Excessive fat found around calves and ankles can lead to thick ankles, more commonly known as ‘cankles’. If you have this kind of ankle problem, and if you wish to get rid of fat ankles, do not think that liposuction or surgery is the only solution. There are exercises for cankles that you can perform that will help make your problem areas slimmer and sexier. Some of the best exercises are shared below:

Squatting, specifically jump squatting, is recommended to people who want to put an end to their cankle problems. Jump squats are improvised versions of the traditional squats wherein you’ll do the regular squat first, and then, jump as high as you can. Once you land from your jump, you then have to return back to the squatting position. Doing this kind of routine often e.g. thrice a week or more, can help you eliminate those thick ankles.

Cardio exercises or aerobic exercises can also help you with your ankle problem. To get rid of fat ankles, it is recommended that you perform cardio routines at least half an hour daily. Cardio is one of the exercises for cankles that can actually help reduce the surplus fats in your lower legs, as well as those in your other body parts. Examples of routines you can do include running, swimming, power walking, and the like.

Performing the so called calf raises is also effective if you want your calves and your ankles to become skinnier. You can do the calf raise if you have thick ankles right at the comfort of your own home, specifically if you have stairs, or some steps you can use for the routine. You just have to stand on a step, and then, move backwards slowly and slightly while holding something stable while your heels are in a hanging position or over the edge. Next, you have to slowly lower those heels, and then, raise them up slowly until you’re in a tiptoeing position. Hold that pose for several seconds, and then, lower the heels back again. Repeat several times to solve your ankle problem and eventually get rid of fat ankles.

These are some of the exercises for cankles that will transform those thick ankles into sexy looking ankles. Before performing the above mentioned routines, though, remember to consult a fitness expert first, and make certain that you really know how to do those activities right. Ask your trainer to show you how the exercises are properly done not just to ensure that what you’ll perform will solve your condition, but, also for you to avoid injuries.

Author Resource:-> Karen Winton shares the importance of exercising. Learn the right exercises for becoming cankles free. See: Say Goodbye To Cankles. Start having a ripped body. Follow: Fearless Body.

Article From Massage By Ben – Articles

It sells for just $26 with FREE SHIPPING. It features:

• Unique dual sensor technology means the pedometer can be carried in your pocket or bag
• Accurately measures your steps, as well as aerobic steps and minutes
• Also measures calorie consumption during your workout, as well as the distance you’ve traveled
• Easy-to-read LCD display
• Comes with a detachable belt holder and security strap

It weighs just 11.2 ounces and is the best-selling pedometer on amazon, with over 3,000 user reviews giving it a score of about 4.8 out of 5 in reviews. Fast, easy to use, convenient, and extremely durable, the Omron HJ-112 pedometer pedometer is the #1 rated digital pedometer at Consumer Reports.

If you are on a 10,000 step fitness regime (about 5 miles), then you want an affordable, reliable model that has been tested and proven by thousands of users. This one has been around for years and still out sells all the rest.

While you lose weight during your workouts or just going to the grocery story, find out how many calories you burn, and keep track of your distance and total number of steps. Again, it is just $26 with free shipping. If you have been looking for the best digital pocket pedometer, the Omron HJ-112 is it.

If you need to lose weight, watch your calories, avoid fast foods and fatty foods, and eliminate sodas and sugars. For cardio, walk up to 5 miles at least three times a week (daily is better!), or spend that hour or hour and a half on a treadmill or stationary bike. (Best idea: Walk the dog. A lot. Don’t worry, he’s tough!)

Cardio workouts that burn fat include any type of activity that increases the workload of the heart and lungs. In order to see real cardio benefits, you should get “winded” during the exercise, and have an elevated heart rate. You want to “get in the zone,” meaning the Target Heart Rate Zone where your HR is elevated to at least 50% of its maximum level for an extended period of time.

Walkers may seem exercise-adverse to those who pursue more physically challenging activities but walkers intrinsically know the simple secret to calorie burning: stay in motion.

Aside from a good pair of shoes with cushioned support, it won’t cost you anything to go for a walk. Do it daily or at least 5 times a week.

Follow a Simple Routine

Keep your walking gait at a moderate pace of at least 3 1/2 miles per hour, or pick up the pace and do a brisk walk of about 4 mph. You won’t break into much of a sweat or get your heart rate up as much as other cardio exercises, but calories are burned at every intensity level and walking (or hiking) gets the job done. The popular “10,000 steps per day” walking program is designed with a goal of doing 5 miles per day, which is an excellent target. Each 2000-2500 steps covers a mile, and each mile you walk will burn about 100 calories.

