Building Muscle: How to Lose Weight and Tone Up

Whether you want to enhance your overall wellbeing, lose weight or tone up; building muscle is the way to go. Team MuscleTech’s Lindsay Cappotelli explains, ‘Hopefully most of us know by now that the myth of women getting huge and “manly” from lifting weights is just that – a myth. Rather than turning women into big, bulky “hulks”, muscles create a lean and toned figure. They can transform your body from soft and flabby to tight and firm.’ With over 10 years of fitness experience, Cappotelli is the perfect person to give you tips for building muscle.

 

1. Don’t Overdo Your Cardio: According to Cappotelli, ‘Women often make cardio the focus of their workout routine and the weights get pushed to the back burner, when it should actually be the opposite. If you don’t have extra body fat to lose, you could even consider eliminating cardio completely, or limiting it to just one to two short, high intensity interval type workouts a week.’

 

2. Eat More: ‘Another mistake women make when trying to gain muscle is simply not eating enough,’ says Cappotelli. ‘Eating nothing but salads all day just ain’t gonna cut it! In order to gain muscle, you must consume slightly more calories than you burn. In addition to lean beef, chicken, turkey, and eggs, having a couple of protein shakes is one way to help you hit your protein and calorie requirements for the day.’

 

3. Lift heavier: Cappotelli urges, ‘Ladies, don’t be afraid to get out of the 12-15 repetition zone! When I started lifting heavier with reps in the five to eight range was when I really began seeing results. Plus, lifting heavy and being strong is an amazing feeling! Focus on getting stronger on the basic, compound lifts and try to keep adding more weight to the bar. Don’t be afraid to lift heavy! You may be surprised by how strong you really are.’

 

4. Keep a Workout Journal: ‘I think this is a crucial often overlooked component,’ Cappotelli comments. ‘Instead of just going to the gym and doing random things or whatever you feel like that day, it’s best to go in with a plan. Keep track of your exercises, weights, repetitions, and rest time in between sets, so that you can try to improve upon that from week to week. I like to plan out my workouts ahead of time every four to six weeks and make sure that I am constantly improving in some way.’

 

5. Train with Intensity: Cappotelli notes, ‘Many women don’t know what it really means to lift with intensity, so they never get the results out of weight training that they truly could. When you are performing an exercise, you should be extremely focused; not just going through the motions. Focus on the muscle you’re working. Put your mind into it. Feel it moving and contracting. Focus. Breathe. Strain. Make every rep count!’

 

6. Take Pictures of Your Progress: ‘It’s sometimes hard to see how your body is changing when you look at yourself every day,’ Cappotelli asserts. ‘Taking progress pictures every few months is one of the best ways to see how your body is changing. Weighing and measuring is one way to keep track of results, but photos will tell the true story.’

 

7. Have the Right Mindset: Cappotelli points out, ‘Results won’t come overnight, and there may be times when you feel that you’re not making any progress at all. Try not to get discouraged. It can take years to transform your physique, so don’t give up! If you’re doing the right things consistently, the results will come. Be patient, trust the process and don’t forget to enjoy the journey!’

Categories: Building Muscle, cappotelli, gain muscle, Lose weight, Muscle, nbsp, results, tone, Weight Loss, Women

How to Get Your Upper Body Toned in Time for Your Wedding

For most brides, the upper arms are the only area on show. Whether you’re going strapless or have a dress with capped sleeves picked out, your arms need to be at their best for all the bear-hugging, hand-holding, bouquet-tossing, and glass-toasting you’ll be doing at your wedding. This is perhaps why most brides focus on their upper body fitness for the big day and with these exercises, so can you.

 

1. The Push-Up Progression: Wellness expert Lexi Walters instructs, ‘Place your hands on a windowsill, table, or bench with your toes on the floor. Keep your body in a straight line, with your arms fully extended. Bend your elbows 90 degrees; then push back up. Be sure to keep your abs engaged and your head in line with your spine. Continue doing push-ups for about 30 seconds. Next, hold yourself in the start position for another 30 seconds.’ For a more advanced version of this exercise, Walters outlines, ‘Assume a regular push-up position with your hands on the floor, palms below your shoulders and your abs contracted. Do 30 seconds of push-ups. Hold the push-up plank position for 30 seconds. Contract your abs and squeeze your inner thighs together.’

