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A short spin on a bike or jog on a treadmill
(enough to get your heart rate up) warms your muscles and
tendons and gets fluids flowing in the joints; this increases
your muscles’ elasticity, allowing you to handle heavier
weights and endure a longer workout.
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Surprise your body with new activities, e.g..
dance, a new sport, anything new. This Forces your body to
work harder because it’s doing unfamiliar movements and
using muscle groups in different ways.
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Research has shown that people who exercise
in the morning keep their metabolism elevated for hours and
thus get a jump on burning calories. Plus, people who start
each day with a workout tend to stick with their programs
longer.
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Have a banana before you go to the gym, and
it will help you slice off more calories in the long run.
You should be able to exercise harder and for a longer period
if you consume carbs before exercise. Shoot for 100 to 200
calories to nibble on: Yogurt, a piece of fruit, peanut butter
and crackers, or half an energy bar are all excellent choices.
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A highly effective way to churn through calories
without having to work out longer is to include in your cardio
exercise spurts of speed followed by short breathers. After
a warm-up, push yourself a bit harder than usual for a short
surge, then slow down to a more moderate pace to recover.
Repeating this pattern several times in a single session will
give you a higher calorie tally then you’d earn if you
kept your pace steady.
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Split your 30 or 45 minute workout into three
segments, for example, pedal on a stationary bike, power-walk
on a treadmill, and step onto an elliptical trainer for 10
or 15 minute bursts with no rest in between. You’ll keep
up your heart rate and increase the burn.
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The softer the surface, the more you burn.
By walking or running on the beach, you’ll use 20 to
50 percent more calories than you would going at the same
pace on a hard trail or asphalt.
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Not only is slouching unattractive, but if
you do it on the elliptical trainer, stair-climber, or treadmill,
you risk cheating yourself out of the benefits these machines
are supposed to provide. Be sure to maintain a neutral
spine to protect your back, keep your abs tight, and go easy
on the handrails. On elliptical trainers, if you’re not
really pushing and pulling the hand levers (and you don’t
have any balance issues), let go. That will zap any tendency
you might have to lean on them.
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Getting both your upper and lower body involved
can provide a big calorie-burning advantage. So if you’re
short on time or want to get everything you can out of your
usual 45-minute workout, try total-body activities such as
rowing, swimming, or cross-country skiing. You can even gain
a slight up-tick by exaggerating your arm swing while you
walk.
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People who sleepwalk through their programs
are likely to get less out of them. You should really focus
on your body during a workout. For instance, you should concentrate
on using your abdominal muscles, hips, and quadriceps to power
up your walk. And when you come up during a crunch, instead
of allowing your mind to wander, center your attention on
contracting your abs and moving your ribs closer to your hip
bones.
