Article # 300. The No-Diet & No-Exercise Guide to Fitness

Do you remember the last time you worked on improving your physical fitness by heading off to the gym or going out for a run? If the answer is no and you count yourself as too lazy or time crunched to follow a workout regime, but you still want to look and feel good inside out, then we’ve got you covered with a few no-diet and no-exercise tips. That’s right, NO-DIET & NO-EXERCISE, weight-loss tips! While you may have been slacking on sweating off the pounds, no pain doesn’t have to equal no gain…

Tip # 1 Keep buzzing with activity: Every little bit counts, even the trips to the restroom, getting up to gossip with your co-workers, walking around the mall and vacuuming your house. Research shows that increasing your incidental physical activity improves you cardiorespiratory fitness, which means your body’s ability to provide oxygen to your muscles and the efficiency of your heart. So even if you are skipping your workouts instead of snoozing on your couch, head out to window shop, fix yourself a real meal instead of take-outs, and walk up to talk to your colleagues more often instead of hitting the send button. Upping your daily activity by 30 minutes every day can really improve your health in the long run and burns upwards of 90 calories in that duration. The best part is that these activities easily fit into your everyday life and require little extra effort and time.

Tip #2 Get a good night’s sleep: This is a go-to weight loss secret for many celebrities. Sleep deprivation makes us eat more. Recent study shows that participants who got only four hours of sleep ended up consuming 300 more calories than when they were well rested. And catching up on the weekend does not count so be sure to get your 7-8 hours of siesta every night. If you are having trouble falling asleep, instead of helping yourself to a sinful slice of cake, sip on some chamomile tea with honey.

Tip #3 Choose Thy Friends Wisely: Motivation to stay healthy comes much more easily when you have friends and support groups who have similar goals. Instead of going and raiding every happy hour bar, hang out with people who like to move and don’t have a ‘fat mind’. Try and spend your weekends doing fun activities like cycling around the park and skating that help you burn off some calories. Even going to the museum or long walk in the park or beach is better than loading up on margaritas and chicken wings.

Tip #4Drink plenty of water: You can never have enough of it…Drinking cold water revs up your metabolism and burns more calories to warm up the liquid in your system. Staying hydrated also keeps you full and away from snacking on empty calories and releases muscle building hormones. So in an off chance that you do put on your running shoes or just plan to walk your dog, drink some cold water before the physical activity.

Tip# 5Try wonder toning gears: Get dimple-free skin and develop muscle tone without the bother of a workout with toning shoes, belts and sleepwear. The shoes from MBT, Reebok and Sketchers promise to tone your butt and abs as you walk; the sleepwear from micro Farma Cell Milk Shorts massage your thighs and abs while you sleep to diminish cellulite; and Slendertone Abdominal Muscle Toner works your tummy while you watch TV.

There are no short cuts to fitness, but with a little bit of thought, losing weight can be as effortless as 1,2,3 and a little sleep.