Workout forty minutes of exercise a day may be the magic number for staying slim
Follow this easy goal to achieve your best body: set your watch-40 minutes of exercise a day may be the magic number for staying slim, report university of Pittsburgh researchers. In a study of more than 200 women who had successfully completed a weight loss program, those who continued to exercise enough to burn about 1,835 calories a week were most likely to have kept the pounds off 2 years later. You can hit that number with 40 minutes of brisk walking a day, say researchers.
Proof against sugar: here’s motivation to pencil in an a.m. workout when the evening’s festivities are going to include sweet: a Washington university school of medicine study found that exercise may protect your heart long after you step off the treadmill. Sugary snacks cause blood vessels to temporarily lose their elasticity, which over time increase heart disease risk. but physical activity can help: when researchers gave each subject a candy bar and soda 17 hours after doing an hour of moderate-intensity cardio, the exercisers were able to pump 28% more blood than those who’d rested and ate the same sugar-laden meal.
Three steps to faster firming: tone up and best boredom with these smart variations on old favorites:
1. Instead of lunges try clock-work lunges: standing with hands on hips, picture yourself in the center of a big clock. Lunge toward 12:00 with right leg, bending both kness, right knee over ankle (A).return to start, then lunge right leg sideways towards 3:00; bend right knee and hips, sitting back, while keeping left leg straight (B).return to start and step left foot back into lunge towards 6:00, then sideways to 9:00, repeat in counter-clock-wise direction, beginning with left foot.
2. Instead of push-up try asymmetrical wall slides: stand with arms extended, hands on wall at shoulder height, back straight and leaning in about 45 degrees. Slide right hand out to side about 12 inches and bend elbows, lowering chest towards wall. Straighten and return to start. Repeat, sliding left hand to side. alternate for 8 to 10 reps.
3. Instead of squats try staggered-stance leg lifts: stand with feet hip-width apart, left foot about 12 inches in front of right, arms extended. Bend knees and hips to sit back. As you stand, shift weight onto left foot and lift right leg behind. Do 8 to 10 reps.switch legs and repeat.
