Diet & Exercise Routine

There are many different exercise routines to choose from. The right combination of diet and exercise will depend on your current physical condition and personal goals. While special cases require special routines, most people can control their weight and improve their physical condition with a standard diet and exercise routine. You can exercise and lose weight without ever setting foot in a gym. It is all about eating the right foods and staying active.

Diet

• Watch what you eat. It is important to consume the right foods in order to control your weight and maintain good health. Many people eat far too much sugar, and this is a major cause of obesity and other health issues. Stop eating sweets and fast food. Try to cut out fatty foods and simple carbohydrates from your diet. Examples of these include soda, pasta, white bread, hamburgers, french fries and potato chips. Use common sense when it comes to avoiding foods. Focus on complex carbohydrates, vegetables, fruits and foods rich in protein. For breakfast, eat boiled eggs with a slice of whole-grain toast. Try eating salads with grilled chicken for lunch. Sauteed fish with a side of vegetables makes a good dinner, and you can top it off with some fresh fruit for dessert. Eating smaller portions and drinking plenty of water will help you reduce the size of your stomach. Little by little, your food cravings will decrease as you slim down your waistline.

Cardio Exercise

• The foundation of any exercise routine is cardio. You need to get your heart rate up and break a sweat to jump-start your metabolism and burn calories. Set aside at least half an hour for cardio exercise three days each week. Four or five days each week is better if you want to lose a lot of weight. Variety is always a good idea in order to keep your exercise routine from becoming boring. Each week, make sure to vary your cardio sessions. For one session, go for a long distance run in the park. Jog at a brisk pace for half an hour. For the next session, work on interval training with a wristwatch. Start your session with a light jog for two minutes. Then run as fast as you can for a minute before reducing your speed to a slow jog again. Jog and recover for two minutes, and then sprint again. Repeat this cycle for twenty minutes. Another option for a cardio session is to ride your bicycle for half an hour. This adds a bit of variety to your routine, and it really works your leg muscles if you go for an uphill ride.

Strength Training

• No exercise routine is complete without some strength training. Stronger muscles help you achieve a more toned appearance, and muscle tissue also burns more calories than regular tissue so you will be able to keep the weight off with a boosted metabolism. Perform strength training three times a week, preferably on the days that you are not doing cardio. One day should be dedicated to push-ups. This exercise works your chest, shoulders and triceps. Perform five sets of ten push-ups to start, and work your way up from there. The next session is for your core. Perform three sets of twenty crunches, and three sets of twenty sit-ups. The last day is for leg lunges to tone your legs and glutes. Standing straight, take a long stride with your right foot. Now bend down with your left leg until your left knee almost touches the ground. Hold the position for one second and slowly return to your starting position. Repeat this motion for twenty repetitions before switching legs. Perform three sets for each leg. Alternating strength training exercises like these makes your exercise routine more interesting, and it also gives your muscles time to recover and rebuild after working out each week.