Strength Training

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Proper strength training will tone your muscles and improve your appearance. With a regular strength- training program, you can reduce body fat, increase lean muscle mass and burn calories more efficiently. Two to three strength training sessions a week lasting about 30 minutes are sufficient.

Lifting weight increases your muscle strength and reverses the loss of muscle tissue as we age. It is especially important for women to strength train since it increases bone-mineral density. By age 40, many women will have lost about 12 percent of their muscle tissue, and they continue to lose about 1 percent a year. Men usually are about 20 percent heavier than women, due purely to muscle, so they start with an advantage.

Cardio Workouts

Cardio exercise is vital in reaching and maintaining your fitness and health goals. It burns calories and helps to reduce weight as well as strengthens the heart and increases lung capacity. Your cardio needs are determined by your fitness goals, but the basic guidelines by the CDC are 2 hours and 30 minuets a week for a healthy adult.
First, determine your target heart rate. This is the rate you want to keep your heart at for the duration of your cardio workouts.
There are many types of cardio and not all have to be on a machine in the gym.
Try sports, walking, skating, dancing or anything you enjoy that keeps you moving.

Diet Plan

Nutrients are what our body uses for fuel and is the building blocks for our body. The food pyramid shows the dietary guidelines for your food choices. The proper balance is essential to stay healthy and eating smaller meals more often will keep your metabolism and blood-sugar regulated.

First, calculate how many calories you need everyday. From this number you will adjust your calorie intake to maintain, lose or gain weight. Find the amounts of foods you need every day from the different food groups and learn about serving size information. Try to avoid fast food, trans fats and excess sugar.

Learn to read labels, which explain serving sizes and nutritional facts. Also look up your recommended daily amounts for vitamins and minerals. A multivitamin is a good way to supplement your diet as well as protein bars and shakes. Remember to drink plenty of water. Experts agree that water and staying hydrated is essential to health and is the best appetite suppressant.

Determining Your Goals

Like with most goals, you need to know your starting place and where you want to be before you can set up a plan for reaching your fitness goal. First find out your body mass index, BMI. This will show you where you are in terms of weight. Next, take your measurements. Muscle weighs more than fat, so it is important to see your improvements in size, not just weight.

Make a work out schedule and a journal to keep track of your progress. You need a plan and routine to keep you on track. Make fitness a priority in your life and schedule time for you. Find a certified trainer or experienced workout partner to keep you motivated and show you proper form and technique.

Why is Diet and Excersise Importaint?

Whether you are just toning up, building muscle or your looking for a life lift, working out will change your mind and body.

There are many reasons to work out besides just looking good. Regular exercise improves your health in a number of ways; it reduces the risk of developing such things as high blood pressure and diabetes and reduces your risk of dying from heart disease.

Not only does regular exercise help control weight, it also helps build and maintain healthy bones, joints and muscles as well as promotes psychological well-being.

Exercise improves your mood by releasing mood-enhancing endorphins, releases muscle tension and reduces the stress hormone, cortisol. It also promotes better sleep and increases intimacy.

Besides all of these positive effects, exercise can even be fun! Read more at About.com.

Take the time and invest in yourself. You will be amazed to see how the quality of your life improves!