All it takes is to breathe properly to burn fat, reduce stress and so much more. Learn how to correct and improve your health with exercises below.
Take a deep breathe. You do it up to 22,000 times a day. Chances are, most of us don’t even breathe properly, in turn can yield surprising negative effects on our health. Modern science has finally caught up to what yoga has been advocating for years. We know that proper breathing can help ease an overstressed mind, as well as play a big role in averting or alleviating heart disease, allergies, and weight gain.
Breathing is so simple and inexpensive. People can’t believe it works as a healing and preventative tool. Do the following exercises regularly, twice a day, for 10 minutes each time. The exercises will help your body and mind navigate these issues.
Anxiety
“When you’re anxious, you limit your breaths,” says James S. Gordon, M.D., founder and director of the Center for Mind-Body Medicine in Washington, D.C., and author of Unstuck: Your Guide to the Seven-Stage Journey out of Depression. When you confine your breaths to your chest instead of using your diaphragm, your anxiety level increases. The key to relaxing lies in calming your sympathetic nervous system (composed of your body’s fight-or-flight engine, which releases adrenaline and stress hormones such as cortisol) and triggering your parasympathetic nervous system, which controls your rest and digest functions and helps your muscles (and your mind) unwind.
Try This: The Soft-Belly Technique
Most people take about 15 breaths per minute, but when you’re anxious, you should aim for six or seven slow, deep ones. Gordon suggests a technique that involves inhaling through the nose and exhaling through the mouth, while keeping your stomach relaxed. To help yourself focus, slowly say the word soft in your head while inhaling, and speak the word belly as you breathe out. This technique can stimulate your vagus nerve, a central part of the parasympathetic nervous system, which runs through your abdomen and chest, and back to your brain stem.
Heart Disease
The environment we live in is bombarded with sights, sounds, and emotions that overdrive our nervous systems. The result? Long periods of heightened blood pressure, adrenaline production, and heart rate, all of which are linked to heart disease. Breathing better can normalize high blood pressure and elevated heart rate by activating that same relaxation response via your parasympathetic nervous system.
Try This: Alternate Nostril Breathing
This technique lowers your pulse rate and diastolic blood pressure, according to a study at Nepal Medical College. (The higher a young woman’s diastolic blood pressure, the greater her risk for heart attack, stroke, and kidney failure.) David Magone, founder of the breath-oriented PranaVayu yoga practice, explains how to do it: Sit cross-legged and close your eyes. Use the thumb of your right hand to block your right nostril, and inhale deeply through the left for about six seconds. Now, cover your left nostril with the fourth finger of your right hand, release your right nostril, and exhale slowly for six seconds. With your left nostril blocked, breathe in through your right side for six seconds; then cover your right nostril again, release your left, and exhale for six seconds. Repeat the entire sequence for at least two minutes.
Allergies
When it comes to seasonal allergies, research has found that a little music-specifically, humming-can help you breathe better. Humming opens the ostia, which connect the sinuses to the nasal cavities, letting you take in air more easily, explains Timothy McCall, M.D., author of Yoga as Medicine.
Try This: The Bee Breath
Sitting in a comfortable position, take a deep breath through your nose, then let out a high-pitched humming sound as you exhale through your nose. You should feel a vibration in your nose, as well as in your chest and head. (McCall notes that humming tends to lengthen your exhales, making this another good breathing technique for those suffering from anxiety.) Continue for up to 10 minutes.
Weight Gain
The issue of weight gain has something as much to do with what’s in your head as what’s on your plate. “Emotional stress can cause weight gain,” says Dean Ornish, M.D., president of the Preventive Medicine Research Institute in Sausalito, California. “It speeds the conversion of calories to fat because you’re more likely to overeat or make unhealthy choices when stressed.” Manage the stress, and you’ll manage the weight. A great way to manage it is to focus on slowing down your breathing, which will help reduce stress hormones.