 

2. Cheerleader Raise: ‘This move will raise your heart rate as you target your shoulders, helping to take care of excess flab as you tighten and tone the muscles underneath,’ says Walters. ‘Stay motivated: Imagine those dumbbells are five-pound bouquets. Stand with your fee hip-distance apart, one hand on your hip, the other holding a dumbbell at your side. Raise the dumbbell above your head. Try to lengthen your opposite arm and leg away from each other. Then drive the knee toward the elbow. (The more the legs work, the higher the calorie burn.)’

 

3. Pullovers with Dumbbells: According to Walters, ‘You’ll be toasting your guests at some point during your big day – here’s a move that’ll make your arms look tight as you raise that glass. Lying on an exercise bench or large couch cushion, hold a five- or eight-pound dumbbell in both hands with your arms extended over your chest. Slowly lower the weight behind your head and return the weight back. Do 15 reps. (Want it harder? Raise your legs and bend your knees 90 degrees.)’

 

4. The Kickback: Walters notes, ‘An amped-up version of yoga’s Cobra pose, the Kickback can get you closer to those sculpted shoulder blades your backless dress is begging to reveal. Lie facedown on a mat with your legs together and a resistance band under your chest, holding one end in each hand, arms by sides. Lift your chest and reach your arms straight out at shoulder level in front of you, keeping your shoulders down. Hold for one count.’

 

5. Total-Body Burner: ‘This move will tone and sculpt just about everything, so you’ll want to add it to your routine no matter what your dress looks like,’ asserts Walters. ‘Come into a full push-up position, balancing with your toes on a step. Lower into a push up. Bring your left knee toward your chest, then raise the knee out to the side until it’s at hip height. Bring the knee back to centre, then lower your foot back to the step and return to start. Repeat the sequence for eight reps. Rest for 30 seconds, then switch sides.’

 

6. Cat & Cow: Walters explains, ‘This combo is an excellent stress reliever as well as back strengthener and toner, especially if you’re holding tension (invitations are late, mother-in-law just upped the guest list) in your lower back. Cow Pose: On hands and knees, inhale and lift head while making back concave. Cat Pose: On exhale, tuck tailbone, contract abs, and round back, head down. Child’s Pose: Draw hips back to heels, drop chest, rounding spine, and rest forehead on the floor, arms in front of you. Do 6 reps of the whole cycle. Rest in Child’s Pose for several breaths.’

Categories: arms, nbsp, push, Push ups, raise, tone, Upper Body, walters, wedding

Best Ways to Build the Abs You’ve Always Dreamed Of

One of the most common goals when it comes to weight and fitness is to build a beautifully sculpted set of abdominal muscles. Although we all know that exercise is a great thing for our general health, wellness and wellbeing, we can’t help that vain little bit of us that would just love to be able to show off a fantastic toned stomach.

 

That doesn’t have to be a dream anymore, as a new workout that takes just 21 minutes promises to beat belly flab and build a super-strong set of abs by combining cardio and Pilates.

 

The routine combines core exercises and physio and all you need to do it is a comfortable exercise mat and an optional jump rope. Once you’ve done the exercises, you simply keep repeating them on a circuit until you reach the 21 minute mark, and aim to repeat this routine several times a week.

 

Start by stretching (as always), doing single leg stretches to help warm up and stretch the abdominal muscles and hip flexors. To do these lie face up on the mat with your knees tucked up to your chest and your abdominal muscles engaged. Lift your head up and cross your arms, putting them on the diagonally opposite knee then alternate pulling one knee into the chest and stretching the other one out, for 20 reps in total.

 

Next you should do a double-leg lower lift for a minute. Lie face up with your hands underneath the bottom of your spine and your abs engaged. Lift your head and your legs. Then lower your legs towards the floor (without putting them down) for three seconds and lift up again ten times.

 

A saw is another good move to add into your routine. To do this, sit with your legs a bit wider than the mat, raise your arms up to shoulder height and hold them out and keep your back straight and abs engaged. Twist to the right, reaching your arms around but keeping your bum on the floor. Return to the centre and then twist to the left. Do three reps on each side.

Categories: abdominal muscles, Abs, abs engaged, engaged, engaged lift, legs, lie face, lift, muscles, nbsp, tone

What to Do If You’ve Fallen Out of Love With Love Handles

Why are love handles called love handles? It’s not like you actually love them, do you? No – thought not! These unsightly deposits of fat on the sides of your body often cling stubbornly to you, even when you lose other areas of fat. Fortunately, there are things that you can do to help you remove these love handles. All you have to do is include these in your normal workout to help you tone up the sides of your body.

