Weight loss: Is it bad to do only bodyweight exercises?

During the pandemic when the gyms were closed across the country, bodyweight workouts became an easy way to incorporate exercise into the daily routine. It was particularly beneficial for those who did not have any workout equipment at home, yet wanted to stay fit. Bodyweight exercise as the name suggests is all about training using only your body weight for resistance. It does not require any piece of equipment and can be done anywhere. Bodyweight exercise is an effective type of strength training that can help to improve your strength, endurance, and cardiovascular health. The question is whether it is alright to perform strength training exercises daily.

When it comes to bodyweight exercises, there are a lot of misconceptions. Many people think that bodyweight exercise is not that effective because it does not involve any piece of equipment. Contrary to this popular belief, bodyweight training is an excellent form of workout. Being a type of resistance training, bodyweight exercise helps to target different muscle groups at one time. It also gives you the benefits of cardio and strength training depending on the type of exercise you choose to perform. Bodyweight exercise can be done by all, be it beginners or seasoned fitness trainers. It offers the same health benefits. You can include bodyweight exercises in HIIT training or the Tabata training to make it more challenging.

Read more: Weight loss: Is it bad to work out every day?

Performing bodyweight exercise has some obvious benefits like burning calories and strengthening muscles, still, it is not alright to perform this one exercise every day. For a holistic health benefit, it is necessary to lift some weight. Although bodyweight exercises provide the benefits of strength training, it does not target and activate the muscles the same way lifting weight does. Bodyweight exercises are an excellent workout regime and can be added to your fitness routine, but you also need variety. When you add different forms of workouts to your routine, you are less likely to get bored, and you challenge your body to do better. Besides, bodyweight exercises might not help you get a chiseled body. If your motive is to build abs and biceps, add weight lifting to your routine.

Even if you choose to perform bodyweight exercises every day, remember that it is essential to take a break in between. When exercising, your muscles often wear and tear. It only recovers when you take rest. During the resting time, your muscle repairs itself and rejuvenates. Not giving sufficient time to your body to repair may put you at the risk of muscle strain, injury and even fracture. So, if you are exercising regularly, take a rest for a day a week. You can go for a walk or light jogging on these days, but refrain from performing any stern activity.