Kelly McGonigal, Ph.D., author of Yoga for Pain Relief, points to another weight-gain factor that can be regulated by breathing: heart rate variability (HRV), the moment-by-moment fluctuation that can help determine how you respond to stress. “Studies show that people with a high HRV tend to have more self-control, and those with low HRV are more likely to give in to temptation,” she says.
Try This: The Pursed-Lip Breath
Slow, practiced breathing increases HRV and makes you more aware of your actions, so you’re better able to lower your stress level and get a handle on overeating, McGonigal says. She suggests a four-second nasal inhale followed by an eight-second exhale through puckered lips (as if exhaling through a straw). Another option: the Hindu breathing method called ujjayi. Inhale through your nose for six seconds, and then exhale through your mouth for six seconds as if you’re trying to fog up a mirror, making a “hahhhh” sound while pulling in your abdomen. On your next breath, try making the same noise with your mouth closed. It should sound like a seashell against your ear, McGonigal notes. If you sound more like Darth Vader, you’re probably doing it too forcefully.
Introducing six multitasking moves that tones, reshape and firm up your muscles and spark your mind!
Each move in this workout incorporates the trifecta of brain-bettering elements-complex motor skills, balance and a new set of data. It helps you tone from head to toe.
As you move through the routine, it makes your heart pump more thus a great cardio workout, increasing calorie burn and blood flow to your brain and the rest of your body.
Your trainer
Jack Mantione is an integrative certified strength and conditioning specialist and a physical therapist in New York City. He works with athletes and runners to heal and prevent injuries while improving their balance and agility.
What to do
Complete the indicated reps; try not to rest between moves to maximize its cardio benefit. Repeat the circuit training.
What you’ll need
A pair of 2- to 5-pound dumbbells
Armed and dangerously bright
Balance on left leg, knee soft, and bend right knee until shin is parallel to floor. Contract abs and squeeze glutes. Hold weights, palms facing in, elbows bent 90 degrees (as shown). Pull shoulder blades toward each other and hold for 15 to 30 seconds. Return to start. Switch legs; repeat. • works shoulders, arms, back, abs, butt, legs
X marks the smart
Stand with feet hip-width apart, a weight in each hand, palms facing forward. Rest weight in right hand on side of butt for added resistance, then raise left arm to side until parallel to floor as you lift right leg out to side (as shown). Return to standing; repeat on opposite side for one rep. Do 12 reps. • works shoulders, arms, abs, butt
Quick-wit kick
Stand facing a step or bench, holding weights at sides. Step up with left foot and extend right leg in front of you, as you curl weight in left hand toward shoulder and extend right arm back (as shown). Step right foot back to floor, switching arm positions so you curl right hand toward shoulder and extend left arm back. Do 12 reps. Switch legs; repeat. • works arms, abs, butt, legs
Butt and brain teaser
Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, a weight in each hand, to start. Rest weight in right hand on butt to add resistance; raise left arm in front of you to shoulder height and extend right leg out behind you (as shown). Return to start; repeat on opposite side. Do 12 reps.
• works butt, shoulders, arms, abs
Genius shaper
Lie face up with knees bent, feet flat, arms at sides with a weight in each hand and elbows bent 90 degrees, to start. Lift pelvis as you extend and lift left leg and press weight in right hand upward, palm facing in (as shown). Stay in a bridge and lower right arm and left leg. Repeat on opposite side. Do 12 reps. • works abs, shoulders, chest, butt, legs
Mind crunch
Lie face up with knees bent, feet flat, arms extended along floor above head with a weight in each hand, palms facing each other, to start. Reach arms up overhead, then crunch, twisting and reaching arms across torso to left side as you straighten and lift left leg (as shown). Return to start; repeat on opposite side. Do 12 reps. • works abs, obliques, chest, back
Find out how quitting smoking can dramatically improve your health.
It is hard to quit smoking because all the benefits of quitting and all the dangers of continuing seem very unlikely and far away.
