I have not been eating like I should this past week. Those darn cupcakes started everything. And all the comfort food that has been put in front of me courtesy of the snow. Cheese dip and chili dogs just kept appearing at my house! Kind of. Either way, the only thing I have been doing right is drinking water.
Did you know that if you drink 8 glasses of COLD water a day [that's 64 ounces] your body will burn 70 calories just warming the water up to body temp?
Lately I have been doing interval training which makes me sweat more than anything I have ever done. That includes running a half-marathon. Because your heart rate is going UP and DOWN and UP and DOWN you burn a crazy amount of calories while exercising and the "after burn" is greater with intervals than with other cardio-based exercises [elliptical, bike, even running on treadmill].
While cardio exercise is necessary to lose fat all over your body, interval training targets your waistline. Adding bursts of speed can help you lose stubborn abdominal fat, which is a boon for your overall health. Having a waist size over 35 inches if you're a woman puts you at a higher risk for heart disease and some cancers.
What are "intervals"? Basically exerting a lot of energy and then slowing down for an equal amount of time. For example, I will do cardio [jumping jacks, sprints, high knees, butt kicks, jump rope, etc] for 2 minutes then stop and do weights for 2 minutes. If you have P90X, put on the plymetrics video and pause it after 2 minutes, do your weights and then start the dvd again. Continue for ONE HOUR! You can do it. After you're done you will have burned at least 500 calories.
If this is too complicated, simply get on the treadmill and jog at 5.0 for 2 minutes, then go up to a 7.5 for 2 minutes. Continue for 30 minutes. This is also considered an interval. You may have an interval class at your gym [it might be called something else]. If so, go! These are great because the instructor tells you what to do and you don't have to think, just do!
I got really good feedback on the last ab exercise. One of my friends even sent me a picture message of her new found abs. I LOVED it!
This ab exercise is EVEN harder! It is a VERY small movement. I only do 10-12 at a time and then switch sides. Do 3 set on each side.
Start in a side plank on your elbow with both feet on the floor:
Raise your hip up in the air and lower to starting position. That's it! Simple, huh?
If you are doing this right you will quickly feel your obliques start to burn. Yesssss!
Like I said, this is a small movement but with BIG results. Your obliques [aka love handles] will start to shrink and tone! Yeah!
Have a great weekend! I'm supposed to be running a 10K in Fayetteville tomorrow morning, hopefully the weather holds up for me!
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