Our bodies have gone through a lot of changes in recent years. That is mainly due to the sedentary lifestyle that we have picked up over time. A lot of us don’t have the time or the energy to do any exercise or activity throughout the day. The weekends are for family and resting so that we can cope with the week ahead. This lifestyle has created a lot of problems for us, most of all, for our bodies. Our muscles don’t work as they are not getting the exercise that they deserve. It also affects our joints. A joint encased in strong muscles can put up with a lot of wear and tear as compared to a joint encased by weak muscles.
We must consider here that we don’t need to do a lot to counter this inactivity. Every one of us has to strive to make sure that we stay in top shape; otherwise, our bodies will succumb to a plethora of diseases and ailments. A healthy body is essential for a lot of things. We stay active and in good shape, but it also means that our immune system stays healthy and is ready to battle anything.
When we talk about healthy and toned bodies, many people imagine spending hours upon hours in the gym or walking/jogging/running/cycling a couple of miles every day. Thankfully, that is not the case. You can quickly get a toned body right in your home if you know a few tips. These tips are related to your diet, lifestyle, and various activities that you can do at the gym, your house, or the office if the need arises. You can use any equipment like weights, walking machine, or ski trainer exercise machine that will surely help you achieve a well-toned body.
So, here’s what you need to do:
Know Yourself, Know Your Food
The first thing you need to do is look long and hard at your food intake and the calories you are taking in. If you want to look toned, you need to decrease the percentage of fat in your body, and that can only happen when you lower the number of calories that you intake. A toned body can only appear when the calories that you take in are lower than the calories that you burn. Therefore, be aware of what you are eating and drinking and what it is doing to your body.
One way of doing it is to use an online calorie calculator and finding out how many calories you need to take in and how many you need to burn to get into the best shape. It will depend on factors like your height, weight, gender, age, etc. Once you know what you need to do, you can easily create a plan to take care of it.
Suggested: Foods for healthy gut
Plan Realistically
Alright, so now that you know what you have to do to get a toned body and reap the benefits. What now? Now it is time to pen down a realistic plan. What happens is that when we are super motivated, we make a plan that we know we won’t be able to hold on to for a long time, and thus, it gets scraped somewhere in the middle, and we find ourselves right where we started. So know your limitations and work accordingly. Make sure that your goals and the time limit that you have set for yourself are attainable.
Don’t Starve Yourself
When you don’t know what you are doing, you put yourself in more significant problems than the original. Many people think that starving themselves and not eating is the way to go for a toned body. That couldn’t be more wrong. That is one of the worst things that you can do to yourself. Food is a necessary fuel for your body, so you need to eat. Just find out what to eat and what not to eat.
Eat Muscle-Building Foods
If you are exercising regularly you will need food that can help your body keep up with the stress you are putting on it. If you stop eating or lower your diet and exercise, you will end up with malnutrition and muscles that can’t keep up. You need to keep your body healthy.
Suggested: An Expert Recommended List Of The Best Supplements For Bodybuilding
Stop eating starchy foods like potatoes, pasta, bread, and increase your intake of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. Also, start taking healthy fats like avocados and nuts.
Try interval training
One of the best exercises that can give you a toned body is High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT). You can quickly lose a lot of fat if you switch up your routine. For example, if you are running, run at your top speed for a minute and then slow down for two minutes. Do this thing for at least 15 to 20 minutes and increase gradually. If you are doing Palates, speed up for a little while and then relax and slow down. It will make sure that your muscles work at their optimum position and also get a break afterward.
In The End
Remember that your goal is to tone your body and not add to your level of stress and anxiety. So, get quality sleep, breath, stretch, and have fun. Remember the pointers mentioned above, and you can achieve your goals faster than the time you had set for yourself.