 

If you don’t know what exactly love handles are, they are the chubby, flabby areas that many people have on top of their obliques. You can tone up your whole stomach with abdominal exercises but unfortunately this little area always escapes attention, as it doesn’t respond to normal ab exercises.

 

This is why you needa whole separate routine for your obliques. When you start to give them specific, individual attention, you will start to see the results that you have been looking for all along.

 

To tone up your abdominal exercises, you need an Olympic bar, a BOSU ball, an exercise ball, a yoga mat and a dumbbell. You can make do without any of these pieces of equipment but they would all come in useful for your home gym setup anyway, and can be used for a variety of pieces of equipment.

 

A modified straddle forward bend is one great way of targeting those abs. You take a block in your left hand to start with and then you turn to the right and take a step to move your feet apart.

 

Take a block in your left hand. Turn to the right and step your feet apart. Fold downwards at the waist and then place the block onto the floor, just between your feet under your left shoulder. Inhale and move your right arm up, turning your chest towards the right, whilst keeping your hips on the level. Look towards your right hand and breathe, then rotate your spine while opening your hamstrings and hips. Then repeat on the other side.

Categories: abdominal exercises, Feet, hand, handles, left hand, love, nbsp, tone, Workout

What to Do If You’ve Fallen Out of Love With Love Handles

Why are love handles called love handles? It’s not like you actually love them, do you? No – thought not! These unsightly deposits of fat on the sides of your body often cling stubbornly to you, even when you lose other areas of fat. Fortunately, there are things that you can do to help you remove these love handles. All you have to do is include these in your normal workout to help you tone up the sides of your body.

 

If you don’t know what exactly love handles are, they are the chubby, flabby areas that many people have on top of their obliques. You can tone up your whole stomach with abdominal exercises but unfortunately this little area always escapes attention, as it doesn’t respond to normal ab exercises.

 

This is why you needa whole separate routine for your obliques. When you start to give them specific, individual attention, you will start to see the results that you have been looking for all along.

 

To tone up your abdominal exercises, you need an Olympic bar, a BOSU ball, an exercise ball, a yoga mat and a dumbbell. You can make do without any of these pieces of equipment but they would all come in useful for your home gym setup anyway, and can be used for a variety of pieces of equipment.

 

A modified straddle forward bend is one great way of targeting those abs. You take a block in your left hand to start with and then you turn to the right and take a step to move your feet apart.

 

Take a block in your left hand. Turn to the right and step your feet apart. Fold downwards at the waist and then place the block onto the floor, just between your feet under your left shoulder. Inhale and move your right arm up, turning your chest towards the right, whilst keeping your hips on the level. Look towards your right hand and breathe, then rotate your spine while opening your hamstrings and hips. Then repeat on the other side.

Categories: abdominal exercises, Feet, hand, handles, left hand, love, nbsp, tone, Workout

Love Your Lower Half with these Spectacular Moves!

Your lower half isn’t always the easiest area to love, but FITNESS advisory board member Joe Dowdell, author of Ultimate You: A 4-Phase Total Body Makeover, has created movements that can turn your wobbly bum and thighs into a lower half worth your affection. Not only is getting fit good for your wellbeing, but toning exercises like these are vital to your weight loss wellness. According to Dowell, ‘It’s about the quality and not the quantity of movements,’ so make sure you give each move your best work!

 

1. Split Squat: This move targets your bum and legs. Kneeling on the ground with a dumbbell in each hand and your palms facing in, bring your left knee up so it’s at a 90-degree angle to the floor. Curl your right toes under and push through your left heel to stand and, with your arms by your sides, lower on a count of three until your right knee is a few inches off ground and both knees are bent 90 degrees. Hold for one count, stand, do eight to 10 reps, switch sides and repeat.

 

2. Two-Arm Swing: As well as toning your bum and legs, this move tones up your shoulders and abs. Standing with your feet slightly wider than your shoulders, hold a single dumbbell with both hands in front of you, palms facing in. Bend your knees slightly and hinge forward at your hips to bring the dumbbell back between your legs. Immediately return to a standing position, swinging your extended arms up to chest level, and repeat for 12 to 15 reps.

 

3. Lateral Squat: This is another move that gives your bum and legs a great workout. With your legs wide and holding a dumbbell in each hand in front of your hips, shift your weight to your left leg and bend your left knee slowly. On the count of three, you should end up in a squat with your right leg extended out to side and dumbbells lowered towards the ground. Return to the start, do eight to 10 reps, switch sides and repeat.

