What are the best exercises to do to firm up?

[Lostmessage]

Anyone know what kind of exercises are good to firm up if you feel like your legs, arms and belly is looking a bit too fat?

[GreenGreenLimaBean]

1. Join a running group.

No better way to get fit and stay fit...

Another benefit, I can eat what I want when I want.

[GOPisEvil]

2. Pilates is supposed to be good for firming up and toning.

:shrug:

[Lostmessage]

14. Is it real exercise?

I am allergic to exercise.

[GOPisEvil]

17. Define real exercise.

I'm afraid you'll have to exert yourself SOMEHOW to firm up. ;-)

[Pobeka]

3. 1) running, 2) jogging, 3) swimming, 4) fast walking

Any aerobic exercise is going to help reduce fat, and it's good for the ol' heart muscle too!

[Robb]

4. I gotta say

I've been doing plain old situps every day for a month or so now, peaked at around 100/day and seem to have settled into 40. And while my tummy is not yet ready to backup a banjo and jug band, it's getting there and the lil' handles are gone.

Throw in the odd swim, and shovel some snow, and man, I'm looking good. Er, if I do say so myself. :)

[DS1]

5. Everywhere you go

run like your life depended on it, picture a lion after you at all times. That should burn some fat off.

[dolo amber]

7. Heh

That's about the ONLY way I'm running; if something's chasing me. And even at that it'd hafta be an awfully BIG something...:P

[Lostmessage]

15. When I was in grade school

They use to tell us to run like the cops were after us.

:shrug:

[OffWithTheirHeads]

6. It's real simple

burn more calories than you consume. End of subject.

[stanwyck]

12. Well, there goes

the entire fad diet book industry. All those Atkins products cluttering up the grocery shelves. All those South Beach Diet books on the bookstore shelves. What are you? Some kind of communist? Fake diets are one of the only industries America has left. Don't you get it? We build fast-food franchises around the world. We make formerly healthy foreigners obese on our junk food. And then we sell them phony diets. But don't worry. They don't work. So, we'll still have our market for our addictive junk food when they give up on our useless fad diets after they regain the weight. Then, they'll start feeling guilty again and start buying the books again. It's brilliant.

[Lostmessage]

8. I cut my Chex Mix out for dinner

I have to start walking more to firm up.

Thanks everyone.

[greatauntoftriplets]

9. Try salad for dinner.

Or cook some boneless skinless chicken breasts.

[Lostmessage]

18. I am going on Atkins for one or two months

I really don't need to lose that much weight I have to firm up.

[camero]

10. I ride my bike

It doesn't feel like a workout but it is one.

[Emboldened Chimp]

11. You want firm? Lift weights.

Cardio exercises do not firm you up that much, if at all. They can help burn fat to a certain point, but ultimately you'll need to build muscle. A combo of the two--some form of cardio and a full-body weight lifting routine--will have you firmed up quite nicely in a couple months or so (yes, it takes time). I run 5 miles 3 times a week and lift weights twice a week, for a total of five workout days. That schedule has kept me in great shape for years. Good luck!

[Flaxbee]

13. Eat less at night, do push-ups, sit-ups and

some leg lifts with ankle weights (5 lbs each is enough). I cannot stand "exercising" but find it pretty easy to stick to three things I can do while watching TV or listening to the radio... Check out a few magazines or websites for proper posture so you don't strain anything. I do 20-30 "men's" pushups, 25 situps and three sets of 20 leg lifts and really, it does help. A little does a lot if you can do your routine consistently. Walk briskly for cardio, running if you don't have good form can also cause problems & it's not easy to find good form if you're not used to running a lot.

And, when I start to feel a little "soft", I cut out beer entirely. I don't have more than 2-3 a week with dinner, but I find it really packs on weight around my caboose. Wine doesn't, beer does.

[Terwilliger]

16. a steady diet of sex

[camero]

19. That works

my ex lost 20 lbs when she was with me. I gained 10...lol :)

[Nlighten1]

20. Just about any excercise is good.

You may also want to check this out.


http://www.google.com/search?sourceid=navclient&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&q=%22macrobiotic+cooking%22