Here’s a little timeline about some of the more immediate effects of quitting smoking and how that will affect your body RIGHT NOW.
• In 20 minutes your blood pressure will drop back down to normal.
• In 8 hours the carbon monoxide (a toxic gas) levels in your blood stream will drop by half, and oxygen levels will return to normal.
• In 48 hours your chance of having a heart attack will have decreased. All nicotine will have left your body. Your sense of taste and smell will return to a normal level.
• In 72 hours your bronchial tubes will relax, and your energy levels will increase.
• In 2 weeks your circulation will increase, and it will continue to improve for the next 10 weeks.
• In three to nine months coughs, wheezing and breathing problems will dissipate as your lung capacity improves by 10%.
• In 1 year your risk of having a heart attack will have dropped by half.
• In 5 years your risk of having a stroke returns to that of a non-smoker.
• In 10 years your risk of lung cancer will have returned to that of a non-smoker.
• In 15 years your risk of heart attack will have returned to that of a non-smoker.
It helps to weigh the pros and cons of smoking to encourage total elimination of this dangerous habit. Quit now!
Before you think of smoking your daily sticks of cigarettes, read this article to find out how cigarettes can pose serious threats to your health.
Smoking has been an increasingly subject of debated topic in terms of smokers and their need to stop smoking. Smoking poses dangerous threats to health of smokers and non-smokers alike. Would you believe that more than 50 chemicals are identified in secondhand smoke found to cause cancer?
The chemicals in the cigarettes you smoke affect almost all the parts of the human body. Let’s take a tour of your body to look at how smoking affects it.
Starting at the Top
All smokers are at risk for cancer of the mouth. Tobacco smoke also causes gum disease, tooth decay and bad breath. The teeth become unsightly and yellow. Smokers may also experience frequent headaches. Smokers are also at risk of strokes due to a lack of oxygen and narrowed blood vessels to the brain.
Lungs and Bronchi
Moving down to your chest, smoke passes through the bronchi, or the breathing tubes. Hydrogen cyanide and other chemicals in the smoke attack the lining of the bronchi, inflaming them cause “chronic smoker’s cough”. Because the bronchi are weakened, you’re more likely to get bronchial infections. Your lungs are gradually impaired due to mucus secretion leading to chronic coughing. Smokers are 10 times more at risk to develop lung cancer and emphysema compared nonsmokers.
Smoking and the Heart
The devastating effects of smoking can also affect your heart. The blood pressure is elevated form the presence of nicotine that makes your blood clot easily. Oxygen levels are greatly lowered because of carbon monoxide and leads to the build up cholesterol deposits on the artery walls. The effects increase the risk of heart attack. Moreover, poor circulation resulting from cholesterol deposits can cause impotence (for men) strokes, and loss of circulation in fingers and toes.
Smoking and the organs of the body
The digestive system is not spared from the extensive effects of smoking. The tars found in cigarettes can trigger cancer of the esophagus and throat. Heartburn and ulcers can more likely to be developed due to the increased stomach acid secretion as a result of smoking. Smokers also have higher rates of deadly pancreatic cancer. The presence of carcinogens from cigarettes are excreted in the urine, consequently, causes bladder cancer.
Conclusion
Forty percent of men who are heavy smokers will die before they reach retirement age, compared to only 18 percent of nonsmokers. Women who smoke hold an increased risk of cervical cancer, while pregnant women who smoke take a chance with the health of their unborn babies.
The good news is that when you quit smoking your body begins to repair itself. In about ten years time after you quit, your body gradually repair most of the damage smoking caused. It’s better to quit smoking rather than wait until cancer or emphysema has set in. Chances are that these conditions are fatal. It’s another reason to take the big change and quit now.
Get to know some of the bad habits of New York City, then seek the advice of the experts for advice on how to make over their routines.
I don’t even have a doctor!
