Are you ready to hold yourself accountable to a fitness plan? Whether you're looking to lose weight, build muscle, or just lead a healthier lifestyle, it's important to understand what motivates you to get active and to find a realistic routine that works for you.
To establish a baseline, consider that the CDC recommends that adults get 20-30 minutes of moderate physical activity each day — that could be walking, jogging, cycling, or even a little zumba in front of your TV. You may even be able to get those minutes in on your commute or while walking the dog.
Every Body Walk
The CDC also recommends spending a couple of days of week working out all of the major muscle groups.
You probably came to this article looking for a way to lose some weight, though, right? We've got you.
WebMD asked Dr. Timothy Church of the Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Baton Rouge, La. what he considered "the best exercise to lose weight." His response: "the exercise you'll do."
The not-so-secret secret to weight loss is burning more calories than you consume. So remember that if you're looking to shed some L-Bs, you'll need to consider your diet AND exercise.
Next Avenue
When it comes to the exercise side of the equation, the best way to burn calories is with cardio — you're looking to get your heart rate up and keep it there.
In terms of diet, it's important to point out that starving yourself or exercising on an empty stomach may tell your body to burn muscle instead of fat. So give your body some calories to burn to jumpstart that fat-burning engine rather than skipping meals.
Now that we've got the theory covered, let's look at the workout. The big idea with this routine is to keep your heart rate up while you're exercising. Each day will slightly shift the focus of the workout to a different muscle group to give you a well rounded routine.
Skimble
Monday
20 Squats; Plank: 15 seconds; 25 Crunches; 35 Jumping Jacks; 15 Lunges; Wall-Sit: 25 seconds; 10 Sit-Ups; 10 Butt-Kicks; 5 Push-Ups
Tuesday
10 Squats; Plank: 30 seconds; 20 Crunches; 50 Jumping Jacks; 25 Lunges; Wall-Sit: 35 seconds; 35 Sit-Ups; 20 Butt-Kicks; 10 Push-Ups
Wednesday
15 Squats; Plank: 40 seconds; 30 Crunches; 50 Jumping Jacks; 25 Lunges; Wall-Sit: 35 seconds; 30 Sit-Ups; 25 Butt-Kicks; 10 Push-Ups
Skimble
Thursday
35 Squats; Plank: 30 seconds; 20 Crunches; 25 Jumping Jacks; 15 Lunges; Wall-Sit: 60 seconds; 50 Sit-Ups; 35 Butt-Kicks; 20 Push-Ups
Friday
25 Squats; Plank: 60 seconds; 30 Crunches; 55 Jumping Jacks; 60 Lunges; Wall-Sit: 45 seconds; 40 Sit-Ups; 50 Butt-Kicks; 30 Push-Ups
As you can see, this workout ends each week with a tough routine, but that's okay because you get the weekend to rest and recuperate!
Turn Up The Fat Burning Fire With More Cardio
NY Times
Weekly plan for cardio workout:
Week One: Sprint 30 seconds, Jog 30 seconds (daily)
Week Two: Sprint 35 seconds, Jog 45 seconds (daily, do this twice on one day)
Week Three: Sprint 45 seconds, Jog 60 seconds (daily, twice on two days)
Week Four: Sprint 50 seconds, Jog 45 seconds (daily, twice on three days)
Week Five: Sprint 55 seconds, Jog 30 seconds (daily, twice on two days)
Week Six: Sprint 60 seconds, Jog 45 seconds (daily, twice on one day)
Week Seven: Sprint 65 seconds, Jog 60 seconds (daily)
Week Eight: Sprint 70 seconds, Jog 45 seconds (daily, twice on one day)
Week Nine: Sprint 75 seconds, Jog 30 seconds (daily, twice on two days)
Week Ten: Sprint 80 seconds, Jog 45 seconds (daily, twice on three days)
1) Set goals
2) Find a fitness routine that you will actually want to do
3) Don't starve yourself, but consume less calories that you burn
4) Keep your heart rate up
