How to Lose Weight Without Using Weights or Going to the Gym

When you are unhappy with the number flashing at you from the scale, it is time to make changes. Weight loss involves a combination of more calories being used and less calories coming in. You need to use your stored calories to fuel your cardiovascular workouts and then increase your muscle mass to speed up your metabolism. The best part is that you do not need a gym membership to succeed. Your heart and muscles do not know if you are using expensive exercise equipment or if you are walking outdoors and doing pushups. The body knows it is moving and has to make changes.

Instructions

    • 1

      Prepare for your workout with a five-minute warm-up that uses full-body movements. For example, walk, stair climb, jump rope, dance or march in place to increase the blood flow to your working muscles.

    • 2

      Choose a cardiovascular activity that elevates your heart rate to a level that leaves you slightly breathless, but able to maintain a conversation. A few no-equipment options are walking, jogging, dancing, stair climbing, jumping jacks, marching in place, and shadow boxing. Other options include cycling, swimming, jumping rope, skating and cross-country skiing.

    • 3

      Participate in your chosen activity for at least 20 to 30 minutes at a steady pace. Your goal is to increase your daily calorie-burning by 250 calories. Combine this with a daily 250-calorie reduction of incoming calories for a total of 500 calories less each day. If you do not change any of your usual exercise and eating habits, the 500-calorie a day reduction adds up to 3,500 calories each week, which is a weight loss of one pound. For example, if you weigh 160 pounds, burn 261 calories by walking for 30 minutes, or 294 by dancing for 30 minutes.

    • 4

      Choose strengthening exercises such as squats, sit-ups, push-ups, pull-ups, lunges, calf raises, jump squats, planks, mountain climbers and supermans that do not require equipment. For example, perform a plank by placing your hands and feet on the floor. Straighten your arms and legs and lower your hips so your body forms a straight line from your shoulders to your feet. Maintain this plank, or upper-push-up position, for 10 to 30 seconds to strengthen your arms, legs and core.

    • 5

      Perform one to three sets of eight to 12 repetitions of your selected strengthening exercises to tone muscles and increase your metabolism. Do your exercises two or three days a week with at least one day of rest in between. For example, perform 12 squats by standing tall with your feet at hip-distance apart. Bend your knees and lower your hips until your thighs are parallel with the floor. Keep your knees over your heels and prevent them from moving forward over your toes. Straighten your legs and return to standing to complete one bodyweight squat. Do 12 squats and then move on to your next exercise such as a sit-up.

    • 6

      Eat a healthy diet that contains fruits, vegetables, low-fat dairy, lean meats, eggs, nuts, whole grains and is low in saturated fats to keep your incoming calories at a slightly reduced level. Aim to reduce your incoming calories by 250 a day to lead to your pound-a-week weight-loss goals. Keep track of your incoming calories in a journal if needed to monitor your daily amount. Subtract from this the amount you burn during your activity. Decrease your incoming calories by the amount needed to equal a 500-calorie reduction.