"The Five Golden Rules"

bodyfitnesshealth.com

Want to know the secret of how A-listers (read Megan Fox and Cameron Diaz) get the optimum BOOM from their power workouts? Here’s 5 ways to make yours count!


a. Fuel Up – Never work out on an empty stomach. You could choose between a fruit like an apple or banana or a light carb breakfast such as a bowl of cereal, a while before exercising, ensuring you have the energy you need for that workout. Additionally, you could try to drink a glass of water about 10 minutes before you start your jog – its meant to quicken hydration by pushing the water into the system more effectively, leaving you running better, for longer 

b. Don’t watch that Clock! Not only will the minutes pass by faster if you don’t keep your eyes glued to that clock, you are also more likely to slow the pace if you know you only have a few minutes left. If you are one of those people who absolutely has to check on the time, then set yourself a goal of completing a certain distance (or number of calories burned) within that time frame so you stay motivated to work hard!

c. Keep the Body Guessing.... All the experts agree that bodies get used to the same cardio. And what happens when your body is doing the exact same thing in the gym everyday at 7am?? It simply stops responding as well. The best way to avoid this problem? Mix it up. In other words, keep changing the kind of cardio you are doing! So instead of running on the same speed on the same treadmill every day, spend two days doing a spinning class and the other three on the treadmill changing your speed and incline each time! The more variety you add to your workout, the more your body will respond, and the more fat you’ll burn.

d. Breathe your way ---- to a flat stomach! Surprise, surprise! But getting that flat stomach is as much to do with your breathwork as it has to do with eating well. One sure fire way to toughen those core muscles is to breathe out (even blow out audibly) when curling up while doing sit-ups. The less air in the lungs, the more forcible the muscle contraction = flatter, stronger abs you can be proud of!

e. ….And Stretttchhh - In my books, this is THE MOST IMPORTANT post-workout exercise you can do. Not only does the stretching align the muscles to give your body that great, lengthened appearance while increasing your strength and flexibility, it also allows for the release of lactic acid to help the muscles recover correctly.