Toning up and mental health

[moxo]

It has come to my attention that in order to keep healthy mentally, I need to be healthy physically.

 

I have gone up 2 dress sizes over the last couple of years and am not happy with the wobbly bits that have ensued. Being pear-shaped, I have always been a little bottom-heavy and now with the extra weight, its more obvious.

 

I have started eating better (i.e. less junk) and now want to start exercising so my question is - what are the best weight loss AND toning exercises I can do that don't involve ANY gym equipment/going to a gym, no bicycle, and no swimming? I know I've got a lot of restrictions, those are just all things I do not have access to as I am saving for a car and all my money goes there currently. I've been walking but that doesn't seem to help much.

 

Thanks!!!

[tman666]

If you read around on the forums, you'll probably find the answers that you're looking for.

 

There are plenty of exercises that you can do without the use of any or much gym equipment. These include bodyweight squats, push ups, lying leg lifts, sprints, pull ups, and other various forms of calisthenics and plyometrics.

 

Given your current situation, I would personally start with lower impact exercises and slowly work my way up to incorporating higher impact exercises such as sprints and plyometrics.

 

Perhaps a good routine for you right now would be something like this:

 

Every day, do the following as quickly as possible: 15 air (bodyweight only) squats, followed by 15 lying leg lifts, followed by 10 push ups (knee assisted if you have to). Repeat all of the exercises 4 or 5 times. Take up to a couple of minutes of rest in between each round (a round consisting of the group of exercises performed consecutively), and then hit each round with as much intensity as you can.

 

Just like anything else in life, if you only go through the motions with exercising, you'll see minimal or no results.

[PrettyinInk]

jogging. pushups. squats. plank. jumping jacks. there are endless variations of pushups and squats you can do. also make sure you do not just focus on cardio, that is why i didn't end at jogging, although jogging will help you loose fat, in the long run you do not want to loose muscle, so resistance training is important.

 

here is something i like to do in combination with other workouts (curtosey of Jamie Eason):

take a deck of cards (including jokers)

Face= 10

A and Joker= 11 or 1 depending on experience

Flip up 3 cards, and that is how many of the following you will do, go through each excersize flipping 3 cards for each, until you are finished with the deck.

 

jump squats

jumping jacks

alternating jump lunges

high knees

mountain climbers

running butt kicks

wide push ups

jumping jacks

bicycle crunches

 

you have to burn more calories than you consume in order to loose weight, but do not cut calories too much at first. eating healthy is important, but you can still overeat on healthy food.

keep track of what you eat for one or two weeks, and if you feel it is necessary (after you have started working out- if you do not see results), then you can begin to cut calories. do not cut too much at first, make it slow and gradual, this doesn't happen overnight, it is a lifestyle change good luck!

[tman666]

Very cool idea with the deck of cards! I can see that being a good way to prevent workout anxiety too.

[GrayClouds]

Cut back calories (200 to 300 a day), look first at the low hanging fruit: soda, junk food, alcohol, specialty coffee drinks, simple carbs, etc. and then add lean meat, fruits, veggies you know the healthy stuff. Cook ahead so you not tempted to snack or grab whats fast.

 

Keep walking, and try to add a jog in every other minute.

 

Toning, check out:

• hundredpushups.com
  
  
• twohundredsitups.com
  
  
• twohundredsquats.com.
  
  
• twentyfivepullups.com
  
  

They offer a good plan to make some fast progress. Good luck.