Everyone says that working out will help you to lose weight. You must have noticed that running every day helps in achieving that goal. The same goes for skipping for which you just need a skipping rope. It’s fun and takes you back to your childhood days when the playground used to be your favourite hangout spot. Some prefer to go to a gym and let the professionals handle it. Yes, exercises do work, but not all of them are meant for weight loss. So, it’s very important to sit with an expert, who can guide you through it. For a successful weight loss journey, you need to steer clear of some of the exercises.
Most people are tied up with work and household chores so it’s not always easy to take out time to exercise. For such people, five-minute exercises for weight loss can work wonders. It’s also true that not all exercises are beneficial in terms of weight loss. So, HealthShots reached out to fitness expert Varun Rattan to understand which all exercises should be avoided during weight loss journey.
Here are some of the inefficient exercises for weight loss:
1. Twisting
At the gym, it is not uncommon to see people twisting vigorously on those small and round platforms. Sometimes, people will assert that such exercises target the sides and help you lose your ‘love handles’ (exercises to reduce love handles).
Nevertheless, these movements don’t provide any resistance for the muscles to work against, so you could perform them for hours without burning many calories or developing any strength, says Rattan.
2. Dumbbell side bends
When you hold dumbbells in each hand, they offset each other and as a result, very little effort is required by core muscles. This makes the dumbbell-loaded side bend an ineffective exercise to strengthen the core. As an alternative, the expert suggests you to hold a single dumbbell in one hand. This will be enough to challenge the obliques and quadratus lumborum (deepest back muscle) on the opposite side.
3. Crunches
Crunches are a popular exercise for those who want to lose weight and get rid of their belly fat. While it does target the abdominal muscles, crunches only burn a minimal amount of calories, which is not enough for weight loss. If you already have a flat stomach, crunches can give you more definition, but it won’t assist with getting rid of the fat that is covering the mid-section.
4. Abduction and adduction exercise
A lot of people use this to get rid of fat on their inner or outer thighs, but it does not have any direct effect on the fat above the muscle. If strengthening the inner and outer thighs is your goal then opt for band resisted lunges on either side.
Keep an idea of your risk of weight-related issues.
Check BMI
Also Read: Abduction and adduction workouts: Know all about these movements for fitness
5. Triceps extensions and dumbbell curls
Tricep extensions and dumbbell curls are popular choices, but they won’t target the fat on your arms. Plus, they don’t burn a lot of calories compared to multi-joint exercises such as push-ups or rowing (benefits of rowing). They are, however, helps to strengthen your arms.
So, if weight loss is your goal this year, avoid doing these exercises!
