If your weight management routine is not paying off and you aren’t losing weight, then most probably you aren’t adopting the right approach. Try these fat burning workouts for women that will help you shed some kilos and build muscle faster.
Fat is always a bigger issue concerning women simply because of the human evolutionary physiology that has dealt women a raw deal when it comes to FAT!! Not only do women have a tendency to gain fat faster than men, they lose fat slower too. More often than not as a woman you may be facing the perennial problem of losing weight in spite of a diet and exercise. Besides the wrong diet and workouts, there are several other factors such as lifestyle, stress and hormonal imbalances that could impact weight gain in women.
In the general scientific assumption of weight gain, women gain fat or weight faster because of the differences in metabolism between men and women. Moreover women burn fat slower than men. Women also have up to 10% more body fat then men and have a lower resting metabolic rate than men. Because of men having leaner and metabolically active muscle, men tend to burn calories faster and more than women.
Factors That Make Women Gain Fat
- Leptin resistance
- Stress
- Menopause
- Less sleep
- Low water intake
- Starving yourself or not eating enough
- Lack of healthy fats (omega 3 fatty acids)
- Birth control
- Hormonal imbalances
- Poor nutrition and lifestyle
But!! Does this mean women have to resign themselves to a life where you’re always going to add on fat and nothing can be done about it?? Certainly not!! As a woman, there is much you can do to take matters in your own hand and start losing those extra pounds with the right fat burning workouts for women. The best way to beat your metabolic rate and boost it is by building muscle and lean body mass. These fat burning workouts for women help you burn calories while sleeping and are guaranteed to tone up your body too.
The worst kind of fat that affects both men and women is visceral fat or abdominal fat. It’s the easiest fat to gain and is increased by improper diet, junk and processed food, lack of exercise and excess sugar. Excess abdominal fat invites risk of disease like heart issues, obesity, diabetes and even cancer. However with the right attitude and commitment, you can lose your fat easily and have the body you always wanted. Be it swimming, cycling, walking or just increasing housework at home, the right attitude towards yourself and your body holds the key to losing fat.
Fat Burning Workouts for Women At Home
Squats increase muscle mass, build up leg muscles, hamstrings and calves, improves upper and lower body strength. It also increases metabolism and helps burn calories
Skipping or Jump Rope
One of the best traditional cardio exercises that increases circulation and metabolism to burn fat. Instead of repeating one particular movement, skip different ways for variety in the exercise.
Advisable to integrate into any fat burning workout as it is an excellent cardiovascular exercise for coordination and stability. It is also good for glutes, quads and hamstrings.
Jogging
Jogging is another conventional exercise excellent for losing weight especially when you indulge in brisk jogging for long distances.
A jack knife crunch works out a dozen muscles while targeting the rectus abdominis. You use your obliques and thigh muscles, gluteus, chest and calves to perform the move.
HIIT (High intensity interval workout)
HIIT or high intensity workouts are one of the best ways for those on a tight schedule to work out just ten minutes a day and still burn fat. While an HIIT workout is usually formulated in the gym with equipment such as elliptical, cycle machine or the treadmill, the essence of HIIT is to create movements of high intensity within short periods of rest and continue such movement for ten minutes. Thus when you’re at home you can create your own HIIT workout using steps, lunges, stationary jogging, shuttle runs, plyo pushups and squat jumps. Thus you can easily perform HIIT workouts without equipment sure to burn fat.
Stair Climbing
As simple as it sounds, stair climbing is an excellent workout to strengthen your legs and burn fat. Integrate stair climbing into your fat burning routine at home.
Crossfit workouts can be done when you are pressed for time and can’t go to a gym. This is one incredible routine involving a number of moves that can be performed just about anywhere and can guarantee to blast that fat from your body.
The Best Gym Workouts for Women to Burn Fat
With access to a gym there are many beneficial assisted exercises to burn fat. What you should understand here is that your primary purpose is to burn fat so a combination of strength training, cardio and aerobics. There are many new workouts to burn fat that can be fun like Zumba. Never overdo your workouts because instead of burning fat you will be plagued with issues of muscle sprain and soreness. Here are some good gym exercises for women to burn fat
Deadlifts
Deadlifts alone won’t help you burn fat. You need to integrate it within your workouts as a combined effort to lose fat. Deadlifts help strengthen the muscles in your lower back and legs. It will also build a good strong back
Agreed that running on a treadmill can be a boring workout but you can be innovative and create different workouts of a treadmill that will burn fat. You can ask your gym trainer to create a good interval training routine on your treadmill. The same can be done on the cycle machine.
