Dynamic Solutions For Women

This is the time of year when you most want/need to fit into a little black dress, yet have the least amount of money to achieve weight loss (all your spare money seems to go on presents, wrapping paper, turkey, crackers, the little black dress…). Many women wanting to lose a bit of weight before the Christmas party season head off to the gym or maybe even invest in gym equipment for the home (which soon become rather expensive clothes-hangers). Others may sign up to diet clubs that charge a membership fee and weekly subs.

But you don’t need to go to these costly lengths to achieve the shape you want. Here are some ideas to inspire you to work out at home to tone up and look fab this Christmas.

1. Actually Go To The Gym

We’re not being facetious here. You may already have a gym membership, which you may have not taken up for a while because you keep failing to make time for it, or can think of a million other things to do with your time.

If you are lucky enough to have a gym membership that includes use of a personal trainer then book in some sessions! If not, then book time in your diary to go! Make sure your favourite tunes are on your player to motivate you to move.

1. Buy a Workout DVD

All you really need to tone up and lose weight is thirty minutes, five times a week. Switch off Emmerdale and put on a workout DVD instead. Make sure the workout makes you puff a bit (so that conversation is hard) but not so much that you feel out of breath.

1. Try a Basic Workout at Home on Your Own

Try exercises that work on each part of your body and keep working at them. Do them for ten minutes each evening before settling down to get ready for sleep (exercise will wake you up so don’t do it when you’re wanting to go to bed). Try these:

• Sit-ups (don’t try to lift yourself all the way up – they’re much more effective if you lift slightly off the floor feeling your tummy ‘crunch’ with the effort, holding for ten seconds at a time).
• Squats (stand tall, feet apart, arms out forwards and squat until your thighs are parallel to the ground)
• Jumping jacks
• Chair exercises (sit on your hands, arms straight, lift your knees towards your chest, bending slightly – not too much! – to meet them; or hold the edge of your chair and slip your bottom off, using your arms to ‘dip’ your bottom, counting to three on the way down and one on the way up).
• Use tins, or fill empty 4 litre milk cartons with water to act as impromtu weights.
• Check out apps for your mobile that offer exercise-tracking and weight-loss targets.

Whatever you do, it is better than nothing at least! If you stick at it then you will see a difference in your body shape, and if it’s a minor adjustment to your normal routine then it will be easier to keep it up.