Quick Weight Loss Tips

Here are the lower body exercises you can do to boost your metabolism and build a better butt and legs.

1. Squats

2. Stability Ball Leg Curls (don't worry, these stability balls are super cheap, and you can get them for only 
    $20 at almost any department store)

3. Lying hip extensions

4. Lying single leg hip extensions

5. Split Squats (aka. the stationary lunge)

6. Split Squats with your back foot elevated 6 inches

7. Reverse Lunges

8. Forward Lunges

9. Stepups

10. 1-Leg Squats

Many of those calorie-burning exercises can be done with dumbells as well, if you need to increase the challenge. If you want to build muscle, you'll need to use dumbells as well.

There are many more lower body exercises you can do without machines. And its the same story with upper body exercises as well.

If you want to sculpt your triceps and chest, there are dozens of press-ups (aka pushups) that you can do at home.

1. Regular pushups

2. Close-grip pushups

3. Pushups with your feet elevated

4. Pushups with one hand elevated

Making A Commitment

You have taken the important first step on the path to physical fitness by seeking information.
The next step is to decide that you are going to be physically fit. The decision to carry out a
physical fitness program cannot be taken lightly. It requires a lifelong commitment of time and
effort. Exercise must become one of those things that you do without question, like bathing and
brushing your teeth. Unless you are convinced of the benefits of fitness and the risks of unfitness,
you will not succeed.

Patience is essential. Don’t try to do too much too soon and don’t quit before you have a chance
to experience the rewards of improved fitness. You can’t regain in a few days or weeks what you
have lost in years of sedentary living, but you can get it back if you persevere. And the prize is
worth the price.

In the following pages you will find the basic information you need to begin and maintain a
personal physical fitness program. These guidelines are intended for the average healthy adult. It
tells you what your goals should be and how often, how long and how hard you must exercise to
achieve them. It also includes information that will make your workouts easier, safer and more
satisfying. The rest is up to you.

Checking Your Health

Before starting an exercise program you should consult your physician, who may or may not
recommend a graded exercise test. Other conditions that indicate a need for medical clearance
are: 
1.    High blood pressure. 
2.    Heart trouble. 
3.    Family history of early stroke or heart attack deaths. 
4.    Frequent dizzy spells. 
5.    Extreme breathlessness after mild exertion. 
6.    Arthritis or other bone problems. 
7.    Severe muscular, ligament or tendon problems. 
8.    Other known or suspected disease. 

Exercise And Physical Activity Tips 

• Walk to work.
• Ask a friend to exercise with you.
• Bicycle to the store instead of driving.
• Bike to the barbershop or beauty salon instead of driving.
• Buy a set of hand weights and play a round of Simon Says with your kids - you do it with the weights, they do without.

• Visit museums, the zoo, or an aquarium. You and your family can walk for hours and not realize it.

• Carry your groceries instead of pushing a cart.

• Choose activities you enjoy & you'll be more likely to stick with them.

• Choose an activity that fits into your daily life.

• Clean your closet and donate clothes that are too big. 
• Dance to music.
• Do sit-ups in front of the TV.
• Do yard work.

• Exercise with a video if the weather is bad.
• Explore new physical activities.
• Take a hike.
• Fetch the newspaper yourself.
• Get off a bus stop early & walk.
• Go for a half-hour walk instead of watching TV.

• If you find it difficult to be active after work, try it before work.
• Keep a pair of comfortable walking or running shoes in your car and office.
• Make a Saturday morning walk a group habit.
• Make time in your day for physical activity.
• Mow lawn with push mower.
• Pace the sidelines at kids' athletic games.
• Park farther from destination and walk.
• Perform gardening or home repair activities.
• Play with your kids 30 minutes a day.

• Replace Sunday drive with Sunday walk.
• Run when running errands.
• Sit up straight at work.
• Skate to work instead of driving.
• Stretch before bed to give you more energy when you wake.
• Swim with your kids.
• Take a walk or do desk exercises instead of a cigarette or coffee break.
• Take dog to the park.
• Take family walk after dinner.

• Take small trips on foot to get your body moving.
• Take the long way to the water cooler.
• Take your dog on longer walks.
• Use a snow shovel instead of a snow blower.
• Vary your activities, for interest and to broaden the range of benefits.
• Walk briskly in the mall.
• Walk briskly through the mall and shop 'til you drop ... pounds. 

• Walk during lunch hour.
• Walk instead of driving whenever you can.
• Walk instead of sitting around.

• Walk the beach instead of sunbathing.
• Walk to a co-worker's desk instead of emailing or calling them.
• Walk to your place of worship instead of driving.
• Wash the car by hand.
• When walking, go up the hills instead of around them. 

• Work around the house.
• Get a dog and walk it.
• Join an exercise group.
• Stay active in winter.  Play with your kids.

• Walk kids to school.
• Take stairs instead of the escalator.

Weight Loss - When To Exercise

The hour just before the evening meal is a popular time for exercise. The late afternoon workout provides a welcome change of pace at the end of the work day and helps dissolve the day’s worries and tensions. Another popular time to work out is early morning, before the work day begins. Advocates of the early start say it makes them more alert and energetic on the job, which is a notion that is supported by research studies. 

Among the factors you should consider in developing your workout schedule are personal preference, job and family responsibilities, availability of exercise facilities and weather. It’s important to schedule your workouts for a time when there is little chance that you will have to cancel or interrupt them because of other demands on your time.

You should not exercise strenuously during extremely hot, humid weather or within two hours after eating. Heat and/or digestion both make heavy demands on the circulatory system, and in combination with exercise can be an overtaxing double load. 

Exercise Made Easy

For best weight loss and weight maintenance results it is recommend you find your balance between food and physical activity. Consuming more calories than you expend leads to weight gain. More than half of all Americans don't get the recommended amount of physical activity. To reduce the risk of chronic disease in adulthood, engage in at least 30 minutes of moderate activity a day on most days of the week. Children and adolescents should engage in at least 60 minutes a day on most, and preferably all, days of the week.

To manage body weight and prevent gradual weight gain, people should exercise about 60 minutes at a moderate to vigorous intensity on most days of the week, while not exceeding recommendations for caloric intake. Sixty to 90 minutes may be needed to maintain weight loss.

A Workout Schedule

How often, how long and how hard you exercise, and what kinds of exercises you do should be determined by what you are trying to accomplish. Your goals, your present fitness level, age, health, skills, interest and convenience are among the factors you should consider. For example, an athlete training for high-level competition would follow a different program than a person whose goals are good health and the ability to meet work and recreational needs. 

Your exercise program should include something from each of the four basic fitness components described previously. Each workout should begin with a warmup and end with a cooldown. As a general rule, space your workouts throughout the week and avoid consecutive days of hard exercise. 

Here are the amounts of activity necessary for the average healthy person to maintain a minimum level of overall fitness. Included are some of the popular exercises for each category.  

1.    WARMUP - 5-10 minutes of exercise such as walking, slow jogging, knee lifts, arm
       circles or trunk rotations. Low intensity movements that simulate movements to be used
       in the activity can also be included in the warmup. 

2.    MUSCULAR STRENGTH - a minimum of two 20-minute sessions per week that
       include exercises for all the major muscle groups. Lifting weights is the most effective
       way to increase strength. 

3.    MUSCULAR ENDURANCE - at least three 30-minute sessions each week that include
       exercises such as calisthenics, pushups, situps, pullups, and weight training for all the
       major muscle groups. 

4.    CARDIORESPIRATORY ENDURANCE - at least three 20-minute bouts of
       continuous aerobic (activity requiring oxygen) rhythmic exercise each week. Popular
       aerobic conditioning activities include brisk walking, jogging, swimming, cycling, rope-
       jumping, rowing, cross-country skiing, and some continuous action games like
       racquetball and handball. 

5.    FLEXIBILITY - 10-12 minutes of daily stretching exercises performed slowly, without
       a bouncing motion. This can be included after a warmup or during a cooldown.

6.    COOL DOWN - a minimum of 5-10 minutes of slow walking, low-level exercise,
       combined with stretching.

7.    A MATTER OF PRINCIPLE -  The keys to selecting the right kinds of exercises for developing and  
       maintaining each of the basic components of fitness are found in these principles: 

8.    SPECIFICITY - pick the right kind of activities to affect each component. Strength
       training results in specific strength changes. Also, train for the specific activity you’re
       interested in. For example, optimal swimming performance is best achieved when the
       muscles involved in swimming are trained for the movements required. It does not
       necessarily follow that a good runner is a good swimmer. 

9.    OVERLOAD - work hard enough, at levels that are vigorous and long enough to
       overload your body above its resting level, to bring about improvement. 