 

4. Modified Deadlift: This is a great move for working your back and hamstrings. With a dumbbell in each hand and arms by your sides, stand on your left leg with your knee slightly bent and the toes of your right foot on a step behind you. Bend forwards at your hips on a count of three until your back is nearly parallel to ground. Return to the start, and do 10 to 12 reps on each side.

 

5. Rollout: This move targets your back, abs and arms. Kneel down and interlace your fingers atop centre of a stability ball. Lean forwards slowly on a count of two to roll your arms over the ball until your body is at a 45-degree diagonal to ground. Make sure you keep your abs tight, arms extended and body in a straight line from shoulders to knees. Roll back to start to complete one rep, and do as many reps as you can.

 

6. Dumbbell Push-Up: This move works your shoulders, chest, triceps, and abs. In a full push-up position – holding a dumbbell in each hand with your palms turned toward each other at a 45-degree angle – bend your elbows to lower your body towards the ground on a count of two. Return to the start position, and do as many reps as you can. If this move is a bit tricky at first, do the same thing with modified push-ups where you start on your knees.

Categories: bum, degree angle, dumbbell, ground return, left knee, left leg, legs, palms facing, repeat nbsp, reps switch, switch sides, tone

A Workout with Legs: How to Sculpt the Perfect Pins

With all those gorgeous dresses you’ll be wearing this holiday season, you’ll need the perfect pins to secure your sense of wellbeing. While this may seem like some sort of wellness pipe-dream, fitness trainer and qualified exercise scientist Damien Kelly asserts that you can get the amazing, defined legs you want with just a little hard work, and his kick-ass lean-limb workout!

 

1. Step it up: Kelly instructs, ‘Place your right foot on a bench or chair that is approximately knee height. Push down through your right heel and stand up on the bench. Without stopping, continue to move the left leg forward until the knee is at hip height and at a right angle (in a running style). Balance for a moment before slowly lowering your left foot to the ground, touching down lightly with only your toes, and then spring straight back up for your next rep. Focus on maintaining your posture throughout the exercise and fix your gaze on the horizon in front of you. Do all the reps on one leg, then swap over.’ You should aim for 15 to 30 reps per leg. For a variation, try using higher steps, alternating legs and/or holding a weight in one hand.

 

2. Take the lunge: ‘Stand with feet shoulder-width apart and take a long stride forward, keeping the same width between your feet,’ says Kelly. ‘Raise your back heel off the ground. Keep your torso upright. Drop your back knee directly down to a point just off the ground, keeping the majority of the weight through your front heel. Raise your knee and repeat without stopping at the top of the movement. Keep your gaze forward throughout the exercise. You should feel this exercise in the glute (buttocks) in your front leg and the upper thigh in the back leg.’ You should aim for 10 to 20 reps per leg and, for more of a challenge, try stepping forward, stepping back, walking, jumping or holding weights.

 

3. Crane and simple: Kelly advises, ‘Stand on your left leg, maintaining good posture. Bend forward at the hips, keeping long through your spine, reach your right hand down and touch your left big toe. Kick your right leg out to the back. Keep your left knee slightly bent and your gaze fixed on a point in front of you. Pause for a second and then slowly rise back to upright. Keeping your right foot off the ground, go straight into your next rep. Do all the reps on the left leg before starting on your right.’ On each leg, you should be aiming for eight to 15 reps. For those of you who want a bit more out of the Crane workout, alternate your legs, hold a weight in your reaching hand, or stand on a step so your hand goes below your foot.

 

4. Hamstring curls: For this one, you’ll need a Swiss ball, and manage about 10 to 20 reps. Kelly details, ‘Lie on your back, with your heels on a Swiss ball, your legs straight and your arms out to the sides. Lift your pelvis until your body is straight from heels to shoulders. Now slowly roll the ball towards your backside, onto the soles of your feet, and pause. Keep your pelvis high. Slowly return your legs to almost straight and repeat. Start with three sets of eight reps and gradually work up to 15. To increase the intensity, gradually bring your arms closer to your body, and eventually try with your arms across your chest for the ultimate hamstring workout.’ To mix it up, try the arms-by-your-sides, arms-in-the-air and one-legged variations.

Categories: hamstring curls, knee, left, left leg, legs, perfect pins, reps, straight, swiss ball, tone

Sun, Sand and Health Benefits: You’ll Love Beach Volleyball

If this winter weather has you dreaming about sun, sea and sand, why not indulge your fantasies by considering a summery fitness trend, like beach volleyball. Not only does it get you out on the beach, which does wonders for anyone’s overall sense of wellbeing, but beach volleyball has a number of wellness benefits. Women can expect to burn up to 495 calories per game, while men might burn a whopping 550 calories. However, according to Linda Drummond, wellness expert and fitness writer for Body + Soul, that’s not all.

