| With many of us leading extremely busy lives, | | | | body's capacity to burn calories. Adding interval |
| time is money and being efficient in everything | | | | training to any of your cardio sessions will increase |
| we do is a must. The same goes for exercising. | | | | the calories your body burns overall. Whether you |
| Stop wasting your time on exercises that work | | | | are biking, running, walking or on the elliptical, |
| only your forearms, or biceps, or just your calf, | | | | throw a 1 minute surge at an intense but |
| instead think big and target the major muscles | | | | controlled speed every 5 minutes of so. Again, |
| groups when working out. You'll not only get the | | | | lets try to be efficient with our already busy lives, |
| best bang for your buck, but you will burn more | | | | don't just sit on the elliptical for an hour in the |
| calories. | | | | same boring pace watching the TV. Instead, |
| Most of us are intimidated to join a gym or even | | | | make the workout last 30 minutes, but really |
| begin to exercise due to the lack of knowledge of | | | | focus on those surges every 5 minutes. As you |
| many exercises. Yes, there are thousands of | | | | get more accustomed to this style, increase your |
| exercises and a beginners can find themselves | | | | surges to 1:30, 2:00 and 2:30 and shorten your |
| very lost and discouraged, but there is no need to | | | | recovery (regular pace) from 5 minutes to 4 |
| worry, what you need to understand is that out | | | | minutes and eventually 3 minutes. |
| of those exercises that you see people perform | | | | 5.) SQUATS |
| in the gym, TV, magazines...most of them | | | | In addition to your cardio session, it is essential |
| originate from the basics. All you have to do is | | | | that you add some strength training exercises to |
| learn the basics and you will understand the rest | | | | your routine. Squats are one of the most |
| of the exercises much better and may even find | | | | effective lower body exercises that you do as it |
| yourself creating a few of your own. I have listed | | | | activates almost all lower body muscles including |
| the top 4 cardio exercises and the top 4 strength | | | | major ones such as the hamstrings, gluteus and |
| training exercises: | | | | quadriceps. So if you are looking to shape up |
| 1.) SWIMMING | | | | those thighs and buns, there is no better way |
| Swimming is one of the best cardio exercises | | | | then some good old fashioned squats. You can |
| that you can do. Its activates almost every | | | | start with you own body weight and then add |
| major muscle group in the body as well as teach | | | | some weight to it as you improve. Remember |
| you how to breath while exercising. The water | | | | that form is key, refer to for a visual and full |
| provides for a non impact cardio session so | | | | instructions on how to squat properly. |
| anyone can do it. Regular swimming builds | | | | 6.) LUNGES |
| endurance, muscle strength and a cardio vascular | | | | Another effective lower body exercise is the |
| fitness. You can find a swim team almost | | | | lunge. It mimics walking and strengths all the |
| anywhere where there is a local pool. Go to to | | | | muscles involved. It activates the gluteus, |
| find a master team near you and don't be | | | | hamstring and quadriceps. Refer to for a free |
| intimidated, many masters team have many | | | | visual illustration on how to do them properly. It is |
| beginners that have just started to swim, the fee | | | | very easy to injury yourself if you don't do them |
| is usually very low to join and many teams have | | | | right. As you improve, you can add some weight |
| up to 3 practices times a day where you can | | | | or do backward lunges, lateral lunges, or even split |
| choose from (you pick how many days and | | | | jump lunges. Remember to always keep it fun. |
| practice you like to take part in) | | | | 7.) PULL-UPS |
| 2.) CYCLING | | | | A properly done pull-up requires strong upper |
| Another excellent non impact cardio is cycling. It is | | | | body strength. It activates most of the back |
| a fantastic way to tone up your legs as well as | | | | muscles as well as the arm muscles. If you can |
| your gluteus! Sure you can go to your gym and | | | | not do a full pull up, do one---its better than none, |
| hop on the stationary bike for an hour, but how | | | | but make sure you make a goal for yourself to |
| boring is that? Invest on a road bike and go out | | | | go for 2 the next week and 3 the week after. |
| and see the world. Take part in a fund raiser ride | | | | You are much stronger than you think, don't sell |
| with your friends, join a local ride group (go to a | | | | yourself short. Another option is to buy a fitness |
| local bike shop and ask them about local rides) or | | | | band and tie it on the top of a pull up bar, strap |
| just call a few friends and make your own | | | | your feet and pull yourself up, it adds a little |
| weekly rides. Perhaps you don't have any friends | | | | assistance. Also many gyms will have assisted |
| or much stamina to get out on the roads yet, | | | | pull-up machine so make sure you add that one |
| well not to worry go to a local gym where they | | | | to your workout list. Alternate from overhand grip |
| offer spinning classes, they are usually very fun | | | | to underhand grip in order to activate different |
| and upbeat, not to mention a great place to meet | | | | muscles. |
| people with a similar healthy interest. | | | | 8.) PUSH-UP |
| 3.) WALKING/RUNNING | | | | The classic push-up is one of the best upper body |
| Walking burns approximately 500 calories in one | | | | exercise that you can do. It strengths you chest, |
| hour. It is very easy and most of us can do it. | | | | triceps, shoulders and even your core. Make sure |
| You may not have 1 hour to walk a day, but | | | | you don't put your hips up too high, that's |
| guess what? Recent studies shows that 3 bouts | | | | cheating and you'll be losing the benefit of the |
| of a 10 minute walk is just as effective as a 30 | | | | exercise. If you can't do a full pushup, let your |
| minute continues walk, so make it count | | | | knees touch the ground (put a pillow or towel |
| everywhere you go. Park the car far away and | | | | underneath it so you don't hurt yourself) but |
| walk, take the stairs instead of the elevator, find | | | | remember to make goals for yourself to try for |
| a local running/walk club. You can even use your | | | | a full push-up the week after, and 2 the week |
| walking to help others by taking part in local 5k | | | | after that and so on. |
| run/walk where money goes to help organizations | | | | You may be wondering why there are no abs |
| such as the American Heart Association, the | | | | exercises on the list, that is because if you do the |
| Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, Susan G. | | | | cardio correctly and stay loyal to a healthy diet, |
| Komen breast cancer association (Race for the | | | | the fat will shed away and you WILL SEE your |
| Cure). So get out there and walk and when you | | | | abs appear, its guarantee. A flat stomach is all |
| get really good----run, you'll easily double the | | | | about adding plenty of cardio and having a strict |
| amount of calories you burn an hour! | | | | diet. |
| 4.) INTERVAL TRAINING | | | | Remember to always keep it fun, don't make |
| Pace variation during your workout increases | | | | working out just another part of your life make it |
| power in your aerobic system, this increases your | | | | a lifestyle. |