10.    REGULARITY - you can’t hoard physical fitness. At least three balanced workouts a
         week are necessary to maintain a desirable level of fitness. 

11.    PROGRESSION - increase the intensity, frequency and/or duration of activity over
         periods of time in order to improve.

Some activities can be used to fulfill more than one of your basic exercise requirements. For example, in addition to increasing cardiorespiratory endurance, running builds muscular endurance in the legs, and swimming develops the arm, shoulder and chest muscles. If you select  the proper activities, it is possible to fit parts of your muscular endurance workout into your cardiorespiratory workout and save time.

Knowing The Basics of Fitness

Physical fitness is most easily understood by examining its components, or “parts.” There is
widespread agreement that these components are basic: 

1.    Cardiorespiratory Endurance - the ability to deliver oxygen and nutrients to tissues,
       and to remove wastes, over sustained periods of time. Long runs and swims are among
       the methods employed in measuring this component. 

2.    Muscular Strength - the ability of a muscle to exert force for a brief period of time.
       Upper-body strength, for example, can be measured by various weight-lifting exercises. 

3.    Muscular Endurance - the ability of a muscle, or a group of muscles, to sustain repeated
       contractions or to continue applying force against a fixed object. Pushups are often used
       to test endurance of arm and shoulder muscles. 

4.    Flexibility - the ability to move joints and use muscles through their full range of motion.
       The sit-and- reach test is a good measure of flexibility of the lower back and backs of the
       upper legs.

5.    Body Composition is often considered a component of fitness. It refers to the makeup of
       the body in terms of lean mass (muscle, bone, vital tissue and organs) and fat mass. An
       optimal ratio of fat to lean mass is an indication of fitness, and the right types of exercises
       will help you decrease body fat and increase or maintain muscle mass.

Defining Fitness

Physical fitness is to the human body what fine tuning is to an engine. It enables us to perform up to our potential. Fitness can be described as a condition that helps us look, feel and do our best.  More specifically, it is:  The ability to perform daily tasks vigorously and alertly, with energy left over for enjoying leisure- time activities and meeting emergency demands. It is the ability to endure, to bear up, to withstand stress, to carry on in circumstances where an unfit person could not continue, and is a major basis for good health and well-being. Being fit will  also help prevent the development of certain diseases and can even help cure diseases.  

Physical fitness involves the performance of the heart and lungs, and the muscles of the body. And, since what we do with our bodies also affects what we can do with our minds, fitness  influences to some degree qualities such as mental alertness and emotional stability. As you undertake your fitness program, it’s important to remember that fitness is an individual quality that varies from person to person. It is influenced by age, sex, heredity, personal habits, exercise  and eating practices. You can’t do anything about the first three factors. However, it is within your power to change and improve the others where needed.

Controlling Your Weight

The key to weight control is keeping energy intake (food) and energy output (physical activity) in
balance. When you consume only as many calories as your body needs, your weight will usually
remain constant. If you take in more calories than your body needs, you will put on excess fat. If
you expend more energy than you take in you will burn excess fat.

Exercise plays an important role in weight control by increasing energy output, calling on stored
calories for extra fuel. Recent studies show that not only does exercise increase metabolism
during a workout, but it causes your metabolism to stay increased for a period of time after
exercising, allowing you to burn more calories.

How much exercise is needed to make a difference in your weight depends on the amount and
type of activity, and on how much you eat. Aerobic exercise burns body fat. A medium-sized
adult would have to walk more than 30 miles to burn up 3,500 calories, the equivalent of one
pound of fat. Although that may seem like a lot, you don’t have to walk the 30 miles all at once.
Walking a mile a day for 30 days will achieve the same result, providing you don’t increase your
food intake to negate the effects of walking.

If you consume 100 calories a day more than your body needs, you will gain approximately 10
pounds in a year. You could take that weight off, or keep it off, by doing 30 minutes of moderate
exercise daily. The combination of exercise and diet offers the most flexible and effective
approach to weight loss and weight maintenance.

Since muscle tissue weighs more than fat tissue, and exercise develops muscle to a certain degree,
your bathroom scale won’t necessarily tell you whether or not you are “fat.” Well-muscled
individuals, with relatively little body fat, invariably are “overweight” according to standard
weight charts. If you are doing a regular program of strength training, your muscles will increase
in weight, and possibly your overall weight will increase. Body composition is a better indicator
of your condition than body weight.

