Home Exercise Regimen-For Muscle toning and Strengthening

Muscle requires 35 calories per pound per day while fat requires 2 calories per pound per day. Lean muscle mass accounts for 75% of total calories burned per day. Work-outs not necessarily require going to gyms or buying fancy exercise equipments. A regular exercise regimen of 30 mins to 1 hour is sufficient for maintaining body’s fitness and shedding off that extra flab.

The exercise mentioned below can be done at home without any assistance. There is a need to follow this exercise schedule daily for almost 3 consecutive weeks and notice the difference in your body and overall fitness.

Warm Up Exercises:

Start with the warm exercise first thing in the morning after freshening up and drinking a glass of lukewarm water. Following the warm exercise, the stretching and strengthening exercises should be carried on.

a) Walking

You can walk anywhere, anytime, with good pair of shoes.
Start walking 10 minutes at a time and gradually increase your capacity to 30 minutes.

b) Static Cycling

Best method of cardiovascular toning as this does not involve moving out of home. Static cycle can be kept in any corner of home and can be used at any time of the day.

Stretching and Strengthening exercise:

a) Squats

Place your feet hip-width apart, toes facing straight and angled outward. Slowly bend your knees and hips towards the floor, keeping your back straight as if trying to sit on a chair. Bend your knees not more than 90 degrees. Then gradually push yourself back to the start position. You can take the support of a table or strong chair to make a grip and balance yourself.

b) Abdominal Crunches

Lie on your back with knees bent and feet on the floor. Now, hold your hands at the back of your head. Roll your upper trunk forward and gradually go back to the starting position.

Standing Calf Raises

Do this exercise on the edges of stairs or wood blocks. Do this on both legs at the same time in the beginning and gradually when you gain strength and balance, do with one leg at a time. As you gain strength, hold a weight in your hand starting with half a kilogram and going up to 3 kilogram thereby increasing resistance. Stand on the edge of block with only the balls of the feet on the block. Keeping knees straight bend only at the ankles and raise your body and then gradually lower your heels down.

Push Ups

Position in a prone position with face down towards the floor, balancing on your toes and hands. Spread the hands wider on floor so as to make a balanced grip and stabilize your body on your hands and toes. Slowly bend your arms and lower your body to the floor, not more than 90 degrees.

Lunges

Stand with one leg forward and another leg backward. Bend your knees and lower body into a lunge position, keeping the front knee and back knee at 90 degree. Push back to the starting position.

The Plank

Lie with face down towards the floor with elbows resting on the floor next to the chest. Push your body in pushup position with body resting on elbows and toes. Straighten your trunk and contract your abdominal muscles. Hold this position for 10 seconds and release back.

Leg Lift

Start in the same position, and slowly raise one leg, hold for 5 seconds and slowly lower your leg to the floor. Now switch to other leg.

Weight Shift

Start in the same plank position and gradually shift your weight to right forearm and raise your body from left side. Gradually go back to the starting position and repeat the same on other side. Now, extend left arm straight.

Arm Lift

Start in the same plank position, gradually let go your body weight on one hand and both feet and lift your body in a side position with the other hand extended away from the body. Gradually bend the extended arm and slowly shift your body weight on both the hands and get back to starting position. Now repeat the same on another side.

Dumbbell Lateral Raise

Stand with feet shoulder width apart and hold a dumbbell in each hand. Raise both arms on sides moving towards your head keeping in mind that palms should face upwards. Slowly return to starting position and repeat.

Quadriceps Stretch

Stand next to a wall and place one hand on the wall for support. Hold your left ankle with your left hand and pull your foot upwards toward your buttocks. Hold for 20 seconds. Repeat on opposite side.

Hip Flexor Stretch

Kneel down on the floor, with one leg bent on the floor and other leg in a semi-standing position with knee at an angle of 90 degrees. Move this leg in semi-standing position forwards towards the floor as much as possible and feel the stretch on the opposite leg. Hold for 10seconds and relax. Repeat on opposite side.

Wall Push-Ups

Stand facing a wall with feet about 1 to 2 inches apart. Place your hands on the wall up to your shoulder level and slightly wider apart as compared to your shoulder width. Bend the elbows, and push yourself forward towards the wall and then push yourself away from the wall.

Diet Tips

Plan your Fitness goals
Plan your serving sizes while eating
Be conscious while eating, finishing up slightly before your stomach is full.
Increase intake of nuts as they are a store of nutrition and provides fullness so that you don''t feel hungry too often
Hydrate...Hydrate...Hydrate!
Be careful about your liquid intake as liquid calories count too specially in case of soda, energy drinks, coffee drinks, teas, enhanced waters, juices, shakes, beer, mixed cocktails and wine

Foods that Increase Metabolism: