By Maxine Giza

The mercury is edging upward, and that can only mean one thing ~ swimsuit season is here! Don’t fret if you still have a spare tire and jiggly thighs that are anything but ready for the beach. Getting a toned body involves breaking a sweat and commitment. Experts say with the right plan, people can safely lose 1-2 pounds per week.

Getting started
From Zumba to traditional squats and lunges, there are many heart rate-increasing exercises to choose from. So many, in fact, that novices may feel overwhelmed by the plethora of colored balls and fancy pieces of equipment that adorn many gyms.

But some exercises and equipment can help maximize your efforts. Using kettle bells, bosu balls, medicine balls, TRX-straps or even traditional barbells can help chisel away fat, advised T.A. Crago, district manager of Custom Built Personal Training in all Boost Fitness locations in Massachusetts.

You don’t always have to use fancy tools, though. Performing exercises that include your own body weight as resistance is also important. “Total body exercises that activate both the upper and lower hemispheres of the body in a single functional action will allow for maximal caloric burn with fewer reps, less resistance and, most importantly, less time,” Crago said.

Looking for something more traditional? Ellen Chevalier, director of group exercise and senior master personal trainer at Worcester Fitness, recommends engaging in a cycling class coupled with free weights. “A combination of cardiovascular intervals with resistance (weight-bearing) exercises deliver the best results in the least amount of time,” she said.

Exercise in little time
Don’t have hours to exercise? No problem. There are options available to people who only have time to squeeze in a quick workout each day.
“If you have a 20-minute window to exercise, the most efficient use of that time frame would be to engage in total body interval training with light to medium resistance,” Crago said. “This will allow your body to sustain an increased heart rate and breathing capacity to maximize cardiovascular/cardiopulmonary output while efficiently building lean fat burning muscle tissue.”

Chevalier touts the benefits of weight-lifting for those with limited time because resistance training will help boost your metabolism. “Cardio burns calories most efficiently directly after a workout, whereas weighted workouts burn calories throughout the day,” she said.

Avoid common pitfalls
While a person may be highly motivated to drop excess fat, having unrealistic goals and not following an appropriate diet and exercise plan can hinder efforts. Chevalier said sometimes people push themselves too hard at first, resulting in burnout.

“Instead, they should set aside two to three days a week that they can realistically commit to exercise, reduce larger portions of food, think positive and have fun doing something they enjoy,” she recommended.

Variety is also key. Crago said regardless of a person’s fitness goals, he or she must continuously change the exercise routine. “The human body remembers repetitive physical actions we continuously engage in, which, in turn, means you will acclimate quickly to the exercises in your routine.”

Top photo: Ellen Chevalier works with a client at Worcester Fitness.
Bottom photo: Clients break a sweat at Worcester Fitness.
Courtesy of Joe Santa Maria