Courtney Sweet, 26, Eugene, Oregon
Reality check
Women who don’t undergo annual screen test may feel great now. Women just like Sweet need to ward off future troubles with annual screen tests. Reminders to eat well and exercise are to measure your weight, cholesterol and blood pressure. Reproductive health needs to be taken care of as well through Pap test and an STD screening. If you have no idea which doctor is the best to screen your health then get a reference from a pal.
I am always in 3- to 5-inch heels.
Qiana Douglas, 24, Brooklyn, New York
Reality check
High heels can make your legs look lean but not necessarily a good thing when it comes to your health. Stepping on a pair of stilettos on a regular basis can result to bunions, hammertoe and hip and back pain, says Rachel S. Rohde, M.D., spokeswoman in Royal Oak, Michigan, for the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. Your solution is to pick shoes with 2-inch heels at a max, and a wide toe box. You should also bring an extra supportive flats when commuting.
I’m a total caffeine junkie.
Keri Kosach, 27, Reno, Nevada
Reality check
Moderation is key when it comes to just about anything including caffeine consumption. Most health experts consider 200 to 300 milligrams daily-the equivalent of three cups of drip coffee-to be a safe amount. Higher doses of java may cause anxiety and headaches. If you jump for a cup of coffee, cut back gradually by going half-caffeine with your morning latte and swapping your afternoon brew for good cleansing water.
I sleep only six hours each night.
Gael Heybers, 29, Delft, Netherlands
Reality check
We need an average of eight hours of sleep each evening, says Carol Ash, D.O., medical director of Sleep for Life, a sleep lab in Somerville, New Jersey. Heybers’s growing sleep debt may boost her chances of developing insulin resistance or hypertension, and worst, gaining weight. Seek to maintain a consistent schedule of bedtimes and wake times. A regular time of getting in and out bed including weekends will help set your body clock thus establish a healthy regimen.
I don’t really floss that often.
Michelle Whetton, 20, Brantford, Ontario
Reality check
Bacteria collects under gums and between teeth, where their brushes can’t reach. The buildup can lead to periodontitis, an infection linked to heart disease, says Sally Cram, D.D.S., a periodontist in Washington, D.C. Too tired at the end of the day? Stash your toothbrush and toothpaste in the shower and floss after your morning lather and rinse.
I pump up my iPod all day long.
Jenna Howell, 24, Brooklyn, New York
Reality check
Your risk of hearing loss is increased due to prolonged listening to loud music . If you pop in earphones for up to two hours a day, you can listen at a maximum of three quarters of the volume bar safely, says Michael Epstein, Ph.D., professor of speech-language pathology and audiology at Northeastern University in Boston. Try noise-canceling headphones to drown out your surroundings.
I BlackBerry 24/7, even at the wheel.
Elizabeth Weisman, 31, Austin, Texas
Reality check
Hands at 10 and 2, Elizabeth! Studies show that using messaging devices while driving quadruples your risk of crashing. Keep your PDA on silent both when on the road or walking about. If you really have to use it, pull over to the side, out of the way of auto and foot traffic, says Mark Melrose, M.D., an emergency-medicine physician in Montclair, New Jersey.
Slash half your workout time with this no gym yet efficient shape up plan!
Resistance bands can be a convenient fitness trainer when it comes to squeezing sculpting session. Using dumbbells along with a stretchy band or tubing makes muscles work almost 25 percent harder according to a study from The Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research notes. You have to do only one set, not two, of the exercises shown on the bonus cards to firm head-to-toe fast.
Do one set of 8 to 12 reps of each move two to three times a week on nonconsecutive days. You’ll need a resistance band and a pair of 2- to 5-pound dumbbells. If you don’t have resistance bands, any tension will work. Bands with handles are optional.
Try soft, flexible weights for easy gripping. We used SPRI Mini Contour Weights ($12.99 to 34.95). Talk about a handy way to firm!
