Body makeover, anyone?
Celebrity fitness trainer Romana Braganza unveils easy fitness tips to help us become the next Jessica Alba
LOS ANGELES:
All of us have wondered what are the secrets of so many people being able to make fitness a way of life are. Achieving a perfect body a la celebrities is not difficult if one follows the right workout regime and eating habits, says fitness trainer Romana Braganza.
Braganza, who has worked with celebrities such as Jessica Alba, Scarlett Johansson, Eva Mendes and Anne Hathaway, says one should follow these five tips to get a perfect body, reports femalefirst.co.uk.
* Pre-workout fuel: Are you fuelling up adequately with pre and post workout meals? If not you may be sabotaging your workouts. Eating the right foods at the right times will make a difference in the way you gain muscle tissue. Make sure you have a snack pre workout such as steel cut oats, eggs and toast, or if on the go, a handful of almonds or a protein shake but make sure you don’t overdo it.
* Healthy eating: Giving your body what it needs includes restoring a natural balance. Training hard produces stress, which in turn, creates free radicals which attack healthy tissue in the body. To help your body fight these free radicals, ensure you have a healthy intake of fruit and vegetables each day such as broccoli, berries and cherries.
* No excuses: If you find yourself away from a gym that doesn’t mean you skip a workout just because you don’t have any equipment. Try combinations that include single legged squats, single arm pushups, walking squats, sit ups and planks. A full body workout can get you the sweat you need in 10 minutes.
* Lift enough heavy weights: We often see ladies in the gym not lifting enough weight. They are afraid of bulking up, but if not enough weight is lifted then not enough stress is put on the muscles to make a change. Women don’t need to worry about bulking up; hormonally women don’t have enough testosterone to look like men. Halle Berry, Jessica Alba and Kate Beckinsale all lift weights and none look bulky but instead are enviably toned.
* Hydrate yourself before, during and after workout: Dehydration can impair your physical and mental performance in all types of sports and exercise. Being dehydrated even as little as 2 percent can reduce your performance by 10-20 percent. To achieve best results in a workout, drink a glass of water before and sip some during.
Then again, consistency is the key to achieving any goal, especially for weight-loss. Do it well, do it right and do it every day. Accept the challenge to transform your mind and body towards a target you always wanted to hit and know that nothing is impossible.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 29th, 2014.
All of us have wondered what are the secrets of so many people being able to make fitness a way of life are. Achieving a perfect body a la celebrities is not difficult if one follows the right workout regime and eating habits, says fitness trainer Romana Braganza.
Braganza, who has worked with celebrities such as Jessica Alba, Scarlett Johansson, Eva Mendes and Anne Hathaway, says one should follow these five tips to get a perfect body, reports femalefirst.co.uk.
* Pre-workout fuel: Are you fuelling up adequately with pre and post workout meals? If not you may be sabotaging your workouts. Eating the right foods at the right times will make a difference in the way you gain muscle tissue. Make sure you have a snack pre workout such as steel cut oats, eggs and toast, or if on the go, a handful of almonds or a protein shake but make sure you don’t overdo it.
* Healthy eating: Giving your body what it needs includes restoring a natural balance. Training hard produces stress, which in turn, creates free radicals which attack healthy tissue in the body. To help your body fight these free radicals, ensure you have a healthy intake of fruit and vegetables each day such as broccoli, berries and cherries.
* No excuses: If you find yourself away from a gym that doesn’t mean you skip a workout just because you don’t have any equipment. Try combinations that include single legged squats, single arm pushups, walking squats, sit ups and planks. A full body workout can get you the sweat you need in 10 minutes.
* Lift enough heavy weights: We often see ladies in the gym not lifting enough weight. They are afraid of bulking up, but if not enough weight is lifted then not enough stress is put on the muscles to make a change. Women don’t need to worry about bulking up; hormonally women don’t have enough testosterone to look like men. Halle Berry, Jessica Alba and Kate Beckinsale all lift weights and none look bulky but instead are enviably toned.
* Hydrate yourself before, during and after workout: Dehydration can impair your physical and mental performance in all types of sports and exercise. Being dehydrated even as little as 2 percent can reduce your performance by 10-20 percent. To achieve best results in a workout, drink a glass of water before and sip some during.
Then again, consistency is the key to achieving any goal, especially for weight-loss. Do it well, do it right and do it every day. Accept the challenge to transform your mind and body towards a target you always wanted to hit and know that nothing is impossible.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 29th, 2014.