 

Drummond notes, ‘In an average match you work your cardiovascular system and tone your core, glutes, lower back, thighs and calves, but in a low-impact fashion. You can also tone the muscles in your upper body: pecs, shoulders, arms and upper back. The benefits aren’t just physical; the game’s also a great way to improve hand-eye coordination and boost mental agility. Flexibility and physical agility are also improved with regular play. Injuries from playing beach volleyball are rare, and that plenty of people recovering from injury take up beach volleyball to maintain their fitness and aid their recovery.’

 

Convinced? Of course you are! But how does it work? ‘The game of beach volleyball is similar to the indoor version,’ Drummond explains. ‘Each team is allowed three hits of the ball before returning it to the other side of the net, and no player can hit the ball twice in a row. The ball is generally returned over the net using the hands and arms, but it is permissible for any part of the body to be used to hit the ball. Teams can only score when they’re serving and the first to 15 points, with a break of two points, is the winner. However, there are differences between beach and regular volleyball. Beach volleyball is played on soft sand, between 30 and 40 centimetres deep, and is traditionally played outdoors.’

 

Drummond continues, ‘Players of beach volleyball have no set positions and are free to move around the court to attack the ball. At an elite level, beach volleyball is played by two teams of two very athletic players, but beginners can have six a side. The soft sand court surface of beach volleyball makes for spectacular play, with players able to fling themselves around and dive for the ball in order to score a point without the same risk of injury as indoors.’ In fact, spectators have enjoyed watching beach volleyball since the late 1800s, when volleyball enthusiasts saw the opportunity to spend even more time on the sand and shifted the sport seaside. Richie “Doc” Coles is an instructor with the Sydney Beach Volleyball School and says that what he loves about the sport is it gives him the chance to get on the sand at every opportunity.

 

So that’s the benefits of beach volleyball, how it works and where it started, but how do YOU get started? Here are Drummond’s tips for having a go at beach volleyball:

 

1. Know the terrain: ‘Familiarise yourself with the soft sand, Drummond advises. ‘Go for sprints, long, endurance runs or jump in the sand.’

 

2. Give your fitness an edge: Drummond recommends, ‘Use stairs to increase your all-round fitness for the game. Run up them, jump, hop or crawl up them.’ She adds, ‘The higher your level, the more physically demanding the game becomes, so prepare your body with strength work in the gym, agility training and some flexibility work such as Pilates or yoga.’

 

3. Talk to your team: ‘Communication is key,’ asserts Drummond. ‘Talk to your teammates and learn to shout out for the ball. It’s the first thing beginners need to master.’

Categories: ball, beach, beach volleyball, drummond, heart health, nbsp drummond, sand, soft sand, tone, volleyball

How to Tone Up Your Body’s Most Difficult Trouble Zones

When it comes to losing weight and improving fitness, everyone has their own particular trouble zones. Your wellness and wellbeing should be your primary concern, but of course you want to improve the areas of your physique that you dislike the most.

 

Complaining and feeling miserable about your flabby stomach, wobbly arms or big bum will not change anything, but diet and exercise certainly will.

 

It is impossible to lose weight just on certain areas of your body, because when you lose fat it occurs all over the body, but it is possible to build up your muscles in certain areas of the body in order to make sure that the structure underneath the skin is toned. When the fat melts away then you will be left with a lovely toned muscle structure underneath.

 

The three most common areas that people want to tone up is the tummy, the saddlebags and the underarms (also known as bingo wings in some circles!) With a little bit of a planning and a lot of hard work, you can blast these trouble zones for good.

 

Belly flab is probably the biggest insecurity, and belly fat is also the worst for your health. Belly fat is a classic sign that your diet is really poor, so the best way to get rid of it is to clean up your diet and get rid of any sugars, processed foods and saturated fats. Add healthy food and then add in a bit of toning in the forms of plank work and cardio.

 

Saddlebags are the area on the outside of your hips, usually accompanied by some lovely cellulite. To get rid of these unsightly bulges, squat your legs and do some work whilst in a squat position. Do some glut work as well, such as deadlifts.

 

Finally, you can firm up your bingo wings with all kinds of arm exercises, kickbacks, extensions and pushups.