Power plunge
Stand with feet staggered, left foot in front of right. Place band under front foot and grip a handle and weight in each hand, arms in front of thighs, palms forward. Bend knees and sink into a lunge as you curl weights toward shoulders (as shown). Return to start; do 8 to 12 reps. Switch sides; repeat. • Works arms, abs, butt, legs
Triceps crossover
Lie faceup on band, legs raised, knees bent 90 degrees. Grab right handle with left hand; wrap band across waist; hold at left side. Grip left handle and weight with right hand; extend arm up, palm forward (as shown). Bend right elbow 90 degrees, hand near right ear. Extend arm for one rep; do 8 to 12 reps. Switch sides; repeat. • works arms, abs
Recline row
Lie faceup, band under feet. Crisscross band by gripping left handle and weight with right hand and right handle and weight with left hand. Extend arms toward feet, palms down. Contract abs and lift shoulders off floor. With shoulders lifted, draw arms toward chest, bending elbows (as shown). Extend arms; do 8 to 12 reps. • works shoulders, arms, back, abs
Super squat
Stand on band with feet hip-width apart, handle and weight in each hand, arms down. Raise arms out to sides at shoulder level, bend elbows up 90 degrees (like a goalpost), palms forward. Bend knees and squat slightly as you press arms overhead (as shown). Return to goal post position; do 8 to 12 reps. • works shoulders, butt, legs
Curl whirl
Lie faceup, legs raised, knees bent 90 degrees. Place band under feet; grip a handle and weight in each hand; extend arms up, palms facing back. With lower body still, bring weights toward forehead (as shown). Straighten arms for one rep. Do 8 to 12 reps. • Works shoulders, butt, legs
Sitting tight
Sit with feet hip-width apart and flexed, knees bent. Place band under feet; grip a handle and weight in each hand. Raise arms out to sides at shoulder level, elbows bent 90 degrees, palms forward (as shown). Rotate forearms until parallel to floor, then raise for one rep. Do 8 to 12 reps. • Works shoulders, abs
Recline row
Lie faceup, band under feet. Crisscross band by gripping left handle and weight with right hand and right handle and weight with left hand. Extend arms toward feet, palms down. Contract abs and lift shoulders off floor. With shoulders lifted, draw arms toward chest, bending elbows (as shown). Extend arms; do 8 to 12 reps. • Works shoulders, arms, back, abs
Torso twist
Sit with right leg extended, foot flexed, and left knee bent, foot resting on inner right thigh. Place band under right foot; grab left handle and weight with right hand and right handle and weight with left hand, arms extended, palms in. With right arm still, move torso and left arm to left, bending elbow (as shown). Return to center and repeat. Do 8 to 12 reps. Switch sides; repeat. • works back, abs
Deltoid raise
Kneel, sitting back on lifted heels; contract abs. Place band under ankles. Grip a handle and weight in each hand, arms extended out to sides, elbows bent, palms up. Raise arms as high as you can (as shown). Lower arms; do 8 to 12 reps. • works shoulders, arms, abs
Bent-over cobra
Stand on band with feet hip-width apart, knees soft, handle and weight in each hand, arms in front of thighs, palms facing body. Bend slightly from hips. With abs tight and lower body still, reach arms out away from sides, rotating palms up (as shown). Lower arms; do 8 to 12 reps. • Works shoulders, arms, back
Nothing beats a vacation when you can slim down naturally, thanks to stress-free days and veggie-packed meals.
Reach your favorite destination in health which is your dream size, with the best healthy-eating tricks.
Eat more
Depriving your body with food restriction will definitely backfire. Most people think that by drastically lowering the number of calories will result to faster weight loss. When you don’t consume enough calories, your metabolism slows as well as the rate at which you burn calories. Aim for at least 1,500 calories per day (up to 200 more if you exercise regularly). Concentrate on getting a combination of good carbohydrates such as produce and whole grains, lean protein, such as chicken and fish, and healthy fats, like olive oil or avocado, with each meal.
