Healthy Habits for Fitness

Spring Clean Your Weight Loss Regimen

You may think these habits are helping you lose weight and stay healthy, but the truth is you may be better off without them
By Erin Hicks fitbie
 

You spend 45 minutes on the elliptical machine at the gym

Why you can shed it: Steady-state cardio has its drawbacks. Your body gets used to the routine and stops responding, meaning weight loss will plateau if you don’t mix it up. “I would not stick to one kind of exercise. Doing just the elliptical, or any other machine, isn’t going to continue to stimulate your body,” says Friedman.

Do instead: On cardio days use the treadmill on an incline or the stairstepper, says Friedman. Also, mix interval training into your cardio routine to challenge your muscles and burn more fat. “Designate two or three days to do interval training, and on those days do only 20 to 30 minutes of an intense interval workout to achieve results.”

He says strength training should also be incorporated into any fat-loss program. “Do strength training before cardio—it’s better for fat burning,” he says. “Hit the weights a minimum of two times a week to see results.”

Video: Try this total-body at-home workout (no equipment required!)

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