How to Get Off The Couch And Exercise To Lose Weight

INTRO
Out of all competing strategies for losing weight exercise remains the best. When it is attuned to your body type as recommended by a trainer and is vigorous it has many benefits. It raises metabolism for several days after the workout. Calories are burned at a higher rate in a smooth, natural way. Fat is converted into muscle mass which in turn raises metabolism in the long term. And, of course, you will feel great. This will reflect on how others see you and will up the level of your self-esteem even if you are confident. You will be more successful if your approach is structured.

Step1
Take a look in your kitchen and assess the volume of unhealthy and fattening food in stock. Estimate how long it’s going to take you to consume it all. Mark the following day in your calendar as the start date of your exercise program. Tell your friends how you commit yourself to the plan and ask them to cheer you. Replace the old food with healthy food.

Step2
Decide how many pounds you want to lose. Make sure it’s a realistic number. In the first week, aim for the nearest round number. So if you weigh 165 pounds, try getting to 160. Your next week’s goal can be bigger.

Step3
Start the exercise routine and repeat it each morning for 21 days. 21 days is the magic habit building number. Experts say that by the 22nd day whatever you practiced will have become a habit that you do more roboticaly. Imagine how proud you’ll feel when the exercise habit replaces whatever other bad habit you were doing before the exercise.

Step4
Stay motivated. Although exercise might become a habit for you it doesn’t mean you can’t slack off. Keep your mind fixed to a vision. If it’s winter, think of the beach. If it’s summer, think of the new outfit you always wanted for Christmas. Whatever you imagine, make sure it’s powerful enough to help you stay motivated.

Step5
Complement your efforts with a membership at a health club. You will have access to better equipment. You’ll be able to work harder. You will be in a supportive environment with others around you doing the same thing you are doing. Extra services like spas will add value to your experience.

Step6
Hire a personal trainer. A trainer understands your body type and can make recommendations about what exercises you need to emphasize. Muscle groups that were weak will become stronger. More blood will circulate in areas that were neglected. Chronic tension you might have not been aware of will leave certain areas of your body. You may decide to complement your workouts with therapeutic massage.

Step7
Monitor your progress diary. Record parameters such as type of exercise, workout duration, food eaten and weight lost. Soon, patterns will emerge and you will know what works best for you.

Step8
Invest in a spinning bike with a 40 pound flywheel. It has many benefits. If you can’t get to the gym because of a flat tire or bad weather you can still do quality exercise in the comfort of your home. It works the legs and waist which are the areas most frequently afflicted by the office life-style. It helps prevent back problems. It forces you to burn lots of calories. Modern bikes are safe, comfortable, adjustable, have timers and come with pre programmed workouts.

Step9
Don’t forget to have fun!

: article by Jeff Rudgers ( Jeff Rudgers is a techie, an avid cyclist and a fan of Electronic Music who lives in Toronto, Canada. He was once broke, and has spent several years investigating business models for making money online. He has concluded that www.onlinewealthfordummies.com is the most sensible entry point into the world of Internet Marketing, for anyone. )

The Best Abdominal Exercises

You’re not greedy. You’re not asking for a six pack. You’d settle for a slightly flatter look and a bit more tone. But no matter how many crunches you do, it seems impossible to firm and define those elusive abdominal muscles.Given our obsession with abs, you’d think we’d have figured it out by now. But many of us are still frustrated by a lack of results. What are we doing wrong? Should we be doing different exercises?

To clear the air, here is an abdominal program touted as the best six abdominal busters by bodybuilders, athletes and many week-end athletes.

Do this workout 3 times a week, with a day off between sessions. Begin all workouts with moves 1 and 2, then choose 2 of the remaining 4 moves. Vary the moves throughout the week to keep your abdominals challenged.

Whatever your fitness level, begin with 1 set of each move, resting 45 – 60 seconds after each set. For best results, pay special attention to your form so that you fatigue your target muscles by the end of each workout. When this is no longer challenging, add a second set of each move, or don’t rest between exercises.

Roll Up

Lie face up on the floor with your legs extended, feet together. Extend arms above your chest, palms facing forward, fingers pointing towards the ceiling. Drop shoulder blades down away from your ears. Inhale, tucking your chin to look at your navel as you begin to roll your upper body up, keeping your spine rounded. Exhale, pulling your navel towards your spine as you continue rolling up, slowly raising your upper body to a full seated position. Slowly roll back down to starting position, keeping your arms raised, and repeat for all reps. Begin with 4 roll ups, gradually building to 6. Targets rectus abdominis.

Forearm Plank

Begin on your knees and forearms, elbows aligned with shoulders, fingers interlaced. Draw shoulder blades down and contract abs to stabilize your torso. Extend your right leg behind you, toes turned under, weight on ball of foot, keeping hips square and pelvis stable. Extend left leg, feet together, so you’re supported on forearms and balls of feet. Hold for 20 seconds; relax. Do 3 reps. Begin with a 20 second hold; gradually build to 30 seconds, then 1 minute. Targets obliques.

Bridge with Leg Extension

Lie face up with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor; hip width apart. Relax arms by your sides, palm facing down. Contract abdominals, pulling your naval towards your spine. Inhale; then exhale as you lift your tailbone. Lift your back until only your shoulder blades touch the floor, your body forming a straight line from shoulders to knees. Hold for 30 seconds. Maintaining the bridge position, extend your left leg in front of you at hip height. Hold. Return foot to floor; then repeat with your right leg, keeping hips elevated throughout. Continue alternating legs for all reps without letting your hips or torso drop. Do 8 alternating leg extensions (4, with each leg); gradually build to 16 (8 with each leg). Targets rectus abdominis; obliques and erector spinae (lower back muscles).

Ball Oblique Twist

Sit on stability ball, knees bent, feet on floor. Walk your feet out and lie back; put right hand on ball, left hand behind head. Use glutes to tilt pelvis up. Maintain this position throughout. Contract abs (pull naval towards spine) as you roll your torso up, bringing ribs towards hips; then rotate left elbow towards right knee. Keeping hips square and lifted, slowly lower. Do reps on the left side, then right. Begin with 8 -12 reps per side; gradually build to 16. Targets rectus abdominis and obliques.

Bent Knee Crunch

Lie face up on the floor; knees bent and in line with hips, calves parallel to floor; feet together. Rest unclasped fingertips behind head, elbows pointing out to the sides. Contract abs, pulling your naval in towards your spine. Maintain leg position as you use abs to pull ribs in towards hips, lifting head, neck, then shoulder blades off the floor. Begin with 8 – 12 reps, gradually build to 16 – 20 reps. Targets rectus abdominis and obliques.

Reverse Curl

Lie face up, knees bent, heels close to your buttocks and fingertips behind head. Without changing knee angle, contract abs to curl your tailbone a few centimeters off the floor, knees rolling towards chest. Avoid moving thighs to lift higher; keep heels towards buttocks. Slowly lower to floor; repeat for all reps. Begin with 8 – 12 reps; gradually build to 16 – 20 reps. Targets rectus abdominis and obliques.

: article by Sandra Prior