Start Your Day Right With These 5 Epic Fat Burning Home Workouts

Sometimes, even on the sunniest of mornings, it’s too difficult to drag yourself out of bed and to the gym. We get it — we’re the same!

But you don’t need to be at the gym to work up an early morning sweat. You do some serious fat burn at home with the right morning workout. Even better: you can walk into the kitchen to put together yummy, protein-packed brekkie straight after!

Here’s 5 epic fat burn workout ideas at home, most of which require no equipment whatsoever...

1. Lower Body: jumping lunges, jumping squats and mountain climbers

Suitable for all fitness levels, this simple yet super effective workout specifically targets your lower body. Focusing on HIIT principles for maximum fat burn, this routine involves just three simple moves.

Jumping lunges, jumping squats and mountain climbers can all be easily achieved at home, without requiring any equipment. Simply do 45 seconds of each exercise, with a 20-second resting period between each one. Complete at least three times over — or as many times as you can with a smile on your face!

These short yet powerful bursts of movement will instantly engage your entire lower body, helping boost metabolism for the day ahead. And you can easily adjust each exercise duration to suit your abilities. 

Whilst 45 seconds is generally considered optimum, be sure to listen to your body and only do what you’re comfortable with. 

2. Jump Rope

You’re going to need a little bit of space for this… as no one wants to accidentally trash their house with a jump rope! But, when performed responsibly, jump rope can be hugely effective for a workout at home. 

Just follow the same HIIT principles as before — complete 45 seconds of jump rope exercise as many times as you can, leaving 20 seconds in between each cycle. 

3. Full Body Pump: burpees and jumping jacks

Burpees are the exercise we all love to hate. 

But don’t panic. 

Yes, burpees are a killer. But when done right, they provide a seriously effective full-body workout guaranteed to get your heart pumping in no time. 

Alternate between burpees and jumping jacks for added variety, as both work multiple areas of your body at once. Offering excellent fat burning potential, this burpee routine isn’t for the faint-hearted, but it’ll sure supercharge your early morning fat burn.

4. Abs Fat Burner

Many fat burning workouts seem to skip past abdominal exercises. But why? When really focused on core engagement, sit ups, crunches and planks can all be just as effective as more cardio-heavy options. 

To further enhance the calorie-burning power of this routine, start by jogging on the spot for 2-3 minutes. This will immediately get your heart going. 

Then, drop to the floor and complete a set of sit ups, bicycle crunches (to tone those obliques!) or a nice, strong plank. Do 45 seconds of each exercise with 20 seconds in between — you know the drill. 

5. Dance Cardio

Do you only dance in bars and nightclubs? Then you’re missing a trick! 

As a super energetic form of movement, many of us overlook dancing’s fat burn potential. So next time you get up in the morning and are feeling a little sluggish, blast your favourite tunes and boogie like no one’s watching! 

Yes, it’s a great way to burn fat at home, but this morning workout will also really boost your mood and set you up for a great day!

So why are we telling you all this? Is a morning workout better for burning fat? 

Now we’ve established some epic work out at home routines, you’ve probably got one key question on your mind: do I need to work out in the morning?

Well, we’ve got to be honest with you… the time of day doesn’t really affect your body’s ability to burn fat. Whether you’re more of an early bird, or a night owl, a workout is a workout — the amount of calories burnt is unlikely to be too different.

That being said, there are loads of great reasons to get your heart pumping first thing in the day.

For one, morning workouts can provide a huge range of benefits for both physical and mental wellbeing. Endorphins are naturally released when we exercise, along with concentrated amounts of serotonin and dopamine. Known as ‘feel good chemicals’, this release can act as an instant mood-booster, setting you up for the day feeling optimistic, energised and de-stressed. 

Better still, morning workouts have been found to potentially reduce the amount of food we may consume throughout the day, therefore aiding in further weight loss. 

One study found women who’d completed 45 minutes of early morning exercise showed significantly less response to food stimuli than those who hadn’t experienced a morning workout. 

Which leads us on to the next question….

Should I eat breakfast before a morning workout? 

The question of eating before a morning workout is often a hotly debated discussion. 

Whilst exercising, your body’s main sources of energy are carbs and body fat. So, if you do your morning workout on an empty stomach (as opposed to eating a carb-containing breakfast), your body will naturally revert to fat stores as a way to fuel your exercise. 

Such ‘fasted exercise’ can lead to a greater volume of fat being burnt; boosting your body’s natural ability to utilise fat for energy. 

However, if you wake up starving hungry and try to engage in vigorous exercise, you could do some damage. 

Listen to your body, and be sure to fuel up if you need it. Carb-rich breakfasts — a small serving of cereal, a banana, or a hard-boiled egg with a slice of wholemeal toast — are ideal for short bursts of exercise like the workouts above. 

Eat light and you’ll avoid feeling faint or too full throughout your session. 

But if we’ve still not convinced you into a morning workout, then check out our guide to insanely effective ab workouts you can complete in your lunch break instead!