INTRODUCTION

We all want to be a bit fitter. We also all secretly hate exercise.

Okay, not really – that’s a little harsh, but exercise IS hard, because we aren’t
always confident that we’re actually doing the right type of exercises for our bodies.

This four-part manual covers it all. What you’re doing wrong, what you should
be doing, and the best type of workouts, explained and dissected for any time
of week or day. Stick with this, and you’ll get results to be proud of in no time.

02
PART 1: WHAT ARE YOU DOING WRONG?
We’re calling you out.

You’re not doing enough Cardio

Ah, cardio. A term many cower away from, but hard facts verify that no matter
who you are, you gotta earn the burn by moving around and getting your heart
rate up. Cardio can burn calories and improve overall health, and studies have
shown that it is very effective at strengthening your midsection and reducing
your waistline.

But how much cardio should we all be doing? 150–300 minutes

of moderate-to-high-intensity aerobic exercise weekly, which translates
to roughly 20–40 minutes per day.

03
You aren’t resistance training enough

When you diet, you are also susceptible to losing muscle mass.
This can be detrimental to your metabolic rate, because losing
muscle can decrease the number of calories you burn on a daily basis.

Ergo, if you are resistance training, you’ll start preventing the loss
of muscle mass! This will help you maintain or improve your metabolic rate.
Plus, who doesn’t want more tone on their figure, right?

You’re Sitting Too Much

It’s normal to feel secret excitement when we get to do an exercise

on our backs or on the bench, but as much as you can, try to perform
all your workouts while standing up.

Performing exercises while standing up may be more beneficial than those

you would perform seated or by using weight machines.

Standing activates more muscles to maintain balance and hold up your

weight. This means you’ll be spending more energy working out.
You’ll spend more energy working out, and it may improve your breathing
compared to sitting.

You aren’t walking enough

Put on your walking shoes, we’re going for a stroll.

Studies have shown that you don’t need to exercise vigorously to reap
health benefits - instead, you can just make walking a habit.

Walking briskly for 30–40 minutes (about 7,500 steps) per day can win you
a reduction of dangerous tummy fat and a slimmer waistline. Consider
keeping your car in the garage for a while, or surrendering your bus pass and
walking to and from work, school or wherever you regularly frequent to feel
a little healthier. (And, if weather permits, of course!)

Too cold in your climate to walk? Consider brisk strolls on the treadmill,
climbs on the StairMaster make it a point to walk around your house, putting
things away.

04
You aren’t HIITing it up

It’s painful, but it works. High-intensity interval training (HIIT) means

performing intervals of very intense activity, such as sprinting, rowing
or jumping, with short breaks in between. HIIT makes your body burn more
fat and increases your metabolic rate, even long after you’ve finished your
workout. Burn baby, burn!

What’s more, this type of exercise takes up way less of your time than other
types of exercise, as it usually can be done in 10–20 minutes.

You’re neglecting your core

Pay more attention to that midsection. Crunches and other abdominal

exercises can benefit both your overall health and appearance.

By doing regular core exercises, you strengthen and add mass to your
abdominal muscles, which may prevent back aches that result from
weak posture.

A strong core will also improve your posture and prop up your spine, allowing
you to appear taller and more confident. Furthermore, core exercises help you
strengthen the muscles that ultimately hold in your belly, making you appear
leaner. Aim to do core exercises that engage all your core muscles, such
as planks or Pilates roll-ups.

You’re being too lazy

Basically, get off your butt!

Sneaking any type of extra activity into your day will not only increase your
productivity, but it can also help burn some extra calories (and just generally
make you a more well-rounded person).

This means picking up anything that involves walking, standing, fidgeting,

moving around and basically everything other than exercise training,
sleeping and eating.

Make it your own personal goal to make little changes in your daily habits:
walk around while talking on the phone, stand up regularly, work at a standing
desk or take the stairs whenever possible.

05
PART TWO: FULL- BODY WORKOUTS
Alright, we’re getting you up, getting you dressed, and we’re working you out.
Here is a handy list of our easy DIY full-body workouts, that are guaranteed
to get you the results you want.

These workouts are so timeless and effective, that (well, we can’t promise
THIS) if you do indulge every now and then, (really, don’t overdo it.) these
workouts could quite possibly cancel them out. Sometimes.
Just eat well and healthy to stay on the safe side, okay?

HIIT Cycling and Treadmill Training

If you have access to these two popular exercise staples, then you can
manipulate their settings to your weight loss advantage.

06
Here’s an easy cycling formula for you to start off with

❶ For 45-60 seconds, set your bike to your high intensity resistance level
and pedal as hard and as fast as you can.
❷ For 45-60 seconds, set your bike to your low intensity resistance level
and catch your breath and recover.
Repeat this process for a total of 20 intervals.

If the treadmill is more of your fancy, then follow

this basic formula to get you started

❶ Basic warm-up starting with a brisk walk and work your way
up to a light jog – 10 minutes
❷ Run at 10 mph for 30 seconds to 1 minute
❸ Walk at 3.5-4 mph for 2 minutes
❹ Repeat this cycle 7 more times (8 cycles total)
❺ If the work interval isn’t enough of a challenge, add a slight incline
to the treadmill
❻ Perform a cool-down walk for 5 minutes before stretching
and drinking plenty of water

07
Running
The king of all cardio, running is the best way to achieve your weight-loss
goals. Problem is, not everyone loves doing it. But, when you feel ready
to get off that treadmill (see above) try to experiment with running uphill
to work your gluts and legs — two of your body’s biggest muscle groups.
The more energy you’re using, the brighter that calorie-burning fire burns.

