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Weight management
The science behind weight loss and maintaining your current weight can be quiet confusing. So here it is in a nutshell:
If you consume the same amount of kilojoules (kj or energy) each day as you burn, then you will maintain your current weight. If you want to lose a few kilos you need to consume less kilojoules than you burn. It is as simple
as that!
What is energy?
You need energy to live – you need it to move, from walking to running and everything in between. The higher intensity and the longer you exercise for, the more energy you will burn.
Your body also needs energy for digestion, muscle growth and repair as well as to pump blood to vital organs. Energy comes from the food we eat, our body breaks down carbohydrates, sugars and fats and turns them into energy. When energy is not immediately required, it is stored in our
body as fat.
How much energy do I need?
To workout exactly how much energy you need each day can be quite confusing. You need to take into account many factors including your age, sex, body size and the amount of exercise you do each day. On average, a woman needs about 6000 to 8000 kjs a day, less if she wants to lose weight, possibly more if she does a lot of physical activity. However, this can differ between each woman.
Where should I get my energy from?
Different types of food provide a different amount of energy. Carbohydrates and proteins provide about 17 kjs per gram, while fat gives you 38 kjs per gram. This is why people who want to lose weight stick to a low- fat diet.
Toning tips
Okay, now that you’ve covered basic weight control through diet, you can incorporate
that knowledge into your
training regime.
How do I tone up?
Resistance or weight-training is one of the most effective ways to develop stronger, leaner and more defined muscles. Weight- training also helps speed up your metabolism through muscle growth, while strengthening bone mass.
Any form of exercise will tone your muscles to some extent, some more than others. While weight-training is one of the top ways to tone up you can also achieve results through other types of exercise, such as yoga, Pilates and even cardio training.
How do I avoid getting bulky?
It is a lot harder for women to increase muscle size through weight-training than men, simply because they don’t have enough muscle building hormones in their body. However, there are a few things you can do to promote firm and lean muscles.
• Use light weights for longer.
• Do 15 to 20 reps of each exercise two or three times.
• Don’t forget the importance
of stretching.
• Stretching improves flexibility, and promotes longer, leaner muscles. It also prevents injury and soreness the next day.
Mix it up:
Do a variety of exercises to tone your whole body, rather than constantly focusing on just a few major muscles.
Do I still need cardio exercise if I don’t want to lose weight?
Yes. Cardio training is important for your health, it helps prevent heart disease, lower blood pressure and increases fitness levels. It is possible to do cardio training and strength training at the same time, through circuits, intervals and high-intensity weight-training. Cardio can also help reduce the amount of fat on your body, which can cover muscles making you look less toned.
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Abdominals and lower back
Side crunch
Tool: Swiss ball
Works: Obliques
Sit on a ball facing a wall. Turn onto your right side so hip is near the top of the ball. Place feet in a position on the wall so you feel balanced. With a straight back, arms crossed on your chest, lower upper body towards floor, then use stomach to crunch back to starting position. For an extra challenge place hands behind your head.
10 to 20 x 3 each side.
Knee circles
Tool: Medicine ball
Works: Stomach, core, hip flexors and arms.
Sit with knees bent holding medicine ball at chest level. Lean back about 45 degrees. Contract abs and lift feet slightly off ground. Keep upper body straight, slowly draw a circle in the air with knees. For an extra challenge, lift medicine ball higher, straighten legs and lean back further.
10 to 20 x 3.
Superman lift
Tool: Body weight
Works: Lower-back
Lie face-down with arms extended forward and legs stretched out behind you. Contract stomach and lift arms and legs off the ground, hold for two seconds and return to starting position.
20 x 3.
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Top toning exercises
There are a number of tools that can assist with
toning exercises:
• Dumbbells
• Body weight as resistance
• Medicine ball
• Swiss ball
• Resistance band
• A chair
Glutes, quads and calves
Squat with calf raises
Tool: Medicine ball
Works: Quads, glutes and calves.
Stand with feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart. Squat down until thighs are almost parallel to the ground. While in a squat position, lift onto toes and push up until legs are only slightly bent. Return to starting position. Repeat 20 x 3.
Hamstring rolls
Tool: Swiss ball
Works: Hamstrings and glutes.
Lie on back with feet on middle of the ball. Lift hips off ground so body is in a straight line. Once you feel steady, roll ball towards you, then back to starting position. 20 x 3.
Wall squats
Tool: Resistance band
Works: Glutes and quads.
Tie a resistance band just above your knees so it is tight when legs are hip-width apart. Lean your back against a wall and squat down until knees are in line with hips, and feet are under knees. Keep back straight against the wall and try to stretch band with legs as far as you can (it should only move about 1 to 2 cms). Hold in this position for 1 to 3 minutes. Rest for 1 min, then repeat x3.
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Shoulders, chest, back and arms
Rotator cuff lifts
Tool: Dumbbell
Works: Shoulders
Lie on floor with knees bent. Hold dumbbells and keep elbows at a 90-degree angle in line with shoulders. Keep elbows and upper arms in contact with the floor the whole time. Slowly rotate right elbow forward until hand is about 1cm from ground. At the same time, rotate left elbow backwards until hand is 1 cm from ground. Now swap arms around. That’s one rep, do 15 x 3.
Lateral raise
Tool: Dumbbells, chair
Works: Upper back
and shoulders.
Sit on chair and lean forward from your hips. Keep back straight, abs braced and hold dumbbells in each hand with arms straight by your sides. Lift arms out to the side until shoulder height, focus on squeezing shoulder blades together. Return to starting position. Repeat 15 x 3.
Pecs press
Tool: Resistance band
Works: Chest, quads
and glutes. Place resistance band across your back at chest level and hold ends in each hand. Keep elbow at a 90-degree angle at shoulder level, make sure band is fairly tight. Get into a lunge position and lower so your leg muscles are braced, hold this position for duration of exercise. Now with a straight back push arms forward until slightly bent and return to starting position. Do 15 and then swap legs. Repeat twice.
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