Most women dream of a toned body, but not all of them dare to do exercises that involve lifting weights. Some because they think it will make them look masculine or they just don't like it.
The time of confinement has also presented us with the challenge of effectively working the muscles with what we have at home.
Whatever your case, don't worry. You don't need to go to a gym and carry many pounds to tone up.
You only need some elements that adapt to your routines and opt for other disciplines like the ones I am going to show you.
First of all, I want to clarify something for you : it is a myth that women become masculine if they lift weights greater than 5 or 10 pounds. It's impossible, unless they're on steroids. If that is your only objection to doing it, then do it without fear.
The truth is, huge gains in toning can be made using weights under 10 pounds as long as you maintain a structured workout and are consistent.
For example, you can add between 1 and 5 pounds of weight to other types of workouts you do outside of a machine room.
It is not a secret that we girls focus on working the lower area. Why ask a man if there is anything sexier than a woman with toned legs and buttocks? We all know that.
And what makes this part of the body more attractive is working the leg wrap (glutes, quads and hamstrings).
Having beautiful legs and lifting the butt making it more rounded and firm is achieved with different types of training.
Just to make a case for you, look at the dancers. They are known for their lower body figure. Would you like to look like one of them? Who does not!
So, look to disciplines like pilates, barre, yoga, Latin dance, hip hop, ballet, and ballroom. What can make the difference? Add resistance elements and some weight: bands, dumbbells, and ankle weights.
The good thing is that they also serve to keep the torso, arms and back in harmony with the rest of the body.
I have always loved exercising outdoors and I confess that I dreaded going to the gym. I paid for an annual membership that I used hopefully two or three times a month.
For this reason, I decided to focus on doing Pilates, a discipline I became fond of about 3 years ago because it made me feel as good as when I danced and it reminded me of the benefits I got when I had physical therapy .
Pilates transformed my body in terms of the appearance of my musculature; I began to look more elongated. In addition, it helped me cultivate and maintain my figure.
I adopted yoga from a more restorative and meditative perspective. It helps me to detoxify and relax the body, the nervous system and decrease the cortisol produced by daily stress.
When the pandemic started I had to learn new ways to exercise from home. At first it was difficult for me to adapt to the new lifestyle. I admit that it was not easy.
But after 2 weeks, I noticed that by getting dressed faster, not having to drive and being in the comfort of my home, I could do my routines in less than 1 hour.
It was crazy to see how I was transformed just by doing pilates, yoga, cardio blast (less than 20 min) and barre. I was surprised to see my upper body gains.
Perhaps it influenced that I adapted to the changes and I was happy to train 3 to 5 times a week in less than 60 minutes. When I have a busy day, I can do 3 segments of 5 or 10 minutes for a total of 15 minutes a day of stimulation for my muscles.
The key is in discipline. It does not matter what you do. If you commit yourself for a while to improve your physical condition, it's better than nothing. I assure you that you will see the difference. You will be sculpting your body by building muscle and burning fat.
Practicing yoga tones, stretches the muscles and relaxes the mind and body. Give it a try and in 2 weeks you will notice how your upper body is transforming and you have a stronger core ( cuore ).
In addition, you will be more aware of the present moment and it will connect you with yourself.
You don't need more equipment, just a yoga mat. Although if you want, you can invest in yoga blocks or straps to stretch more in the positions.
Yoga offers many styles and levels: vinyasa, flow, restorative, yin yan, kudanlini, ashtanga, ariel, etc. Investigate which one best suits you.
This fusion between ballet and pilates has as its motto: contraction, tone and elevation.
To do it at home you only need a ball or a ring to activate the inner thighs while you do the famous “squeeze and hold”.
If you have already done it, you know everything that is achieved by doing barre. If not, you'll thank me after 4-12 weeks.
Using light weights up to 3 pounds is recommended for upper and lower body toning. In fitness studios they have all the accessories to get the full effect. But as long as you have to do it at home, you can use a stool or chair and a yoga mat.
Pilates originally emerged as a means of physical rehabilitation. It is an anaerobic physical exercise that requires good breathing control and a lot of concentration to carry out the various movements.
To do it you should not have a large number of implements. A mat will suffice to comfortably do the exercises.
Do it in a quiet area so that you can take advantage of its virtues of relaxing both the body and the mind.
Dancing is a full body workout. It is a cardiovascular exercise above all, but it is also functional because it helps you move and function better in your day to day.
You will definitely burn calories and sweat while dancing. That will make you have a more beautiful figure.
To do it, you just need to put on the music that you like the most and start moving to its rhythm.
The Internet has created a world of possibilities to practice almost any discipline, without the need for bars or equipment with exaggerated weights.
You can buy programs online, download applications or follow virtual classes on YouTube and social networks. Just make sure you're careful with the poses and don't overdo it, because you can injure yourself and not get the best results.
And if you have all the security measures that the moment requires, from time to time you can go to a studio to maintain the human connection.