Go for foods you like
You don’t need to eat unsavory and bland food just to lose weight. It will not yield any good results. There is a chance that you will rebel against this type of diet since you will not enjoy following it. Instead, make your favorite whole grains, fruit and vegetables as the focus of your diet. Forget about healthy foods you’re not crazy about in other dishes. Why not toss spinach into soup or add broccoli into pasta with marinara sauce? It sure does look delicious but also low in calories and packed with vitamins and minerals.
Make meals tastier
To satisfy our need for gastronomic pleasure, our taste buds need to experience all six tastes - sweet, salty, sour, bitter, pungent and astringent - in a meal. Pungent foods or the spicy ones, and an astringent taste (from foods like cabbage) cause a puckering in your mouth. Dieters may overeat after meals because they’ve missed one of these flavors.
Eat for the next few hours
Think about your day’s activities before eating. Think about how active you’re going to be for the next three hours. Your meals should consist primarily of good carbohydrates with a serving of protein and a little bit of healthy fat. Hitting the gym soon? Slightly increase your carbs so you’ll have energy to burn. Protein actually helps you feel full for a little longer than carbohydrates.
Focus on your health
Women who successfully lose weight think of diet and exercise as a means to be healthy rather than ways to be slim. If you want to eat to reduce your heart disease risk, for example, you’ll want to include foods like low-calorie fruit and veggies. A result that you will rave is that you’ll lose weight nearly effortlessly.
Enjoy chocolate
Do not deprive yourself with foods you like to eat. It will likely make you binge on your list of “forbidden” foods. Indulge your sweet tooth, but with limits. You can enjoy eating these foods to about 160 calories a day.
Keep a future-food journal
The traditional food diary where you log what you eat after you bite will give you lesser control than planning meals that you are going to eat ahead of time. In your journal, use one side to schedule meals for two days. On the other, note whenever you eat outside of your planned meals. Once you figure out your trigger points, you can schedule activities, such as walks or exercise, around those times.
Be a food snob
Women throw half a paycheck on a pair of heels, but when it comes to food, we all want a bargain. You’d be better off if you spent a little more. The higher the quality of food you eat, the more satisfied you’d be. Plus, fresh, top-notch foods often have more nutritional value for the buck. Consider it a worthy and healthy indulgence!
Redefine yourself
Picture yourself at a healthier weight. Do you enjoy shopping for new clothes? Would you hit the gym before work every day? Once you have an image of your dream self, choose habits that will help you become that slimmer and healthier person. Eating breakfast will power you through workouts during the day. Give up late night munching to drop a size. These small adjustments can add up and become permanent habits. You are sure to attain the goal of healthier and toner new you.
Relax, and then eat
Have you ever gorged food then suddenly felt so full that you wished you had stopped eating few bites ago? You can avoid overeating by pacing yourself. All it takes is a soothing breathing trick. Inhale deeply through your nose, and then exhale slowly. Repeat several times. This slowdown could help you slim down. Researchers from the University of Rhode Island at Kingston found that people who ate more slowly consumed 70 fewer calories per meal than speed-eaters.
These multitasking moves will create sleek, sexy curves at the same time increase your metabolism.
How can multitasking moves increase your metabolism? It is very simple. Just by building lean muscle, it burns about three times as many calories as fat. With as little as twice-a-week strength sessions can speed up your engine so dramatically that your body will automatically burn up to 150 extra calories every day. It continues to churn like a hot engine even when you’re sitting on the couch.
Prepare a pair of 5- to 8-pound dumbbells, a resistance band or piece of tubing tied into a loop and a stability ball.
The plan is for you to do two sets of 15 reps of each toner twice a week, giving your body a day to recover between strength sessions.
Aim to do 40 minutes of heart-pumping activity three days a week. It’s the ideal length of exercise to deliver a metabolism boost even after you stopped moving. Your body’s calorie-burning furnace will remain fired up for 24 to 48 hours after you swap your sneakers for house sandals. You can burn 150 bonus calories a day.
