The 12 Days of Fitness
Most women don’t drink nine 8-ounce cups of water a day the way experts recommend.
Here’s why you should: Water is involved in every function and system in the body. Fat-burning, protein synthesis (muscle-building) and muscle repair all depend on it, says Weatherwax.
If you don’t like the taste, add a squeeze of lemon. When you’re on the go, pour in a packet of natural, crystallized lemon, lime or orange, such as True Citrus (found in the baking aisle of supermarkets), she suggests.
On the ninth day: 9 exercises
To keep your whole body fit, you need to work nine major muscle groups: quadriceps (front of thighs), hamstrings, glutes, abdominals, shoulders, chest, back, biceps and triceps.
Just being physically active won’t sufficiently target all these areas, says Nutting.
For whole-body fitness, your workout should include lunges and squats (for lower body), rows and presses (for shoulders and arms), and planks and crunches (for abs).
On the tenth day: 10 minutes of cardio
Most people should exercise for 30 minutes, five days a week, according to The American College of Sports Medicine.
But our schedules don’t always allow for that, especially during the holiday season. Instead, three 10-minute mini-workouts will give you the same health benefits.
“But you need to make those 10 minutes work,” Friedman says. “If you’re doing cardio while reading a book or magazine, you’re probably not working hard enough [to see results].”
Maximize your treadmill or stair-stepper time by raising the intensity by 15%-20% every 30-60 seconds.
