30 Day Challenge Body Weight Fitness to Lose Weight

10 Minutes of Cardiovascular Exercise Can Help You Lose Weight

U.S. government recommendations are that Americans perform 30 minutes of moderate intensity cardiovascular exercise per day, with two days per week of strength training for the entire body. In an effort to get you newbies to fitness going in the right direction, we’re adding two days of strength training to your walking program during the September 2015 “No White Things” Challenge.

For beginners whose endurance may not allow 30 continuous minutes of exercise, start with two to three 10 minute blocks per day, and work your way up to 30 minutes or more of continuous exercise by week two.

This means you will get up from your desk at break time and walk outside for 10 minutes, or go up and down flights of stairs. If you have young children, dance around with them to the latest hip hop tunes. Shoot hoops with the neighbor or your older children in the yard or at the park. Instead of having the kids do it, you take the dog for an invigorating 10 minute walk so you can both get some exercise.

If you have one, dig your bike out of the garage and ride through the neighborhood for 10 minutes. If your heart and knees are healthy enough for more high intensity exercise, grab your jump rope and jump for 10 minutes to burn an amazing 114 calories. Or you can jump indoors on a mini-trampoline – those things are amazing and lots of fun. Reportedly, a 150 lb female jumping on a rebounder can burn 70 or more calories in just 10 minutes (depending of course upon the intensity).

For the first week, your walking challenge is to clock a minimum of 5000 steps per day; that would equate to 35,000 steps over the course of the week. You can always do more, but 5000 is the minimum.  If you have young children or live a reasonably active lifestyle, this should be easy. For those with sedentary jobs and long commutes, you’ll have to stay focused to make sure you move more during the hours of the day.

A 10 Minute Beginner Resistance Training Workout

This easy to do workout designed by fitness trainer Deborrah Cooper consists of seven exercises performed circuit style, each done for one minute before moving on to the next. The routine can be done at home or in the office and requires no equipment. From start to finish, it’s a good 10 minutes of work!

#1 Wall Push Ups:

Rest palms on the wall at shoulder height then step back so arms are straight. Rise up on your toes as you bend your elbows (point them towards the floor), and lean your body in towards the wall. Press back to start position and repeat for 60 seconds. By positioning your arms in this manner, you’ll also be working on toning up the backs of your upper arms, the triceps muscles.

#2 Reverse Lunges:

Stand erect, abdominals tight, with your feet together about hip width apart. Take a big step backwards with your right leg, ending with your toe on the ground and heel pointed up. Bend both knees and lower your weight towards the floor a few inches. Dig in with the left (front) heel as you stand up while bringing your right leg back to the start position. Repeat with other leg, alternating quickly for 60 seconds.

#3 Side to Side Rotations:

Hold arms out in front of body at chest level (or whatever is comfortable). Stand erect with feet about hip width apart, knees slightly bent to reduce pressure on the spine. Draw in your abdominals and stand erect with great posture. Without moving your hips or legs, rotate at the waist to the right, then swing back to front and rotate to the left. Movement is smooth and deliberate. Concentrate on using your obliques, not the momentum of your arms to turn your body. Repeat alternating pattern for the full 60 seconds.

#4 Standing Long Crunch:

Stand with your feet hip width apart with your arms up above your head in line with your shoulders. Keep your belly button in tight throughout the movement. Exhale slowly as you pull your abs in even more and crunch forward. Your arms will swing forward so that they end up alongside your body. Hold position briefly then return to start. Repeat movement for 60 seconds.

#5 Wall Sits with Shoulder Press:
Build strength and endurance in your hips and thighs. Stand against a wall then slide down until your thighs are parallel to the floor. Make sure the knees are directly above the ankles and keep the back straight. Your elbows forearms and back of your hands should be against the wall as well at 90 degree angles. Slowly slide arms up and down while you hold the wall sit. Go for 60 seconds (or however long it takes to turn those legs to feel like they are bursting into flames).

#6 Back Squeeze:

Stand with feet shoulder width apart, abdominals tight. Bend arms at 90 degree angles so that your forearms are parallel to the floor, elbows about 3″ from rib cage. Slowly swing your bent arms out so your elbows come around to your sides as you squeeze your scapula back and down, contracting back muscles. Rotate arms back to the start position and repeat for 60 seconds.

#7 Leg Lift Squats:

Clasp hands in front of body at chin height. Stand erect with feet about hip width apart. Lift right leg to the side with toes pointing forward. As you lower your leg back to the ground, bend both knees so you finish in a squat position. Be sure to push your hips back as if hovering over a potty, concentrating on keeping your chest lifted. Stand up then repeat movement with the left leg. Repeat alternating pattern for the full 60 seconds.

To reduce risk of injury, always warm up for a couple of minutes before exercising by jogging in place, doing basic calisthenics, walking or bike riding – whatever helps you get your body temperature up and your joints prepared for more strenuous activity.

Doing this routine just twice per week over the next 30 days along with walking and cutting out white foods should help you lose not only scale weight, but body fat as well.

• Find out what items are excluded for the next 30 days by viewing the No White Things list.
• To download the handout on why walking is such a great cardio exercise, click here.
• Download a handy log sheet to keep track of your daily steps, walking time, and weekly mileage here.

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Category: Veganism and African Americans