If you can’t lift or do ellipticals, swim or ride a bike, walking is an excellent and easy way to burn calories. It’s also inexpensive!

A word of warning though: appetite is partially regulated by body temperature control and since water cools the body much faster than air, studies show that fitness swimming in cold water tends to trigger appetite. So if you feel famished after swimming, consider eating a small protein snack rather than a big meal. You don’t want to wolf down the calories you just spent an hour burning off in the pool.

If you are a non-swimmer, or love the water but aren’t into doing laps, consider joining a water aerobics class where the resistance of the water provides a gentle but effective cardio workout. An aquacise class has great music that everyone enjoys—and you don’t even have to get your hair wet!

by Daniel Broderick

Millions of Americans and billions of world citizens look in the mirror every day disparaged by their image. Everyone has tried this fad diet and that exercise regimen to no avail. If you’re one of these many weight conscious citizens, you’re far from alone. But there is still hope. It’s time we kick our fat fighting strategies up a notch. The idea behind losing weight is simple: you need to burn more calories than you take in. One of the easiest and most effective ways of doing this is the speed your metabolism as this will allow you to passively burn more calories. Herein you’ll learn how to speed your metabolism in three simple steps.

Step 1: Eat many small meals per day.

The goal here is 6-8 small meals. This golden bit of information is no secret. The reason this works is simple. If you only eat a few meals a day, your body regularly thinks it’s being starved. If your body feels threatened by starvation, it will store everything you eat as fat so that it has sustenance until the next meal. Don’t starve your body.

Some people might think it’s too difficult to eat 6-8 meals a day with their hectic schedule, but it’s really not. Take a protein shake and a bag of peanuts to work; they each count as a meal.

A meal doesn’t have to be enormous. In fact, all of your meals should be fairly small; anywhere from 150 to 400 calories. This is just enough to provide energy for the next couple hours until you eat again, so it will be less prone to store as fat.

Step 2: Build those muscles.

This step is twofold and can’t be stressed enough. The first and most relevant way this will speed your metabolism is by requiring more calories to sustain. Every additional pound of muscle you add will burn approximately 50 more calories over the course of a day without you doing any additional exercise! Isn’t that powerful? Imagine adding 10 pounds of muscle; you would burn an additional 500 calories over the course of a day! That’s an extremely intense cardio workout at your current weight, without moving a muscle!

The other way in which this step helps is common sense. It takes calories to do the workouts that build the muscle. You’ll be burning calories while in the process of building muscle to burn more calories… the benefits are exponential.

Step 3: HIIT

This third and final step to speed your metabolism may be a little less known. It’s called high intensity interval training or HIIT. This type of training is exceedingly beneficial for speeding up your metabolism.

The basic principle is to sprint for 60 or so seconds, then walk for the same amount of time, in intervals, for 15 to 20 minutes. This causes your body to produce excess catecholamines and growth hormone. These two hormones are essential in fast metabolism and will help burn calories for up to 72 hours after the training session. There is far too much on this subject to go into detail here, but I highly recommend doing a little side research on high intensity interval training.

Follow these three simple steps to speed your metabolism and I guarantee you’ll see solid results. They are not very difficult and will not require too much extra time out of your day. They will however produce the body that you’re looking for.

It takes effort and dedication, but doesn’t anything that’s worth fighting for?

About the Author

Learn more about how to speed your metabolism and high intensity interval training. This highly informative website will help you get started today.

Eat less … lose weight?!? Here’s the other stuff you can do to get leaner.

1) Don’t diet to extremes. Reducing calories by 15-20% a day will almost exclusively burn fat while larger cuts in calories will burn a combo of muscle tissue and fat. Muscle drives the metabolism – calorie burning. If you’re currently eating 3000 calories, reduce to 2400-2550, but do so according to smart guidelines like those laid out in The Living Health Weight Loss Audio.

2) Graze all day. Professional athletes and models eat all day long yet keep their total calories under control. The grazing method, 5-6 small meals, elevates the metabolism. Each time you eat, the metabolism increases, and over a 6-10 week period, that increase can parlay into another 2-3 pounds of fat loss.

3) Increase Protein. Carbs, protein and fat – are equal in their efficiency to be stored as body fat, but protein exerts a greater metabolic boosting effect than carbs or dietary fat. When calories drop, protein saves muscle which helps keep the metabolism elevated. Aim for 1.2 grams per pound of bodyweight daily.