Swimming
Swimming is highly effective for weight loss because no matter your style,
whether you’re an expert swimmer or you like aimless, core-engaging lap
swimming, you will be working all of your major muscle groups and you WILL
feel the benefits. Try to go in with a plan to get the most out of your laps:
Tread water for as long as possible by standing upright in the deep end and
using your arms and legs to stay afloat. Then rest for two minutes. Now swim
10 sets of 100 meters (that’s back-and-forth lap in an Olympic-sized pool),
resting for one minute in between sets. Be careful getting out of the pool, though.
By the time you’re finished, your muscles will definitely be worn out!

Jumping Rope
Let’s pretend we’re back in the third grade, because jumping rope is actually
excellent for you! Use it as a warm-up or part of your CrossFit routine. This
cheap, portable tool is also attractive in that it gives you the opportunity to
get your heart pumping anywhere in the world with ease. Actually, now that
we think about it, maybe we should all be taking jump rope breaks at work!

If you wanted a serious Jump Rope workout, take note.

Our main tip? NEVER jumprope barefoot! (It just really hurts.)

❶ Warm up with a light 3-minute skip with the rope

❷ Do 100 traditional jumps (both feet leave the floor at the same time,
and no extra hops in between)
❸ Once you finish, immediately do 100 jump rope sprints
(think regular jumping rope but at an even quicker pace)
❹ Repeat steps 2 and 3, but follow this format: 50/50, 21/21, 15/15, 9/9
❺ If you want more, work your way back up the ladder until
you reach 100/100 again

08
PART THREE: SQUAT SQUAD
We can’t ignore the booty in your body success goals, and with that in mind,
You could never go wrong with squats! Here are some favorites to tone your
gluts. Do them for one minute each, rotate, and repeat.

For double sided workouts, do each side for 30 seconds and switch.

Don’t forget – if your butt is sore, that means they’re working.

Squat Jumps (with or without band)

If you’re doing this with a band, place the resistance band just below your
knees and follow the directions below.
• Stand with your feet hip-width apart, toes pointed forward.
• Interlace your fingers together in front of your chest and bend with
your knees pointed forward.
• Then, spring into a jump, and bend again. Repeat until your minute is up!

09
Traditional Squat
• Stand with your feet hip-width apart, toes pointed forward.
• Interlace your fingers together in front of your chest and bend
with your knees pointed forward.
• Then stand, and bend again. Repeat until your minute is up!

Squat Walk (with resistance band)

You can do this from one end of the room to the other and repeat, or you
can put your treadmill at a higher incline (8) at a snail’s pace (1-2) and walk
sideways, very carefully.
• Place the band over your ankles and get into your squat stance
• Interlace your fingers together in front of your chest and bend
with your knees pointed forward.
• Walk slowly, keeping your glut muscles tight and as low to the ground as possible.

Dumbbell Squats
You don’t need to be like Popeye with your dumbbells to make this one work! Find
a pair that suits your strength and build your way up from there. The heft of the
dumbbells will help tighten your gluts which in turn lift your booty. Just make sure
that your stance is correct: feet hip-width apart, elbows pointed behind you and
forearms forward, with the dumbbells by your side. Couldn’t be easier.

Weightless Squats
Stand with your feet hip-width apart, toes pointed forward, interlace your
fingers together in front of your chest and bend. Then stand, and bend again.
Repeat until your minute is up!

Lunges
Lunges can be tricky if you have bad balance, but they’re also a great way to
strengthen your legs as well as your butt. If you have the stamina to incorporate
power lunges with a hop between then great, but otherwise, go as slow as you
need to. Just don’t forget to engage your core the whole time.

Tabletop Bended Knee Raises

Who doesn’t love a good tabletop position? This exercise is more relaxing than
others, but still takes a lot of effort. Lift your bent leg to the side, till it’s level with
your hip, lower back down and repeat. Don’t rest your knee back to the ground
though, it defeats the purpose.

10
PART FOUR: SLEEPYTIME WORKOUTS
Yes, you read that right.
No, we aren’t sorry.
Working out before bed is about as unappealing an idea as getting a root
canal. But what if we were to tell you that setting aside 8 minutes an evening
to roll out your yoga mat in front of the tv and doing some extremely simple,
low impact exercises that could potentially naturally improve your gut health,
and help you sleep better, too!

Rumor has it that turning this sequence of exercises into a routine regimen
over a long period of time can manipulate *Gasp!* weight-loss during sleep!
Roll out your favorite yoga mat, or any other surface you’d like to get cozy
on (you can even do this on your bed!)

11
Cat Cow
Get on your hands and knees into a tabletop position (make sure they
are hip and shoulder-width apart) and then arch your back into a cat position,
and slowly hunch it into cow position. Repeat for 30 seconds to 1 minute.

Belly Lifts
Lay on your back and keep your knees bent with your legs lifted. Straighten
your legs and then bend them back down again, then press them up once
more. You should feel the pressure in your lower belly. Repeat for 30 seconds
to 1 minute.

Windmill
Staying on your back, keep your legs straight and in the air above you,
and maneuver them in a circular motion, keeping your core engaged. Repeat
for 30 seconds on one rotation, then rotate the other way for another 30 seconds.

Cobra
Get on your stomach with your legs outstretched behind you, and push your
chest and torso up by your forearms to form a curve in your back. Hold
for 30 seconds to a minute

Side Sleeper
Laying on your side, keep your bottom leg bent and over your flat leg.
Turn your torso to face the other direction. Hold for 30 seconds
and reposition to the other side, holding for another 30 seconds.

12