on your chest or behind your head.
• Now, try to pull your belly button back into your spine.
• Come up from the floor by contracting your abdominal muscles; raise your shoulder blades while coming up.
• Exhale while you come up.
• Keep your neck straight and don't pull your neck forward with your hands if they are behind your neck.
• You don't need to come all the way up if you can't in the beginning. Coming halfway up will be fine too.
• Hold the position for a couple of seconds, feel the burning sensation in your abs.
• Lower your body into the starting position, don't forget to inhale as you go back.
• Try to repeat this 12 times.
• If you want to take it up a notch, try putting a book or something heavy on your chest.

Side Kick-Through

• Start on all fours.
• Come to a plank position.
• Lift your knees a couple of inches from the floor.
• Keep your neck in a comfortable position, don't let it hand too low.
• Now kick your right leg from underneath your body to the left and lift your left arm off the floor, tap your right foot with it.
• It may be a little difficult at first, but your body will follow gradually.
• Return to the starting position, keep your knees hovered off the floor and repeat on the other side.
• Continue for 20 seconds on both sides.

Skater Hop

• Stand with feet aligned to your hips.
• Lift the right leg and jump to the right and let your left leg straighten and follow.
• When you land on the right foot, swing the left foot behind and keep it off the floor.
• While doing this, let your left hand swing in front of the body and your right arm swing at the back.
• Repeat with other foot and arm.
• Do this for 20 seconds on both sides.

Crab Toe Touch

• Start by sitting on the floor with your knees bent and feet in front, on your heels.
• Put your palms behind you right underneath your shoulders and fingers facing your body.
• Now lift your right foot towards the ceiling and straighten your leg, lift your butt off the floor and let your left hand tap your right toe simultaneously.
• Return to the starting position and repeat with the other side.
• Do this for 20 seconds on each side.

Frogger

• Start with the high plank position.
• Keep your core and glutes engaged, your palms should be flat on the floor and shoulders directly above your wrists.
• Jump your feet outside your hands and lift your chest, then drop your butt, so you come into a squat position.
• Lean forward, put your hands on the floor between your feet and jump back out to reach the high plank position.
• Do this for 20 seconds.

Curtsy Lunge

• Stand tall with feet shoulder-width apart and hands by your side.
• Take a step with your right foot diagonally behind you and lower your right knee till it touches the ground. It should bend to around 90 degrees.
• Push back up with the help of your heel and come back to the starting position.
• Do this for 20 seconds with both legs.

• Never start your exercise without 5 to 10 minutes of proper warm-up before and cooling down after you're finished.
• Start at a slow pace, and you can boost up your exercises as you get better and build enough strength.
• If you start by training too hard, you might end up hurting yourself or suffer stiff joints and muscle pain. You can also suffer from inflamed or torn ligaments or tendons. Start slow and take proper rest in between.
• If your body says it's time to stop, you should stop. If you feel fatigued, you should stop immediately. It is ok to end in between rather than fainting and hurting yourself.
• Drink plenty of water during and after exercise. You can also drink health drinks or fruit juices, especially if you are into hard training sessions.
• Wear loose and comfortable clothes during exercise or wear specially designed clothes for different kinds of workouts. Replace your shoes every six months to avoid foot injury.
• Slow your pace if the temperature rises above 70 degrees F. Try doing your exercise during the evening time or in an air-conditioned room. If you feel dizzy, cramps and palpitation, stop cool down and rest.
• If you are working out during winters, wear proper clothes to avoid hypothermia. You can peel off the layer as your body starts to heat up.
• It is normal to feel muscle soreness after 12 to 24 hours after the workout, which fades within time. If you feel the pain for a prolonged time, you should consult your doctor.
• Do proper research or talk to the experts before starting to workout at home. You can follow some of the great videos on the internet for regular exercises but do not compare yourself with the people you see in those videos, for they are the experts! Keep yourself motivated, and don't forget to take rest!