Tighten, tone, and thin down with these diet and exercise tips. Once again, swimsuit season is just around the corner. Are you ready? If the thought of bare legs, arms, and belly has you nervous, it may be time for some last-minute toning and tightening. Don’t expect to lose more than one or two pounds a week through healthy dieting and exercise, but remember that even small changes can help you feel more confident this summer while you’re out and about. Start getting ready for the beach today with these exercise and diet pointers. Just Move Burn more calories and lose weight faster by adding extra physical activity to your daily life. Get off the couch and move around. Walk laps around the mall, do some yard work, dance to your favorite tunes, or clean the house. Any movement burns more calories than sitting still. High-intensity cardio burns calories fast. Aim to get at least 30 minutes a day of cardio exercise. Do interval training on the treadmill, take a spin class, jog around the block, or go for a hike. You’ll start to see the scale start go down and your waistline will do the same. I love summer. Because it means I can wear a bikini top and shorts, even just to go shopping. - David Wain Add Strength Training Look lean and fit this summer by adding strength training to your routine two to three days a week. Tighten and tone your muscles, boost your metabolism, and burn calories by working against some sort of resistance. This could be done using free weights, your own body weight, or elastic bands. Women, this includes you as well. Weight lifting and strength training are often considered male exercises, but they shouldn’t be. Females don’t need to worry about beefing up. Everyone needs strong muscles for good health. At the gym, free weights and weight machines are available to use. If you’re home, do some simple bodyweight exercises. For your upper body, do push-ups to work your biceps, triceps, pecs, deltoids, glutes, and abs all at once. To work your abs and core, do planks or sit-ups. Simple bodyweight exercises for your legs include squats and lunges. Since your leg muscles are the largest muscles in your body, working them burns more calories. Cut Calories You can exercise all you want in your effort to lose weight, but if you’re still eating too many calories, don’t expect to see big changes. Only when you reduce your calorie intake and burn extra calories during exercise will you start to lose weight and reveal defined muscle. To get ready to wear that favorite bikini, you’ll need to make changes to your diet. Start by eating more foods that are high in fiber and protein. These foods fill you up (so you don’t have to eat as much), while giving you energy. Include fiber-rich foods like fruits, veggies, and whole grains and foods high in protein like low-fat dairy, poultry, nuts, and eggs in your meals and snacks. Steer clear of the empty calories in processed foods made from refined, white flour and sugar. Drink More Water Being even slightly dehydrated can make your workouts less effective and reduce your calorie burn. Keep your metabolism working its best by drinking plenty of water throughout the day, and add ice! Your body may actually burn more calories digesting cold water than water that’s room temperature. Also, add lemon or cucumber to your water. Foods high in potassium, magnesium, and vitamin C are natural diuretics, so they’ll keep fluid moving through your body and relieve bloating.
Posted on: Mon, 09 Jun 2014 12:52:48 +0000
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