The proven cardio plan
You can do your favorite form of cardio (bike, swim, jog, you name it), as long as you (a) stick with it for 40 minutes and (b) maintain a high intensity. On a scale of 1 to 10, where 1 is sipping a piña colada and 10 is climbing a coconut tree, aim to work at a level 8 for the bulk of the get-lean routine.
How to do it
Warm up for 2 minutes at level 5. For the next 15 minutes, work your way up to level 8 by varying your resistance or speed every 1 to 2 minutes. Now switch it up: Jump rope for 1 minute (if you don’t have one, just pretend), then do jumping jacks for 30 seconds, then do high knee kicks for 30 seconds. Repeat this sequence three times. Next, it’s back to your original form of cardio for 5 minutes. This time, add resistance every 30 seconds. At the halfway point, subtract resistance every 30 seconds. Now alternate 30-second sprints with 30-second recoveries for 5 minutes. Finally do the sequence three times: jump rope, jumping jacks, high knees. Recover at level 7 for 1 minute. Cool down.
Trimming tap
Stand with feet hip-width apart, a resistance band around ankles. Squat with hands clasped at chest (as shown). With right heel, tap in front, return to center; tap to right, return to center; tap behind, tap right, return to center for one rep. Do 15 reps. Switch sides; repeat. • Works butt, thighs
Super squat
Stand with feet wide, toes turned out 45 degrees, a weight in each hand with arms down. Squat, then bend at hips until back is flat; return to squat. Stand as you curl weights to shoulders (as shown). Keeping weights near shoulders, point elbows toward ceiling, then straighten arms to bring weights directly overhead. Reverse arm sequence to return to start. Do 15 reps. • Works arms, butt, thighs
Waist whittler
Start in a side plank with left wrist under shoulder, right hand behind head, elbow out; stack legs, left foot in front of right. Keeping abs tight, bend left knee toward chest as you draw right elbow toward knee (as shown). Return to start. Do 15 reps. Switch sides; repeat. • Works shoulders, abs, obliques
Get-lean lunge
Stand with a stability ball pressed between your lower back and wall. Hold a weight in right hand, arm extended overhead, left hand on hip. Step forward with left foot and place sole of right foot flat against wall. Lunge until right knee hovers above floor as you bend right elbow, bringing weight toward shoulder (as shown). Return to start. Do 15 reps. Switch sides and repeat. • Works shoulders, arms, butt, thighs
Saturday night slimmer
Stand with right foot about 2 feet in front of left, left heel lifted. Hold a weight in left hand, right hand on hip. Bend knees and lower torso to right thigh, reaching left hand to right foot. Stand as you pivot feet and torso forward, raising weight overhead on a diagonal (as shown). Reverse sequence to return to low lunge. Do 15 reps. Switch sides; repeat.
• Works shoulders, abs, obliques, butt, legs
Crunch and punch
Lie back on a stability ball, feet flat, holding a weight in each hand, elbows bent. Pull abs in and slowly crunch up several inches as you punch right, then left, rotating torso in direction of punch (as shown). Lower to start. Repeat. Do three sets of 15 reps.
• Works arms, shoulders, abs, obliques
Toning twist
Start in a deep squat, holding one weight in both hands outside of right hip (as shown). Stand as you sweep weight across body to left and overhead to right while extending right leg to right side. Reverse sequence to return to start. Complete 15 reps. Switch sides; repeat. • Works arms, abs, obliques, butt, thighs
Wall walker
Lie faceup in front of a wall with a weight in each hand, arms straight up, palms facing in. Place toes on wall, with knees bent and directly above hips, and raise butt off floor. Maintain hip lift as you draw left knee toward chest and open right arm to side (as shown). Return to start and repeat on opposite side for one rep. Do 15 reps. • Works chest, abs, butt, thighs, calves
Exercise can make you look younger than your real age. Try this customized “look-younger” work out just for you!
