5 Best Evening Exercises for Weight Loss
Is the daily work stress getting to you? Because of the morning rush to get to work, many of us sneak in a workout in the evening. Don’t let work stress get in the way of your weight loss goals!
As exercise is an essential part of a holistic approach to weight management, finding ideal forms of evening exercise for weight loss presents unique challenges of its own. Exercise has to be vigorous enough to help you lose weight, but not too intense so as to interfere with your sleep.
Here are five exercises that you can include in your after-hours exercise routine for weight loss, followed by the best time of the evening for exercising.
1. Lunges
By working your lower body’s large muscles, lunges help you to lose weight because they burn more calories and boost your resting metabolism. Lunges also help you to develop better balance and posture as well as become more coordinated. Here are two of several variations for lunges.
Forward Lunge
With your arms to your sides, take a big stride forward with one leg.
Bend both knees at a 90-degree angle.
Straighten your legs and bring them back together.
Repeat with your other leg.
Do the same for both legs 15 times.
Lunge Jump
Do the first two steps of the forward lunge.
Jump and switch legs before landing with your legs in opposite positions.
Repeat as many times as you can for one minute to complete one set.
Do two more sets with one-minute breaks in between sets.
2. Squats
Doing squat exercises also burns calories to help keep weight gain at bay. They also make your glutes, quadriceps, and knees stronger as well as work the muscles in your core, sides, hips, hamstrings, and calves. Squats likewise prevent knee and ankle injuries, and help you to become more limber and flexible.
Here are two of several variations for squats.
Basic Squats
Stand with your arms palms in at your sides, your legs shoulder-width apart, and your toes pointed slightly outward.
Bend your knees and contract the muscles in your core while keeping your chest high and your back straight. In the same motion, raise your arms chest high to bring your palms together in front of you.
Return to the starting position while contracting your glutes.
Repeat 12 to 15 times.
Jump Squats
Do the first two steps of the basic squat.
Jump and land in the same squat position with knees bent and arms forward.
Repeat as many times as you can for one minute to complete one set.
Do two more sets with one-minute breaks in between sets.
3. Glute Bridge
This exercise works the muscles in your body’s midsection, mainly the gluteus maximus, but also your transversus abdominis and hamstrings. Apart from helping you lose weight, glute bridges also contribute to a stronger back and glutes as well as a more stable core.
Lie face up with your knees bent shoulder-width apart and your arms and feet flat on the ground. Your palms should be open and facing up, your heels should be 15 to 20 centimeters from your glutes, and your toes should be facing forward.
Raise your hips slowly and as high as possible while contracting your glutes and abs until your body is a straight line from your knees up to your shoulders. Make sure you don’t arch your back.
Contract your glutes as tightly as you can for a few seconds.
Lower your hips slowly while keeping your glutes and abs contracted.
Repeat 10 to 15 times.
4. Planking
A popular evening exercise for weight loss, planking works the muscles in your arms, legs, and core, specifically your abdominal muscles, diaphragm, lower back, pelvis, hips, and glutes.
While planking burns about two to five calories per minute, the number of calories you burn depends on how many planks you do. Other factors that affect planking’s effectiveness in terms of weight loss include metabolic rate and body weight.
Lower your body face down and hold it in a straight line while supporting it on your forearms and toes. Your forearms should be shoulder-width apart and your feet about 15 centimeters apart.
Contract your core muscles and your glutes in this position and hold for about 20 to 30 seconds.
To help you keep your body straight, focus on an area about 30 centimeters in front of your hands. Focusing on your breathing can also help you to hold the plank position.
5. Child’s Pose
Also known as “balasana” or “shishuasana”, this stretching exercise is one of several yoga poses that help with weight loss. It also helps to ease tension in your hips and lower back, increase blood flow to your neck and head, and even contribute to a healthier digestive system.
Kneel and sit on the backs of your lower legs with your glutes resting on your heels.
Bend forward slowly as you stretch your arms out, palms down in front of you on the floor until your forehead touches the ground.
Move your arms back and tuck them in to your sides with palms facing up and resting on the floor.
Take eight deep breaths slowly.
If your forehead can’t touch the floor, sit with your knees apart and fold your arms in front of you with one hand on top of the other on the floor as you bend forward. Then rest your forehead on your hands and take eight deep breaths.
What time should you do evening exercise for weight loss?
The rule of thumb for working out in the evenings is to not exercise right after dinner or right before bed. If you exercise after dinner, make sure you schedule your workout at least two hours afterwards.
High-intensity exercises such as lunge jumps and jump squats should be done at least two to three hours before your desired bedtime. Though planking may seem like a low-intensity exercise by comparison, note that your heart rate may go up as you hold the plank position.
Exercising a little closer to bedtime can help improve your sleep quality which also contributes to weight loss. At this time, low- to moderate-intensity exercises such as forward lunges, basic squats, and glute bridges would be ideal. To help you fall asleep, end your routine with stretches like the child’s pose or a seated forward fold.
Exercise is a key, but it's not the only door! Reaching a healthy weight is a journey, and at NOVI Health, we believe in a holistic approach.
Our doctors and fitness coaches can tailor fitness and diet plans that fit your lifestyle, because long-term success is about feeling great, not just the numbers on the scale. Let's work together to find a healthy balance that works for you!
Find out how you can achieve optimal results from evening exercise for weight loss with NOVI Optimum Plus.