Fitness
Pro Workout For Weight Loss
From eDiets - The premier online diet, fitness, and healthy living
resource  Between
poor eating habits and lack of exercise, don't be surprised to see the number
on the scale creeping up, unless you take action that is.
You can compensate for those extra calories
by adding a few routine activities to your daily schedule. Firefighter and
personal trainer Michael Stefano says burning calories has never been easier
than with his 10 simple ways to get physical without going to the gym. Just as
following a healthy eating regimen has never been simpler than with eDiets.
Stefano, the author of The Firefighter's
Workout (HarperCollins), says the sad fact is that too many of us spend our
time eating a lot and moving a little. It doesnt take a rocket scientist to
realize that too much food and too little exercise equals a whole lot of fat.
"Doctors have come up with a new label for
this all-too-common problem of the under-active foot combined with the
over-active fork, or simply, foot and fork disease," he tells eDiets.
We’re living life in the fat lane...
and it’s killing us. Every year, there are an estimated 300,000 deaths
that can be attributed to obesity. Meanwhile, more than 60 percent of Americans
are either overweight or obese. Something must be done, says Stefano.
"Look at our ancestors. They didnt just go to the grocery store and buy
already-prepared foods. They worked in the fields. They cooked. They moved," he
says.
Stefano says it's time to get back to your
roots. You can turn your chores and hobbies into calorie-burning activities.
Not only will your life be more organized when you get up and get moving,
you’ll also be boosting your weight-loss efforts.
Of course, there is no substitute for the
real deal -- exercise and healthy eating. But you can step up your efforts,
kickstart your metabolism and improve your life with Stefanos 10 workout-free
weight loss tips.
1. Walk, don’t drive. Walk to
work. Walk to the store. Walk to school. If its too far to walk, then ride your
bike. Just leave that car at home. Everywhere you go people are walking, from
the mall to the hospital. Walking is an option, even for those individuals who
aren't in the best health.
2. Learn to play. Find an activity
you like to do, whether its golf, racquetball, softball or using a hula-hoop.
If you enjoy doing something, it doesnt feel like exercise. Youre having fun
doing the thing you like to do best.
3. Fire the gardener. Theres a lot
to be said for doing your own yard work. Having a lawn service is a luxury you
shouldnt afford. Get out there and do your own lawn and landscape. Gardening
can burn up to 400 calories an hour. Its an activity you can do during summer,
spring or fall.
4. Take the kids to the park.
Whether its your son or daughter, your niece or nephew, take them out and
about. Youll quickly realize why so many active children stay thin. Play tag.
Push them on the swings. Youll find you're not only burning calories, but
building muscle as well. The best part is youre also forging a bond with the
children.
5. Wax on, wax off. Wash your own
car. Car washing burns 300 to 400 calories an hour and can save you $15 or $20.
During the summer, its a great excuse to get outdoors. All of that scrubbing
and drying and youll be moving and losing those extra calories.
6. Take the high road. Always take
the stairs. Leave the escalators and the elevators for someone else. Climbing
stairs is not only a great calorie burner, it also helps tone leg and butt
muscles. When you work on the fifth floor, adding a trip up and down the stairs
will burn an extra 50 calories every day. Devote five minutes to stair
climbing.
7. Skip the valet. Whether youre at
your favorite restaurant or at the mall, bypass the valet. Also, stop circling
the parking lot five or six times. Instead park as far away as possible. Make
it a habit. Think of all the extra calories youll burn when you walk to and fro
your destination.
8. Throw your TV out the window.
Being a couch potato is one of the lowest calorie-burning activities you can
do. Limit the amount of TV you watch. When you do sit in front of the tube, get
up during the commercials and move around. Or get on the treadmill and do some
sort of activity while youre watching.
9. Volunteer. Whether youre serving
food in a soup kitchen or repairing houses for Habitat for Humanity, the list
of volunteer opportunities is endless. Its the perfect way to stay active and
lend a helping hand at the same time. Youre not only improving your physical
well-being, but your spiritual and psychological well-being as well. Feeling
good about yourself is a critical aspect of losing weight.
10. Last but not least, exercise.
If all else fails, lose weight the old fashioned way... burn it! As research
has shown time and time again, exercise is one, if not the most, crucial
component of weight loss. You dont need to spend hours in the gym, but 30
minutes of exercise three to five times a week is the closet thing there is to
the fountain of youth and the best way to burn calories.
If you don’t have the time to exercise
30 minutes a day, why not give Stefano’s “Anytime, Anywhere”
regimen a try? Perform one or two sets of each of the following exercises.
 MODIFIED PUSH-UP
Upper Body/Core
Lie
face down on the floor or mat, hands on the floor, palms down, slightly wider
than shoulder width apart, and toes curled under on the floor. Your knees are
bent and remain on the floor throughout the exercise. Exhale as you slowly push
your body away from the floor. Inhale, lowering yourself back down to the point
where your chest barely touches or comes within a few inches of the floor.
Repeat to muscle fatigue (in the range of 20 repetitions).
LEG RAISE
Lower Body/Core
Lie supine on a mat or padded carpet,
legs straight, both hands under your buttocks to help maintain the proper
pelvic tilt (engages abs). With your head held off the floor a few inches,
exhale and bring your knees to your chest. Inhale as you straighten your legs
(make sure you keep the lower back pressed firmly into the floor), then return
to the starting position. Ankle weights will increase intensity, while
maintaining the knees in a partially bent position and tapping the toes to the
floor will reduce it. Repeat to muscle fatigue (in the range of 20 to 30
reps).
For more of Stefano's fat-burning and
body-sculpting workouts -- or to get your copy of
The Firefighter's Workout Book: The 30 Minute a Day
Train-For-Life Program for Men and Women - click here. |