Kettleball swings burn loads of calories and works out the glutes, hips, hamstrings, lats, Shoulders, abs and pecs.
Zumba
While Zumba doesn’t really require machinery or assistance, it is more of a gym workout which benefits one when done in a group. Performing zumba routines alone at home would be infinitely boring and you would lack the motivation that comes when doing with a crowd. A zumba dance routine in a fitness studio or gym is much more fun and helps you lose weight.
Zumba is a healthier way to lose weight where you should be losing about 2 pounds per week. It is fast and natural because any more weight loss than this would result in you losing precious muscle rather than fat.
Boost Your Metabolism with Weight Training
Once you gain adequate knowledge about the exercises and moves that can help you burn fat, you need to address the other factors that play a major role in helping you lose weight. Your metabolism which is impacted by exercise and nutrition is an important element in your fight to burn fat and the biggest rule here is to remember that building muscle helps burn fat by increasing your metabolic rate.
Fat or adipose tissue as it is also called doesn’t require energy to remain on your body. It stays there till you start exerting energy to make it your energy source. Skeletal muscle tissue on the other hand requires at least 30-60 calories to maintain 1 pound of muscle per day. By increasing lean muscle, you help your body burn more fat for calories. Now your cardio routine may have helped you burn calories but weight training increases your metabolism to burn fat long after you’re finished.
Tips That Help You Burn Fat besides Exercising
The trick to losing fat is to ensure you burn fat long after you’ve finished your workouts. Did you know you could even burn fat when sleeping? Eating the right foods that boost your metabolic rate and living a healthier lifestyle can do much to impact your weight loss goals.
Lose Fat with the Right Food
Eating the right sort of foods is important when you’re trying to burn fat. Not only must you eat right, you also have to avoid all fat causing foods completely such as processed food, carbonated drinks, sugary fruit juices and fast food. This does not include healthy fats sourced from foods like fish, avocados, seeds and nuts.
Foods That Increase Metabolism
Egg whites: Best for BCAAS (Branch chain amino acids), vitamin D, protein for muscle)
Lean meat: Lean beef, chicken, and turkey breast: best for protein, amino acids, iron, muscle recovery and protein synthesis. Protein-packed lean meats take more energy for your body to break down than carbohydrate or fat-rich foods, which means burning more calories during digestion.
Drink enough water: water helps maintain your metabolism where dehydration can make it slow down
Chilli Peppers: Contains capsaicin than can really give you a metabolic boost. It is also an anti inflammatory agent
Green Tea: Green tea contains ECGC (epigallocatechin-3-gallate), a compound that is known to promote weight loss through green tea.
Lentils And Legumes: Lentils and legumes are provide you a rich source of iron and the amino acids arginine and glutamine, great for muscle recovery and fat burn.
Seaweed: Seaweed boosts metabolism and maintains thyroid function due to it being a rich source of iodine to keep your hormones in check and prevent imbalances.
Tuna: Best for omega 3 fatty acids which are healthy fats. Tuna also boosts metabolism but a word of caution here, a tuna diet alone has been frowned upon by experts because of the low nutrition profile involved. Combine tuna with nutritious foods for a well-balanced meal.
Grapefruit: Contains Naringenin an antioxidant that improves efficiency of insulin use to regulate blood sugar and improve calorie burn.
Oatmeal: Oats prevents hunger and makes your body burn more calories for digestion. Oatmeal can increase your metabolism in the morning. Steel cut oats are a better option over rolled oats.
Almonds and nuts: Nuts can kickstart your metabolism as well as provide your body with a healthy dose of omega 3 fatty acids
Cucumber: Being 80% water, it can increase metabolism and help burn fat
Coffee: Caffeine can boost metabolism and burn fat by inducing lipolysis however drinking too much coffee isn’t good either. Two cups a day should do it.
Improve Your Lifestyle
No amount of exercise or nutrition can help you burn fat unless you aren’t willing to commit yourself to it. Taking in account the fat burning workouts for women mentioned here, you can create an effective routine for yourself that will help you lose fat. Maintain a healthy diet and live a healthier lifestyle free from foods that don’t just increase fat but disease too. If weight loss is proving challenging for you, it is wise to consider a professional help such as weight management services in Bengaluru.
You can innovate within your nutrition by enjoying fresh smoothies in the morning that will keep you satiated during the day. Carry nuts like almonds with you and snack on them when hungry. Learn to enjoy more fruits and vegetables that not only help you burn fat but also increase antioxidants in your body to prevent disease and improve health. Increase your intake of prebiotics and probiotics to improve your gut health which will promote a healthier metabolism. Before starting any fitness routine or diet, please consult a professional trainer, nutritionist, or your doctor.