Body Weight Exercise

Body weight exercises can help strengthen and tone muscles through resistance created by the weight of your body. They are a perfect way to tone up muscles without blowing your budget on expensive gym memberships, and they are a fantastic way to amp up your weight loss program.

Body weight exercises often require little more than you and a bit of space. You can perform each of these exercises in front of your television or in your living room without any trouble. Since they can be performed nearly anywhere, there is no excuse for not working out when you are away from home. Here are a few examples to help get you started.

Push Ups

Push ups are a good exercise all around. Start with your arms shoulder width apart on the floor and your legs out, making your back flat. If you are a beginner, you can start by using your knees until you can build up to balancing on your toes. Contract your abdominal muscles and lower yourself to the ground slowly, and then rise up slowly. Repeat in a series of three sets of 10-12 repetitions for toned arms and back.

Plank Position

A staple in pilates and yoga, plank is similar to the push up, but instead of lowering yourself to the ground, you hold yourself in position for a count of ten. This position contracts all of the muscles as it tries to stabilize the body. This is great for working all the major muscles groups. Planks can be easy to do wrong, but when you do them right, you will feel them in nearly every muscle you have.

Chair Dips

To work on your triceps, try chair dips. Find two chairs and place them facing each other, about three feet apart. If necessary, start with these closer together and work up to this space. Start in a seated position, placing your feet on the other chair. Place your hands palms down on the chair you are seated in. Make sure you have a tight grip on the edge of the seat. Lift up and put your body weight on your hands and feet. Dip down until your arms are bent in a 90 degree angle, elbows pointed away from you. Hold this position for thirty seconds, lift up and then repeat. You can do shallow dips at first to build up your muscles, but work towards a deep dip.

Squats

Squats are a great way to build the quadriceps, hamstrings and hip flexors. Stand with your feet shoulder width apart and slowly squat down like you are sitting in a chair. Make sure your knees stay parallel with your feet and do not go further out. This can damage the knee. Hold the squat for thirty seconds and slowly return back to your standing position. Repeat this exercise in a series of three sets of 10-12 repetitions to start. You can modify this exercise in two different ways: by moving your feet together so that they are side-by-side and proceed with the exercise, or by performing a wall squat. For this exercise, you place your back flush against the wall, feet shoulder width apart and away from the wall. Slowly start to slide down the wall until your knees are at a ninety degree angle. Hold for thirty seconds and repeat.

These are just a few of the many body weight exercises you can do in the comfort of a small space and a small budget. Along with a proper diet, these exercises can help you achieve your weight loss goals. However, if you find that you can't lose those last five or ten pounds, the addition of a natural weight loss supplement may help you to get over your plateau. Natural weight loss supplements work with your diet and exercise program to help you towards reaching your weight loss goals.