If you're looking for a way to tone up for a special event or to become more fit overall, there are many exercises that can help. According to the American Heart Association, exercise offers toning benefits and boosts your immune system and decreases the risk of developing terminal diseases. For full body toning workouts, start with an aerobic exercise program and add strength training programs if you want quicker or more dramatic results.
Aerobic Exercise
Aerobic exercise burns calories, which in turn burns fat, making your muscles more visible. The American Heart Association recommends that adults perform aerobic exercise for a minimum of half an hour a day. If you do not currently exercise, pick a cardiovascular activity you enjoy, such as walking, running, swimming, cycling, hiking, dancing or playing a sport such as soccer, basketball or hockey. Create a fitness program that builds up to at least 30 minutes of your activity five to six times a week. If you already exercise regularly, add intensity or time to your workouts. If you normally jog, for instance, incorporate interval training, and if you usually jog for 30 minutes, build up to 45 minutes.
Weight Training
Tone your muscles by incorporating strength training into your routine two or three times a week. In addition to giving you a more fit look, strength training speeds up metabolism, helping with weight control. An effective strength training option is weight lifting. Check with your doctor before beginning a weight lifting program, and ask for recommendations on the best weight amount and type for your individual body and goals. Basic weight lifting exercises that work the major muscle groups include the chest press, triceps extension, shoulder press, bicep curl, leg press and squats. You can use dumbbells and do a high number of repetitions of each exercise for overall toning, or use heavier weights and do a lower amount of repetitions to build more muscle bulk. Do two to three sets of each weight exercise.
Yoga
Yoga is another option that offers strength training and toning benefits. According to a study conducted at Preventive Medicine Research Institute in Sausalito, California, people who practiced yoga and meditation regularly, exercised and ate a healthy diet lost more weight than those who exercised and ate nutritiously but skipped yoga. Yoga also helps improve flexibility and reduces stress. To learn yoga, sign up for a class at your gym or local yoga studio, or use at-home yoga DVDs or online videos to learn on your own. Practice yoga at least twice a week and you'll start to notice more muscle definition as the weeks progress.
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