Not only will this workout give you a sleek physique, it can actually help you look forever young. Researchers studied the lifestyle habits and DNA of 2,400 twins. They found that regular exercisers had longer telomeres. Telomeres are the tags at the end of our chromosomes that shorten with age. Couch potatoes are sure to have shorter telomeres. You don’t need to workout for several hours to achieve that result. As few as 30 minutes of activity daily will result in telomeres that scraps out 10 years off your age
Prepare for a set of 3 to 10 pound weights. Complete two sets of each move two times a week on nonconsecutive days. Boost the younger-looking you result by adding 30 to 60 minutes of brisk cardio on most days.
Hurry! Try the workout below that will make you look slimmer on the outside but younger on the inside.
Sumo squat
Stand with feet slightly wider than hip-width apart. Hold one weight in both hands directly overhead. Squat low and swing weight between legs (as shown) and then forward, lifting it overhead, as you return to standing. Do 12 reps. • Works shoulders, butt, legs
Dragonfly
Start on all fours, a weight in each hand. Extend left leg behind you in line with body; extend right arm out to side at shoulder level. Keeping left leg lifted, curl weight toward chest (as shown). Straighten arm for one rep. Do 12 reps. Switch sides; repeat. • Works shoulders, chest, back, abs
Gorgeous get-up
Kneel with a weight in each hand, arms overhead, palms in. Bring left leg forward, knee bent, thigh parallel to ground (as shown). Push off ball of foot to stand. Return to kneeling. Switch legs; repeat for one rep. Do 12 reps. • Works shoulders, back, butt, thighs, hamstrings
Sidestepper
Stand with feet hip-width apart, toes out, a weight in each hand in front of thighs. Lunge to left side as you draw arms toward chest, elbows bent (as shown). Push off left foot and lower weights to return to start. Repeat on right for one rep. Do 12 reps. • Works shoulders, back, butt, thighs
Back attack
Lie facedown with legs pressed together; reach behind back, interlace fingers and draw shoulder blades together. Lift chest off ground as you kick heels toward butt with control (as shown) three times for one rep. Return to start. Do 10 reps. • Works back, butt, hamstrings
Do-si-do
Stand with feet hip-width apart, a weight in each hand. Balance on left leg, knees soft (as shown), then lunge forward with right leg as you curl weights toward chest. Push off right foot to return to one-leg balance. Do 12 reps. Switch sides; repeat. • Works biceps, abs, butt, thighs, hamstrings
Terrific toner
Stand with feet hip-width apart, a weight in each hand, arms extended at shoulder level. Lift right leg back and lower torso forward until body forms a T, arms straight toward ground, palms in (as shown). Return to start. Do 12 reps. Switch sides; repeat. • Works abs, hips, thighs
Bridge buffer
Lie faceup with knees bent, feet flat, and a weight in each hand, elbows bent. Lift hips as high as possible; raise left leg off group in line with hips as you extend weights in line with shoulders (as shown). Keeping hips raised, lower left foot and arms. Switch legs for one rep. Do 12 reps. • Works shoulders, arms, chest, abs, hips, butt, hamstrings
Turbo twist
Sit with legs out in front, knees bent. Hold one weight in both hands at chest level; lean back at a 45-degree angle. Maintain position as you contract abs and twist torso to right (as shown), then left for one rep. Do 12 reps. • Works arms, back, abs, obliques
Take a deep breathe. You do it up to 22,000 times a day. Chances are, most of us don’t even breathe properly, in turn can yield surprising negative effects on our health. Modern science has finally caught up to what yoga has been advocating for years. We know that proper breathing can help ease an overstressed mind, as well as play a big role in averting or alleviating heart disease, allergies, and weight gain.
($12.99 to 34.95). Talk about a handy way to firm!
