Build A Better Body with Water, Walking & Weights

By Gloria Kamil

Get started building a better body with water, walking, and weight training. Start NOW:

Water is essential to your physical health and appearance; muscles are made up of water, and muscle tone can't be maintained without an adequate amount. Amazingly, you can lose 10 or more cups a day through urine, sweat, breath, and exercise— even more if you consume caffeinated and/or alcoholic beverages. Water acts as a natural lubricant for joints and a natural appetite suppressant when taken 15 -20 minutes before meals. It is also a pain reliever and at the same time washes pollutants and waste chemicals out of your system. The amount of water you need is based upon your height and weight 50-75% of your body weight, for example, a 200 pound person should drink 100 – 150 ounces of water daily.

Walking is a friendly friend to your body. It is friendly to your joints and mind, and is sliming to your body. It is the easiest and safest way to help build your foundation. It is a necessity. A 45-60 minute walk is about 3 miles, averaging 15-20 minute/mile, burning 240-300 calories depending on your weight. The first 6-9 weeks of any exercise program is the make or break time. Other exercise may burn more calories, but being consistent and establishing a relationship with exercise should be your main objective. Remember, you are building a foundation. Your walk should be vigorous enough to get your heart pumping and you should be able to carry on a conversation without huffing and puffing. Walk heel to toe, chest lifted, shoulders back and tuck your tummy in without your ribs protruding outward. By walking every day for a year you can drop 10 or more pounds. That is, depending on your current food choices, intake and other activities you can achieve this loss just by walking 3 miles daily.

Weight training is essential to achieving a better body. It is not an option; it is your strong suit. In building your foundation to be able to shape your body you have to build muscle, remember you can't build what you don't have. Look in a full-length mirror and give yourself a fat assessment evaluation. What is your body type, an apple or pear? Do you waddle when you walk? Do you have full range of motion with your arms and legs or has the range been shortened due to excess weight on the limbs? Do you still have a neck or does your head appear to sit directly on your shoulders? What about your midsection, fat's favorite nesting ground? Do you still have a waistline? Look at your body and make a decision.

Weight training to build muscle requires time. It can take anywhere from 4-6 months to establish a solid foundation if you have very little experience or if you are a beginner. This depends upon your fitness level, age, and so forth. Before you can proceed to the body-shaping phase (not to be confused with bodybuilding which is an exaggeration of muscles development) the foundation stage of weight training is necessary. It is referred to as body conditioning, using weights at a lower intensity to acclimate the body, preparing it for an increase in weight and intensity to shape the muscle. Proper form is extremely important when learning to weight train so you avoid injury. Free-weights are excellent in shaping a woman's body. They allow a greater range of motion than machine weight. They build true strength. The execution of the exercise itself should accentuate the negative, the lowering portion of an exercise. Up is the positive and down is the negative in all forms of exercise.

So, your plan of action to build a better body is as follows:

• Drink plenty of water—50-75% of body weight daily, in addition to any other liquid you may drink.
• Walk 45-60 minutes daily—clock and write down your time daily.
• Weight train 2- 3 times a week—(in addition to walking) and seek professional help to learn how to weight train safely and effectively.

Follow this program and you can shed unwanted pounds. Be sure to eat plenty of leafy green vegetables, lean meats and fruits and limit or eliminate high fat and processed foods from your lifestyle.