10 steps to your best body

From a slightly flabby tummy to undefined arms, there tends to be one area of our bodies even the fittest of us dislike. This article will show you how to get your best body ever.

Exercise before breakfast

Researchers at the University of Glasgow found that when people went for an hour long walk before their breakfast they burnt off more fat both during their walk and after their workout, compared to those who worked out later in the day. So, although you may not like early mornings, surely setting your alarm clock an hour earlier is worth it if you get your best body ever from an early morning blast of exercise?

Lift weights

Ladies, don’t skip this point just because it involves lifting weights. Ideally, to lose weight and tone up both men and women need to do a mix of cardiovascular exercise and strength training exercises. Lifting weights is great for toning up and losing weight because the more muscle your body has, the more calories your body burns – whether you are exercising or not. This is because the energy cost of having more muscle mass is more than for any other body tissue, and so if you tone up, you will increase your calorie burn 24 hours a day.

Pop to the bathroom regularly

The diabetes journal Diabetologica recently published findings suggesting that those people who sat down all day at work are at a greater risk of putting on weight. Shockingly, these desk jobs also put workers at greater risk of developing serious diseases, such as diabetes or heart disease, even if the workers exercised regularly.
Getting up and moving about as much as possible at work will lower your chances of gaining weight or developing these diseases though, so try to get out of your seat as much as possible, by doing things like getting up to speak to your colleague rather than sending them an email or popping to the bathroom regularly.

Girls, do the downward dog

Findings from a two year long study conducted by the University of Otago found that women who participated in yoga, positive visualisation and meditation ended up losing more weight than those ladies who only focused on exercising and nutrition. After two years, those women who practised yoga, positive visualisation and meditation ended up losing five and a half pounds, or 2.5kg.

Watch a horror film

Some days you need to take a break and skip the gym. The next time you feel like a rest day make sure you watch a scary movie. Research undertaken by the University of Westminster found that watching a horror film that scares you affects your heart rate and oxygen intake, which in turn helps you to burn 184 calories.

Turn your dining room into a fancy restaurant

A study published in the journal Psychological Reports found that dimming the lights and turning down the music in a fast food restaurant made customers eating in the restaurant eat less. Plus once the customers had eaten, they reported feeling happier and more satisfied compared to those customers who ate in the brighter restaurant with the louder music. So, if you think you eat too much and would like to feel more satisfied after eating invest in a lamp or a dimmer switch in your dining room and play soft, gentle music when eating.

Take flaxseed oil for better skin

If you want to get your best body ever you’ll probably want to have healthy, soft and glowing skin to match your toned body. To get the skin your beautiful body deserves, take flaxseed oil. According to the British Journal of Nutrition this oil is great for your skin because it contains omega-3 and -6, which are fatty acids that help to eliminate redness from your skin. These acids have also been found to reduce roughness, leaving your skin smooth and silky soft.

Free weights

Although using weight machines in the gym can be beneficial when working certain muscles, the American Council advice that free weights allow you to target several muscle groups simultaneously. They also suggest that free weights allow you to improve your muscle coordination and control as well. Remember though, free weights are more dangerous than weight machines, so if you are new to strength training get help and advice from a professional before working out with free weights.

Freeze

Time is one of the biggest factors that are stopping you from achieving your best body ever. If you suffer from a lack of time, begin cooking your meals in a big batch. For example, on Sunday spend a few hours cooking up a healthy chili or a big batch of homemade soup. You can then freeze this food, dishing them out into seven containers (one for every day). Cooking in a big batch like this will mean that you do not snack on unhealthy fast food. It also means you will have to spend less time cooking, giving you more time to exercise.

Feel proud and keep motivated

One of the biggest reasons people give up on their healthy living plans is because they lose motivation and begin to have doubts about their success and their ability. To make sure you stick to your healthy living commitments make sure you know how far you’ve come by keeping up-to-date measurements of your body. Depending on the type of exercise you have done you should also set relevant and achievable goals, such as beating your personal best in a 5k run. If you achieve one of your goals treat yourself by getting something small you’ve wanted for a while, such as a new DVD or a training top.
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