Lack of physical activity causes muscles to get soft, and if food intake is not decreased, added
body weight is almost always fat. Once-active people, who continue to eat as they always have
after settling into sedentary lifestyles, tend to suffer from “creeping obesity.”

The benefits of exercise are many, from producing physically fit bodies to providing an outlet
for fun and socialization.   When added to a weight control program these benefits take on
increased significance.

We already have noted that proper exercise can help control weight by burning excess body fat.
It also has two other body-trimming advantages 1) exercise builds muscle tissue and muscle uses
calories up at a faster rate than body fat; and 2) exercise helps reduce inches and a firm, lean
body looks slimmer even if your weight remains the same.

Remember, fat does not "turn into" muscle, as is often believed. Fat and muscle are two
entirely different substances and one cannot become the other. However, muscle does use calories
at a faster rate than fat which directly affects your body's metabolic rate or energy requirement.

Your basal metabolic rate (BMR) is the amount of energy required to sustain the body's functions
at rest and it depends on your age, sex, body size, genes and body composition. People with high
levels of muscle tend to have higher BMRs and use more calories in the resting stage.
Some studies have even shown that your metabolic rate stays elevated for some time after
vigorous exercise, causing you to use even more calories throughout your day.

Additional benefits may be seen in how exercise affects appetite. A lean person in good shape
may eat more following increased activity, but the regular exercise will burn up the extra calories
consumed. On the other hand, vigorous exercise has been reported to suppress appetite. And,
physical activity can be used as a positive substitute for between meal snacking. 

Better Mental Health

The psychological benefits of exercise are equally important to the weight conscious person.
Exercise decreases stress and relieves tensions that might otherwise lead to overeating. Exercise
builds physical fitness which in turn builds self-confidence, enhanced self-image, and a positive
outlook. When you start to feel good about yourself, you are more likely to want to make other
positive changes in your lifestyle that will help keep your weight under control.

In addition, exercise can be fun, provide recreation and offer opportunities for companionship.
The exhilaration and emotional release of participating in sports or other activities are a boost to
mental and physical health. Pent-up anxieties and frustrations seem to disappear when you're
concentrating on returning a serve, sinking a putt or going that extra mile.

Tips to Get You Started

Hopefully, you are now convinced that in order to successfully manage your weight you must
include exercise in your daily routine. Here are some tips to get you started:

1. Check with your doctor first. Since you are carrying around some extra "baggage," it is wise
    to get your doctor's "OK" before embarking on an exercise program.
2. Choose activities that you think you'll enjoy. Most people will stick to their exercise
    program if they are having fun, even though they are working hard.

3. Set aside a regular exercise time. Whether this means joining an exercise class or getting up
    a little earlier every day, make time for this addition to your routine and don't let anything get in
    your way. Planning ahead will help you get around interruptions in your workout schedule, such
    as bad weather and vacations.

4. Set short term goals. Don't expect to lose 20 pounds in two weeks. It has taken awhile for you
    to gain the weight, it will take time to lose it. Keep a record of your progress and tell your friends
    and family about your achievements.

5. Vary your exercise program. Change exercises or invite friends to join you to make your
    workout more enjoyable. There is no "best" exercise – just the one that works best for you. It
    won't be easy, especially at the start. But as you begin to feel better, look better and enjoy a new
    zest for life, you will be rewarded many times over for your efforts.

Tips to Keep You Going

l. Adopt a specific plan and write it down.
2. Keep setting realistic goals as you go along, and remind yourself of them often.
3. Keep a log to record your progress and make sure to keep it up-to-date.
4. Include weight and/or percent body fat measures in your log. Extra pounds can easily
    creep back.
5. Upgrade your fitness program as you progress.
6. Enlist the support and company of your family and friends.
7. Update others on your successes.
8. Avoid injuries by pacing yourself and including a warmup and cool down period as
    part of every workout.
9. Reward yourself periodically for a job well done!

Although any kind of physical movement requires energy (calories), the type of exercise that
uses the most energy is aerobic exercise. The term "aerobic" is derived from the Greek word
meaning "with oxygen." Jogging, brisk walking, swimming, biking, cross-country skiing and
aerobic dancing are some popular forms of aerobic exercise.

Aerobic exercises use the body's large muscle groups in continuous, rhythmic, sustained
movement and require oxygen for the production of energy. When oxygen is combined with food
(which can come from stored fat) energy is produced to power the body's musculature. The longer
you move aerobically, the more energy needed and the more calories used. Regular aerobic
exercise will improve your cardiorespiratory endurance, the ability of your heart, lungs, blood
vessels and associated tissues to use oxygen to produce energy needed for activity. You'll build a
healthier body while getting rid of excess body fat.

