5 Body Toning Exercises for Females Without Weights

I always say that the most important thing in life is having a healthy body. Your body is a temple and it’s the only one you’re ever gonna have, so you should take care of it! So, I decided to give you some tips on how to keep your body-toned. I know most of you are probably very busy with work, family and the like, so I’m only including activities that are both quick and effective. Here are the best body toning exercises for females without weights and with weights:

1. Jumping Jacks
Everyone knows how to do jumping jacks and you don’t need a gym membership to do them! These can be very effective, especially if you go to your local sporting goods store and buy yourself a pair of ankle weights to wear while doing them. You can also buy some free weights to hold in your hands. They should be on the lighter side though, as this is a toning and endurance exercise, not weight lifting.

Body toning exercises for females with weights
Capt. Cheryl Sellers, 455th Air Expeditionary Wing, competes in the 400/1,000-pound powerlifting competition at the Rock Fitness Center on Bagram Air Field, Afghanistan, Jan. 9, 2016. Total weight was added from service members’ top squat, deadlift and bench press and applied toward a 400 or 1,000 pound lift goal. (U.S. Air Force photo/Tech. Sgt. Robert Cloys)

2. Dead Lifts
The Dead lift is considered by many to be the greatest exercise ever invented and for good reason. This one single exercise works your entire body. Just make sure you practice with less weight at first, because it can be easy for a beginner to lose form and pull a muscle. You can look up tutorial videos on YouTube or just have someone at the gym coach you.

3. Leg lifts
Leg lifts are very important for toning your lower abdominal region. This can be a difficult area to tone even if you are doing sit ups, so I would recommend this activity to almost anyone. Leg lifts enable you to fully stretch out your stomach, unlike flat ground sit-ups.

4. Balance
Instead of standing on the flat ground during your whole workout, it is much more effective to stand on a trampoline or on a bosu ball for part of it. This will engage your core and give you a full body workout, instead of just focusing on your upper body. Do a simple Google search for great balance exercises. There are literally countless options out there.

5. Plyos
The plyo is similar to a squat, except you use the motion of a squat to jump up to a higher level, and then back down to the ground. Do these over and over again. Really feel the burn and you will notice your legs and glutes transforming like never before.

6. Push Ups
Do these often, but make sure you do them while balancing on your toes, not your knees (unless you have to, then don’t worry about it – just do what challenges you). When push ups are done correctly, they will engage your entire core so that you are not just working your arms and chest, you are working your entire torso. This is a kind of “body weight workout” – these are great because they require no equipment, and your body weight is usually a good amount of weight for a beginner to start out with anyway.

Remember that none of these workouts are going to be effective unless you commit yourself to doing them all the time and never skipping out. You will also need to have a healthy diet too, because exercise can only do half the job of looking good. You can build as much muscle as you want, but if you have fat over it, it won’t do you any good. That means cutting out all fast food and soda. Study how the body metabolizes its food to get the most bang for your buck. A lot of knowledge can be obtained online and in magazine, so it’s not hard to learn this. Lastly, remember that it’s not always about who trains the hardest. It’s about who trains the smartest. So start today using the body toning exercises for females without weights or with weights.

Tanner Lovely writes about fitness, wellness & saving money on healthcare at www.dentalinsurance.net.

Protein Supplements: Not Just for the Boys

Ladies, if your goal is burning fat and building muscle, don’t forget to consume the protein your fitness goals require.  Protein revs up your metabolism, helping your body to burn calories, using food for fuel instead of storing it as fat.  Plus, protein consumption assists with lean muscle development.

If you need to keep your diet plan as easy and convenient as possible, consider using supplements to reap the benefits of protein.

Supplements Add Protein with Ease

You will find protein shakes for sale at the health food store, and that’s certainly an easy solution.  But the best protein powders are also simple to use.

Simply stir powdered protein supplements  into water or milk with a spoon or a blender.  You can buy different flavors, including vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry. Plus, using protein powders will be more cost-effective than ready-made protein shakes.

Don’t stop at adding your protein supplement to water or milk.  Blend in some fruit for a delicious smoothie.   Experiment with protein shake recipes until you find your favorites.

Protein is Key for Breakfast and Beyond

Breakfast and healthy snacks are essential to maintaining your metabolism and avoiding hunger.  If you’re too busy to prepare a protein-rich breakfast, a protein shake is a quick, portable (and refreshing) solution.  Protein is especially important at breakfast; without it, you’ll feel hungry or “crash” before lunch.

A protein shake makes a great snack, too.  In fact, studies show that your body (i.e. your muscles) will use protein more efficiently if you consume it consistently and gradually throughout the day. Plus, some of the best protein shake recipes feature high-quality branch chain amino acids that help general body recovery, especially after strenuous workouts.

A Positive Muscle Building State

In a positive muscle building state, your body burns fat rather than muscle.  Consuming protein, whether from supplements or your diet, will help you maintain this state.

To achieve a positive muscle building state, the International Journal of Sports recommends that you consume between 1.6 and 1.7 grams protein per kilogram of your body weight.   That amounts to  0.7 grams per pound, daily.  For an example woman who weights 140 pounds, multiplied by 0.7 grams, a good goal would be 98 grams of protein every day.

Try protein supplements for a quick and delicious answer to give your body the protein it needs to avoid hunger, burn fat, and build muscle.