Categories: areas, Belly, bingo wings, body, nbsp, tone, trouble, work, zone

How to Make Your Skin Tone Glow Like a Celebrity’s

When it comes to anti-aging, and the products that contribute to this, the number one thing that makes you look young is to have glowing skin. When your skin is healthy, radiant and bright, it is as if your inner wellness and wellbeing are shining through, and this can often take years off your looks.

 

If you feel like you’ve lost your inner glow lately, the good news is that it can be faked using over-the-counter products. Simply by choosing the right skincare products, you can undo the effects of smoking, stress and all the other modern-day factors that contribute to dull and tired skin.

 

The most important thing is to start with a ‘fresh canvas’. This means that you should wash your face daily and get rid of any build-up of oils or bacteria. Then, make sure that you moisturise every day with an effective moisturiser that keeps your face smooth, protected and cared for.

 

Next, a luminising foundation can help to give your skin a subtle lift and glow, as if you have just come in from enjoying a bit of sunshine and a gentle breeze in the garden. There are lots of different products to choose from, many of which can be built up in layers to find the perfect glow for your skin.

 

If it’s summer time, another ideal way to get that glow is by using fake tan, or a bronzer in your makeup. Sitting in the sun may give you a golden look for a few hours or days, but overall the damaging effects of the sun on your skin can actually age you dramatically (not to mention the health risks) so it is worth finding a good bronzer instead to give you that happy, sun kissed look.

Categories: bronzer, celebrity, glow, nbsp, products, skin, skin nbsp, tone

Tone Up to Improve Your Performance in the Bedroom

Did you know that there are specific exercises that you can do to help improve your sexual health? Sex is still very much a taboo subject, so it is not frequently discussed, and therefore people are often unaware that there are simple things that they can do to boost their own sexual wellness and wellbeing.

 

Strength and flexibility are two keys to great sex. Doing a workout that both sculpts and stretches key muscles can be the difference between a great sex session and a mediocre sex session. There are a few key exercises that you can integrate with the rest of your workout to help you improve those ‘sex muscles’ and the good news is that they will also tone you up at the same time.

 

The frog stretch is the first one to try, and will enable you to wrap your legs around your partner, froggy style! Yoga instructors love this stretch, as it opens up the pelvic floor and inner thighs and gets your limbered up for any sexual position.

 

You do it by lying face down on the floor, with two rolled up towels underneath your thighs and pelvis to support them, and your arms straight out in front of you. Bend your arms and legs until they become 90 degree angles, and you resemble a frog. Hold this position for around three minutes and then release it.

 

If it’s leg and lower body power you’re after (for positions such as the straddling position), you need to tone up your quads, hamstrings and gluts. The ‘wall sit’ is ideal for this, as it gives extra power to your legs as you hold a squat position. To do the wall sit you need to but a stability ball up against a wall and lean back on it, so that the ball is in the small of your back, lower back and tailbone. You then put your hands on your knees, put your weight back onto your heels and then squat down, keeping contact between your back and the ball, until your thighs are parallel to the ground. Hold this for 15 seconds, rest for 30 and then do this five times in total.

Categories: ball, exercise, fitness, legs, nbsp, position, Sex, sex session, tone, wall sit

Finally Get the Trim and Healthy Body That You Deserve

Are you troubled by your weight and fitness, but think that you don’t have time to tone up and get fit? In truth, the simple things that you need to do to boost your wellness and general wellbeing only take a few minutes each day. It is possible to get into shape quickly, if you know how to go about it.

 

The most important thing is to have an effective exercise routine. There is no point in slogging it out at the gym all day if you are not doing the right exercises. The best way to make sure that your workout is effective is to ensure that it is as varied as possible. If you normally do cardio, add a bit of strength training. If you prefer yoga, add a few squats and lunges into your day, or a bit of cardio.

 

Secondly, to get to and then maintain a healthy weight, you need to be mindful of the calories that you eat. Make sure that you are aware of how many calories are in certain things. Do you really need a glass or orange juice (100 calories per small glass) or would a glass of water (zero calories) be just as refreshing? Look at ingesting calories that really boost your body and foods that are packed with natural nutrients, too.

 

One of the best ways to ensure that you stick to your diet and exercise regime is to plan ahead, too. Think about your schedule over the next few weeks and work out when it is going to be toughest to eat healthily or to get those training sessions in. Meal planning for the week ahead can also be a very sensible move, as it avoids the ‘what’s for dinner?’ scenario where hunger and tiredness can drive you into making poor decisions.

Categories: body, calories, ensure, exercise, glass, nbsp, tone, weight