In addition to the aerobic exercise, supplement your program with muscle strengthening and
stretching exercises. The stronger your muscles, the longer you will be able to keep going during
aerobic activity, and the less chance of injury.

How Much? How Often?

Experts recommend that you do some form of aerobic exercise at least three times a week for a
minimum of 20 continuous minutes. Of course, if that is too much, start with a shorter time span
and gradually build up to the minimum. Then gradually progress until you are able to work
aerobically for 20-40 minutes. If you need to lose a large amount of weight, you may want to do
your aerobic workout five times a week.

It is important to exercise at an intensity vigorous enough to cause your heart rate and
breathing to increase. How hard you should exercise depends to a certain degree on your age, and
is determined by measuring your heart rate in beats per minute.

The heart rate you should maintain is called your target heart rate, and there are several ways
you can arrive at this figure. The simplest is to subtract your age from 220 and then calculate 60
to 80 percent of that figure. Beginners should maintain the 60 percent level, more advanced can
work up to the 80 percent level. This is just a guide however, and people with any medical
limitations should discuss this formula with their physician.

You can do different types of aerobic activities, say walking one day, riding a bike the next.
Make sure you choose an activity that can be done regularly, and is enjoyable for you.  The
important thing to remember is not to skip too many days between workouts or fitness benefits
will be lost. If you must lose a few days, gradually work back into your routine.

One thing is certain. Most people do not get enough exercise in their ordinary routines. All of
the advances of modern  technology – from electric can openers to power steering – have made
life easier, more comfortable and much less physically demanding. Yet our bodies need activity,
especially if they are carrying around too much fat. Satisfying this need requires a definite plan,
and a commitment. There are two main ways to increase the number of calories you expend:

        1. Start a regular exercise program if you do not have one already.
        2. Increase the amount of physical activity in your daily routine.

The best way to control your weight is a combination of the above. The sum total of calories
used over time will help regulate your weight as well as keep you physically fit.

Active Lifestyles

Before looking at what kind of regular exercise program is best, let's look at how you can
increase the amount of physical activity in your daily routine to supplement your exercise
program.

• Recreational pursuits such as gardening on weekends, bowling in the office league, family
   outings, an evening of social dancing, and many other activities provide added exercise. They are
   fun and can be considered an extra bonus in your weight control campaign.

• Add more "action" to your day. Walk to the neighborhood grocery store instead of using the
   car. Park several blocks from the office and walk the rest of the way. Walk up the stairs instead of
   using the elevator; start with one flight of steps and gradually increase.

• Change your attitude toward movement.  Instead of considering an extra little walk or trip to
   the files an annoyance, look upon it as an added fitness boost. Look for opportunities to use your
   body. Bend, stretch, reach, move, lift and carry. Time-saving devices and gadgets eliminate
   drudgery and are a bonus to mankind, but when they substitute too often for physical activity they
   can demand a high cost in health, vigor and fitness.

These little bits of action are cumulative in their effects.  Alone, each does not burn a huge
amount of calories.  But when added together they can result in a sizable amount of energy used
over the course of the day. And they will help improve your muscle tone and flexibility at the
same time.

Just about everybody seems to be interested in weight control. Some of us weigh just the right
amount, others need to gain a few pounds. Most of us "battle the bulge" at some time in our life.
Whatever our goals, we should understand and take advantage of the important role of exercise
in keeping our weight under control.

Carrying around too much body fat is a major nuisance. Yet excess body fat is common in
modern-day living. Few of today's occupations require vigorous physical activity, and much of
our leisure time is spent in sedentary pursuits.

Recent estimates indicate that 34 million adults are considered obese (20 percent above
desirable weight). Also, there has been an increase in body fat levels in children and youth over
the past 20 years. After infancy and early childhood, the earlier the onset of obesity, the greater
the likelihood of remaining obese.

Excess body fat has been linked to such health problems as coronary heart disease, high blood
pressure, osteoporosis, diabetes, arthritis and certain forms of cancer. Some evidence now exists
showing that obesity has a negative effect on both health and longevity.
Exercise is associated with the loss of body fat in both obese and normal weight persons. A
regular program of exercise is an important component of any plan to help individuals lose, gain
or maintain their weight.