Walk off 5kg

by Jeanine Detz

If you’re finding it tough to get back into your gym routine – don’t! Our easy-to-follow walking programme will get you slim outside. Make the most of the warm weather with these easy but powerful workouts.

Research shows that routines like these can significantly lower your risk of heart disease, diabetes, and stroke. Yes, walking has had a bad rep in the past, thanks to its yawn factor and less-than-stellar kilojoule burn, but our program eliminates those problems. You’ll alternate between three walks (take a different route each time), so you’ll never do a single one more than twice a week.

And because picking up the pace can increase the kJ burn by 50 percent, you’ll vary your speed. See how much weight you can lose the easy way — and you can brag that you did it without setting foot in a gym…

How to spin like a pro

Whether your class is a twice-weekly ritual or you’re new to group cycling, here’s how to get the most out of every session:

• Get in gear. Padded shorts or a gel seat cover will provide cushioning between you and the saddle, which helps reduce numbing. Bike shoes are another must for regular cyclists. “They snap into the pedals and will make your strokes more powerful,” says spinning instructor Caroline Dawson.

• Get the setup right. Adjust the seat so when one pedal is in its lowest position, your knee is just slightly bent. Your handlebars should be about the same height as the saddle, or a notch or two higher.

• Don’t force yourself to keep up. “If the instructor cues you to start another climb and your legs feel like spaghetti, increase the resistance half as much as she suggests and/or pedal more slowly that your classmates,” says Dawson. “If everyone is sprinting and you can’t catch your breath, stay at your current speed.”

Get active & beat PMS

If your period makes you feel sluggish and headachy, getting a bit of exercise could help – even if it is the last thing you feel like doing.

“Research shows that regular exercise decreases premenstrual symptoms,” says sports scientist Kathy Mc Quaide.

She recommends training at a lower intensity during the first half of your cycle: “But have a high-carb snack about 90 minutes before exercising, and be prepared to stop if you really don‘t feel up to it.”

Then push yourself a bit harder in the second half of your cycle, when you should be feeling more energetic.

The lazy girl's guide to exercise

Not into gym this month? No worries. Here’s how to burn kilojoules with everyday activities.

> 15 minutes of sex (280kJ) = an 8-minute run at a fast pace. Which would you rather do?

> 30 minutes gardening (616kJ) = 15 minutes of squash.

Digging, weeding, clearing and planting all add up. Don’t forget to use your legs and not your back for lifting, to prevent injury. And add another 986kJ for spending an hour raking up those leaves!

> 1 hour dancing (1 200kJ) = a fast 30-minute cycle

Anywhere will do. Just draw the curtains if you’re going to bounce around your living room, to avoid curious stares from your neighbours.

More exercises for the lazy girl

Find as many ways to move your body as you can – every day. Here are a few more ideas to get you going:

> 1 hour walk to work at a brisk pace (1 200kJ) – 40 minutes playing tennis.

And imagine how good you’ll feel and how much you’ll save on petrol! Buy yourself a bunch of flowers as a treat on Friday, when you’ve walked each day of the week.

> 1 hour of DIY at home (1 111kJ) = 90 minutes of golf

Painting and decorating will also work your arm and shoulder muscles.

> 30 minutes in the kitchen preparing and cooking a meal (309kJ) = 15 minutes of swimming.

Fitness faux pas number 4

Coasting on your cardio

The facts: Sticking with the same aerobic workout can sabotage your results as much as pushing too hard. To truly boost your fitness, you need to venture outside your comfort zone a couple of times a week, to the point where you can feel your heart pounding.

The fix: Instead of zoning out or doing moderate-intensity cardio all the time, mix in some high-intensity intervals. For instance, after warming up for ten minutes on the treadmill, increase the speed or incline for 30 seconds one minute, then recover with 1-3 minutes of easy-to-moderate exercise. Keep alternating for 10-20 minutes, then cool down. You also may want to do longer high-intensity intervals – say, five minutes – where you don’t push quite as hard as you do on the shorter ones.

Fitness faux pas number 3

> Getting married to your strength routine

The facts: If you do the same routine over and over, your muscles will simply adapt; you’re likely to hit a plateau because each exercise stimulates only a limited number of muscle fibres.

However, if you challenge your muscles from a variety of angles by adding or alternating moves periodically, you’ll get significantly more fibres into the act.

The fix: For each muscle group, learn an additional two or three exercises, trying new angles and equipment.

For instance, if you usually do the dumbbell chest press on a flat bench, try it at an incline. If you normally use the chest press machine, try the dumbbell chest press or the bench press with a barbell.

Expand your routine enough so that you can change your entire routine every six to eight weeks.