Bodyweight exercises and weight loss - is it effective or not?

Calisthenics , or bodyweight exercises, are an affordable, flexible, and easily accessible type of resistance training. This article focuses on the health benefits and potential of calisthenics as an effective method for weight loss .

Bodyweight exercises can be done both at home and outdoors , either without any equipment or using simple tools such as a barbell, rings, or parallel bars. If you are thinking about starting to exercise at home , after reading our articles " Bodyweight exercises at home" and "Best exercises for home" you will have enough information to create your own training plan that suits you .

Research has shown that long-term, regular, intense bodyweight training has significant health benefits. Calisthenics often exhibit an athletic build with a well-developed upper body , lower body fat percentages, and a lower risk of chronic disease compared to the general population. ¹

Is bodyweight exercise effective for weight loss?

Weight loss through calisthenics is a commonly observed phenomenon, especially among beginners, and especially when combined with a proper diet . Studies have shown that overweight individuals who combined simple exercises (20 minutes a day) with a balanced diet experienced an average decrease of 4.1 BMI points over 12 weeks, which is significantly more than a control group that only dieted. ²

In addition to weight loss, the combination of calisthenics and proper eating habits can lead to improvements in diabetes , lower total cholesterol , and a subjective feeling of better mood and mental state . In addition, there is an increase in physical fitness, muscle strength, and coordination . ^{2, 3, 4}

Resources:

1. Sanchez-Martinez, Javier et al. "Morphological characteristics of Street Workout practitioners." Nutricion hospitalaria vol. 34.1 122-127. 1 Feb. 2017, doi:10.20960/nh.987
2. Wu G, Qu H. The Effect of Calisthenics on Hypoglycemic of Diabetic Patients. Biomed Res Int. 2022 Jun 7;2022:7737626. doi: 10.1155/2022/7737626. PMID: 35711522; PMCID: PMC9197618.
3. Mear E, Gladwell VF, Pethick J. The Effect of Breaking Up Sedentary Time with Calisthenics on Neuromuscular Function: A Preliminary Study. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2022 Nov 7;19(21):14597. doi: 10.3390/ijerph192114597. PMID: 36361476; PMCID: PMC9653850.
4. Ozer Kaya D, Duzgun I, Baltaci G, Karacan S, Colakoglu F. Effects of calisthenics and Pilates exercises on coordination and proprioception in adult women: a randomized controlled trial. J Sport Rehabil. 2012 Aug;21(3):235-43. doi: 10.1123/jsr.21.3.235. Epub 2011 Nov 16. PMID: 22104298.