Slim down and firm up with 10 summer sports that can burn serious calories.

These effective weight loss exercises are designed to help you burn calories and banish cellulite.

Sucking in your stomach hoping it will magically disappear? Want to fit into that gorgeous dress hanging in your closet? The only answer to your prayers is exercise. Exercising is the best way to burn calories and build muscles.

You need to take care of your body, and only you can make a difference.

Since weight loss is more of a mental challenge than a physical challenge, you have to get up every morning and tell yourself "I can do this". You have to be determined to not give up. So get on that sweaty pursuit and check out these weight loss exercises:

High Intensity Interval Training – To max out the benefits of your workout, intensity is the key.

High Intensity Interval Training involves short intervals of exercise at almost your maximum effort, followed by longer recovery periods. The secret to HIIT is in how hard you work during your intense intervals.

The result?

Your body's fat-burning potential shoots up and the pounds melt away. High-intensity exercise increases the release of growth hormones, which mobilize fat to be used as fuel.

So your 20-minute workout ends up burning more calories throughout the day than a long, easy jog around the block. "HIIT forces your muscles to work harder, burn more fuel, perform better. It’s a smart strategy to help you lose weight fast."

Surya Namaskar – one of the most widely practiced and basic yoga asanas, actually focuses on various parts of the body and work wonders with weight loss. It comprises a series of 12 different poses encompassed in one including the prayer pose, forward bend and the bhujangasana. It helps strengthen your skeletal system and ligaments. Being a great way to keep the body active, it also aids in reducing stress and anxiety. If you keep breathing in and out during the poses, it helps you lose more weight.

Walking – If you include 30 minutes of brisk walking to your daily routine you could burn about 150 calories a day?. Walking is the easiest weight loss exercise, and low intensity of course. If you're a beginner, start by walking 3 days per week for at least 20 minutes and then gradually increase the frequency and duration of your walks until you are walking 30-60 minutes per day and six times a week.

Strength Training – It’s a misconception that doing weights bulks you up, it in fact also helps you slim down and revs up your metabolism permanently.

The secret to shedding pounds is actually to build muscles. Another option is circuit training, which involves moving quickly from one exercise to the next, and burns 30% more calories than a typical weight workout.

It blasts fat and sculpts muscle, burning up to 10 calories a minute.

Zumba – is all about loosening up and burning calories.

No wonder, it has been found to help relieve stress, increase energy and improve strength. It incorporates vigourous exercise and high intensity movement which helps sculpt the body. Before you know it, you'll be losing tons of calories and yet, your energy levels will be soaring! In the midst of squats, twists, multiple dance routines and upbeat music, you'll actually have fun.

Swimming – workouts burn fat, trim inches and help you get stronger, fitter and healthier than ever.

Swimming vigorously can burn up to 500-700 calories an hour, whether you do a breaststroke or freestyle. It’s a highly effective form of exercise for weight loss and toning.

Swimming engages all of the major muscle groups, from your abdominals and back muscles to your arms, legs, hips and glutes.

It can be your sole form of fitness but can effectively compliment other exercises like walking and running as well.

Masala Bhangra – a ridiculously fun form of dance that blends traditional Bhangra moves with the dynamism of Bollywood beats. You can burn as much as 500 calories per class, and it can be modified to the comfort level of the participant, making it accessible to all ages. Considering your arms do all the dancing, it also strengthens the rotator cuff muscles in your shoulders. All that upper-body action shapes the shoulders, tones arms and sculpts the back.

Exercise Those Abs – Abdominals, a set collectively known as the core includes the many interconnected muscles that run up the back and stretch down to the butt and the front and inner thighs – not just the fat that blooms over the top of your skinny jeans. Here are weight loss exercises that will keep the love handles away:

Crunches – Lie on your back with your knees bent, and your hands behind your head. Lift your shoulders off the floor and curl your legs towards your ribcage; simultaneously. Slowly, return to starting position.

Low Belly Leg Reach – Targets corset and 6-pack area. Lie faceup with knees bent to 90 degrees, hands behind head, and abs contracted. Keeping knees stacked over hips, lift the shoulder and crunch up; inhale and hold for 3-5 seconds. Exhale and extend legs to 45 degrees; hold for 3-5 seconds while squeezing the lower belly. Do 2 sets of 10-15 reps.

Boat Pose – Sit with your feet on the floor, knees bent, hands beneath your knees for support. Keeping your chest lifted and shoulders back, engage your abdominal muscles and raise your lower legs until they are parallel to the floor (your knees should still be bent) and you are balancing on your sitting bones. If this feels comfortable, begin to straighten your legs (stop if you feel any discomfort in your back) and stretch your arms forward. Hold for 5–15 breaths, then release. Repeat up to 5 times.

Planks – Kneel on a mat on all fours with your hands directly under your shoulders. Stretch your legs back one at a time to come into a plank position and engage your abdominal muscles. Your body should be long and straight. Press your hands and feet firmly into the mat for support. Hold for 2 minutes, then drop back on all fours. It won't be easy, but it will be worth it. Trust us, your future self will thank you.

Squats – When you do squats correctly, you engage your entire lower body and your core. Squats are one of the best bodyweight exercises to burn fat from the thighs and glutes, and get your lower body in shape in no time. Squats are popular amongst bodybuilders and athletes, because they work (and how)! Once you get accustomed to the regular type, you can alter the speed, maximise the reps, try new variations like jump squats, barbell squats, pistol squats and challenge yourself.

Desi Jam Cardio – basically non-stop cardio to non-stop music. Shape up with this mix of Bollywood, Bhangra and Belly Dance – "You can't even tell you've worked out, it's like a Friday night party where you roughly burn up to 800-1000 calories". It's a full-muscle workout involving glutes, quads, abdominals, lower back, chest and shoulders.