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Whether your goal is to lose 2 kg, 5 kg or 10 kg, you must start slowly. Don’t jump into it full throttle, as there’s a high chance of losing steam, putting on more weight and injuring yourself. You don’t want to be too sore by the end of the first week and never return to exercising after that. All routines should range from 30–45 minutes. Stick with shorter workouts if you are just starting out and increase the time as you get more confident.
Start with 3 times a week, and then slowly, after a month, make it 4 or 5 times a week. You can eventually take it up to 6 times a week.
Get in a workout 4 times a week as you are already a little active. And when you feel your body is ready for more, maybe after a month, increase it to 5–6 times a week.
You are already very active. So it won’t really be the number of days of activity, but the quality of that activity. Making a smart workout regime is very important to make your high level of activity worth the time and effort.
You can do more repetitions and rounds of the exercises I mention later, and even do advanced forms of them. For example, you can hold light weights while doing squats.
Now for the exercises, focus on a steady pace of cardio for an entire month or two, especially if you are a beginner and/or have more fat to lose. You can pick any of the cardio activities we discussed earlier. Make sure to do them at a steady and challenging, but manageable, pace. The idea is to make sure that your heart pumps at 60 to 70 per cent of the maximum heart rate for 20 minutes or more.
If you choose walking as your steady-pace cardio activity, ensure that it is a brisk walk. Brisk walking for 45 minutes mobilizes the body to dip into fat reserves and burn stored fat. It is especially good for burning internal belly fat, called visceral fat, which not only contributes to your waistline but also raises your risk of getting diabetes and heart disease.
You need to ensure you are walking fast enough to feel your heart rate go up, around 70 per cent of your maximum heart rate. Keeping it here will help you stay in the fat-burning zone.
In this zone, you will be breathing heavier, feeling the exertion and probably sweating, but will still be able to carry on a conversation.
Ensure your posture is correct, you are upright, your arms are in motion and you are walking powerfully.
Do remember to walk long enough: at least 45 minutes at 70 per cent of your maximum heart rate to burn stored fat.
After you do cardio regularly for at least a month, shift to the next phase of your weight-loss plan. At this point you would have lost some of that water weight.
They are a calibrated combination of cardio and strength training to make sure you lose fat. If you’re at an intermediate or advanced level, you need not wait for a full month to begin these exercises.
Do each exercise for 45 seconds
Rest for 30 seconds after each round
Do each exercise for 45 seconds
Rest for 30 seconds after each round
This is a great exercise for the core.
Begin by standing with your feet shoulder-width apart. Look ahead and keep your palms apart as if holding a box (people at an intermediate or advanced level can use dumb-bells) between them at the level of your midriff.
Move your arms upwards and to the left side while twisting the hips. Turn the right ankle, making sure your toe stays on the ground. Now engage the core and bring down the arms all the way to the left side, bending slightly at the knees. Your left foot will come up. Make sure to keep the left toe on the ground. Repeat on the other side.
Take a PollTake a PollDo each exercise for 45 seconds
Rest for 30 seconds after each round
Do each exercise for 45 seconds
Rest for 30 seconds after each round
This is an excerpt from Shwetambari’s Shetty book Get Moving!, taken with permission from Penguin Random House.
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