Take the stairs when you have the choice. Stand instead of sit while you use the computer or study. Walk to places that are a mile or less from your location, instead of taking the car. Go for a relaxing walk or jog instead of watching TV. There are lots of ways to get active in your everyday life without even exercising.
For exercises you can do on your own, try walking, riding a bike, or going swimming. Then, as you get stronger, you can gradually walk up to more intense exercises like jogging or running. [1] X Expert Source Steve Horney PT, MPT, MTC, CSCSLicensed Physical Therapist Expert Interview. 3 June 2020. These basic exercises should take up about three hours of your day, everyday, for the first week or two.
If you don’t own weights, you can cheat and use cans of food or other lightly heavy objects. Pair this with a squat or lunge to make it a full body workout.
You should try to hold this position for as long as you can, but you should know that holding it for a minute or more takes very strong core muscles. Start out holding the position for 10 seconds, resting for 30 seconds, and then repeating for about 10 minutes. Slowly work your way up to holding the position for 30 seconds to a minute.
If you’re new to squats, using a chair or table to balance can make it much easier.
Exercise balls are pretty cheap but you can cheat a bit and just buy a big rubber ball from a toy store, which are often sold for $10 or less.
You can skip either the push-up or the jump, but both really add to the effectiveness of the exercise, so it is not recommended.
In some cases, if you have a metabolic syndrome that causes fat to build up in your muscles, you may be able to work away the fat through exercise. [3] X Expert Source Steve Horney PT, MPT, MTC, CSCSLicensed Physical Therapist Expert Interview. 3 June 2020.
Talk to your doctor about a fast to clear out your digestive tract. Then, start adding in foods based on a Paleo or low-FODMAP diet. Wait a week or so to see how you feel, then gradually add in more foods in to determine what diet makes you feel the best. For instance, you may find that eating soy makes you feel bad, or that dairy tends to bother you.
For most people, our bodies will start burning fat when we burn more calories (a form of energy) than we take in. If you have fat that you need to burn before you can look toned, you’ll need to make sure you’re taking in slightly fewer calories than your body really needs. Don’t make the change too dramatic, however. Too few calories and your body will think that there’s a famine going on, causing it to absorb and create as much fat as it possibly can. For example, an average height 16 year old girl who weighs 120 lbs and exercises about once a week would need around 1800 calories a day to maintain the weight that she’s at. If she wanted to lose weight, she might want to lower that amount to 1300-1350.
Generally, you want to avoid unhealthy fats (trans fats), sugar, and carbohydrates with very few nutrients. These include items like butter, chips, french fries, commercial baked goods, candy, commercial pizza, mayonnaise, soda, processed meat, and white bread. You’ll also want to watch out for some “health” foods. Smoothies, for example, often contain a huge amount of sugar. For example, even Jamba Juice’s healthy options still contain the equivalent of 24 sugar cubes. [5] X Research source If you want to have a smoothie, make sure no sugar is added and that it contains mostly greens and soy or almond milk. The fruit content should be minimal. To promote healthier digestion, try to choose foods that help fight inflammation in your body. [6] X Expert Source Steve Horney PT, MPT, MTC, CSCSLicensed Physical Therapist Expert Interview. 3 June 2020. For instance, you might eat more tomatoes, leafy greens, nuts, fruits, and olive oil. Avoid fried foods, red meat, and foods that are high in sugars or refined carbs. [7] X Trustworthy Source Harvard Medical School Harvard Medical School’s Educational Site for the Public Go to source
Healthy vegetables include: kale, chard, collard greens, broccoli, spinach, edamame, carrots, brussels sprouts, and peas. Healthy grains include: brown rice, quinoa, oatmeal, bulgur, buckwheat, and barley. Healthy proteins include: lean proteins such as salmon, turkey, anchovies, sardines, soy nuts (and other soy products), almonds, walnuts, eggs, and lentils. Healthy fruits include: lemons/limes, oranges, grapefruit, kiwi, strawberries, raspberries, and pears. Healthy dairy products include: cottage cheese, low-fat yogurt, and milk. [8] X Research source .
How much water you need depends on your own unique body. The recommended eight glasses a day is just a rough estimate. A good rule of thumb is that if your urine is coming out pale or clear, you’re getting enough water. If it’s bright yellow or dark, you need to drink more water. You’ll want to maintain your electrolytes while you exercise but don’t feel limited to sports drinks like Gatorade. Electrolytes are essentially any “salt” in the presence of water. For example, mostly anything with ingredients in the first or second group of the periodic table (like Sodium, Potassium, and Magnesium) will act as an electrolyte when consumed with water. Such salts can be found in table salt (sodium chloride), bananas (potassium), and mineral rich vegetables like kale. Eating a banana and munching on some salted nuts while staying hydrated is a much healthier way to maintain a crucial electrolyte balance without consuming artificial dyes and sweeteners.
It is recommended that you eat at least 1,200 calories a day. You should never go below 1000 calories a day, as this significantly increases your chances of health complications like gallstones. [10] X Research source
For example, try monkey arms for ten minutes in the morning followed by twenty minutes of push-ups, jumping jacks, and burpees. Try going up and down the stairs for half an hour at lunch, and then swimming after school for an hour. Another example of a schedule would be riding your bike for half an hour to get to school, taking an extracurricular gym class that meets every day, and doing half an hour of light cardio before doing your homework. Aim to do between thirty and sixty minutes of light cardio, such as walking or cycling, a day. You can do more intense exercise regimens a few times a week.
For example, add an extra half hour onto your “getting ready for bed” routine. Before getting in the shower and brushing your teeth, do an exercise like jumping rope for half an hour. Give yourself incentive to meet these time goals. For example, for every week that you stay on track, take yourself and a friend out to a movie. You can even use food rewards, like a single cookie (try a fancy cookie from the store to ensure you only eat one), to both reward you and help keep you from feeling deprived. There are even apps you can use to help you meet these time goals, like Pact which rewards you or punishes you based on how well you do.
For example, let’s say you’re really interested in martial arts. You can take up judo. Find a class at your local YMCA and go for practice every day. Classes from your local community center or YMCA (or similar charity health club) will be much cheaper than going to a specialty gym. They often even have scholarships, meaning that you can take the class for free if you qualify.
Doing exercises you like and eating foods you like. Doing exercises that are fun for you or finding healthy food combinations that you think are tasty can make a huge difference in keeping you motivated. Try to find an exercise that you enjoy doing, even if it isn’t the most effective exercise. That you’ll do it for a long time and consistently is more important. Exercising with other people. Start a jogging ground or even sign up for a yoga class at the local health club with your mom. Having another person to exercise with you will make you feel responsible and you’ll be more likely to stick with it on those days when you’re really tired or lazy.
