Seventeen Magazine beauty editor, Annmarie lverson, reveals her own very personal fitness routine-one that you can do when and where you like.
1. Warm Up
Okay, I admit it. I do work out almost everyday. And no, I’m not crazy. I’m just really interested in feeling distressed and looking streamlined in my clothes. But I also have to admit I wasn’t always a jock.
In high school (in Wisconsin, where I’m from) I never had the nerve to try out for volleyball or cheerleading. College at Vanderbilt University in Tennessee was the same story-no intramural sports, no rahrah activities. But in freshman-required PE, I discovered that being in shape didn’t depend on making the team, scoring big points, or showing up for practices.
Instead, the instructor showed me how to become my own personal trainer and create my own routine. How easy is it? You just do an aerobic activity to get your heart going and calisthenics to tone and shape your entire body. You can do it alone, or with a friend. So here’s the workout that works for me… where I want, when I want.
You have to ease your body into a workout. All it takes is TEN MINUTES of nonstop brisk walking, easy jogging, or cycling. Your PORTABLEGYM should include a Jump rope, resistance bands, weights (one to three pounds) and sport shoes.
2. Stretch
Go directly from the warm-up to stretches while your muscles are still warm and you have a maximum range of motion.
1 Sit on ground with legs spread to sides. “Walk” hands out from body as far as is comfortable. (If you exercise with a friend, you can ease each other into a stretch by putting your feet together and clasping hands.)
2 While still sitting, place soles of feet together. Grasp ankles with hands, and use elbows to push knees toward ground. Don’t bounce-just press up and down gently.
3 While standing, wrap a band (or a towel) across up per back, and pull while TWISTING torso from left to right until movement feels easy.
4 Slide band up, behind shoulders, and pull shoulders from side to side.
3. Aerobic
This is the key calorie-burning, fattrimming part of the workout. The trick is to get your heart rate up to an aerobic level for about twenty minutes. Do this with one activity (like running, cycling, or swimming) or do a COMBINATION of two or more activities.
1 Jump back and forth over a friend or a small table. Jumping in the air exerts an amazing amount of ENERGY and sends the heart rate up-just be sure to keep up the pace.
2 When you jump rope, keep feet together and shoulders relaxed. Jump just high enough to clear the rope.
Related Link: Beauty, Health, Fitness & Family
Views: 88