4) Play with Carbs. Carbs help retain metabolic boosting muscle yet they can stimulate fat storage. Following a modified low carb diet – staggering your carbohydrate intake is one of the most effective ways to jump start your metabolism and to burn stubborn fat fast (as outlined in Maximize Your Metabolism and the Living Health Audio Program.)

5) Go Backward. One reason fat loss comes to a halt; the body downgrades its metabolism to meet its dwindling intake of calories. The solution: dramatically increase your calorie intake once every 2-3 weeks. The one day splurge “re-sets” the metabolism by restoring thyroid levels, the calorie burning hormone that declines with dieting.

6) Skip the Late Night Carbs. Carbs eaten before bedtime are more likely to be stored as body fat so focus on lean proteins and fiber based vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower and salad fixings. The lone exception: if you train late at night and your goal is to build muscle mass, you’ll need the carbs to replenish glycogen and support growth.

7) Go Fish. When calories are controlled, the inclusion of omega-3 fatty acids found in salmon, trout and sardines may promote speedier fat loss. One study revealed dieters who ate fish on a daily basis lost more weight than those who ate fish just once a week (Am Journ Clin Nutr 70:817-825, 1999)

Go Spicy. Red peppers, the spicy ingredient in Mexican and Indian dishes contains Capsaicin which can increase the metabolic rate by effecting the Sympathetic Branch of the Nervous system. Spiking your chicken dishes with red might be a small benefit or you can gulp 5 to 10 encapsulated grams of Capsaicin from your local health food store. (Journal of Nutrition 116:1272-1278, 1986.)

9) Don’t Be Cardio Crazy! Radically reducing calories slows the metabolism short circuiting fat loss. Same is true with radical caloric expenditure. You know: 2 cardio sessions a day. Excess cardio slows the metabolism, promotes a loss in muscle and even can lower testosterone levels. For real results, stick to 4-6 sessions a week, 30 – 45 minutes at a clip and maintain a high level of intensity.

10) Separate Cardio From Weight Training. What happens when you do cardio first and follow it up with weight training? You don’t build as much muscle density. How about cardio after training? You risk overtraining and the negative hormonal milieu that can stifle the metabolic rate. The best scenario; hit the cardio in the morning – on an empty stomach – get in a few meals and return to the gym later in the day to build muscle density.

11) Serotonin Control. Serotonin is a brain chemical that helps controls hunger. Guess what? It can take a nose dive with dieting. ( R.J. Wurtman and J.J. Wurtman, “Brain serotonin, carbohydrate-craving, obesity, and depression.” Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology 398 (1996): 35-41.) One way to prevent a drop; smaller, more frequent meals.

12) Garlic Chicken! Mother Earth’s flavor enhancer stimulates adrenaline and uncoupling proteins (UCP).  Adrenaline triggers fat breakdown and UCP, located in metabolically active “brown fat”, increase calorie burning. Garlic also controls cortisol levels which can supports muscle retention while dieting. For best results use fresh raw garlic in your salads or on your other meals, but if you can’t handle raw garlic then use fresh bulbs in you cooking or give supplements a try. (Oi Y, et al., Allyl-containing sulfides in garlic increase uncoupling protein content in brown adipose tissue, and noradenaline and adrenaline secretion in rats. J Nutr 129:336-342,1999.) (Wang HX, Et al., Natural products with hypoglycemic, hypotensive, hypocholesterolemic, antiatherosclerotic and antithrombotic activities. Life Sci 65:2663-2677,1999.)

13) Sip Green Tea. Green tea contains caffeine and polyphenols called epilgallocatechin gallate which have been shown to increase calorie burning. These special calorie burning compounds help burn an extra 100 or-so calories a day, about equal to a brisk walk. In maximizing fat loss, every calorie counts. (Dullo, A.G., et al., Efficiency of a green tea extract rich in catechin polyphenols and caffeine in increasing 24-h energy expenditure and fat oxidation in humans. Am J Clin Nutr, 1999. 70(6):p.1040-5.)

14) Fat? Yes Fat! To rip up, you have to eat fewer carbs, but on occasion – say once a week – you can add a little healthy fat, 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil, some red meat, walnuts or cashews. The reason? Dietary fat can make the body more effective in using and burning fat – as long as calories and carbs remain under control. (Thomas CD et al. Nutrient Balance and Energy Expenditure During the Ad Libitum Feeding of High Fat and High Carbohydrate Diets in Humans. Am J Clin Nutr 1992;55:934)

15) Thyroid Support.  Irony of Ironies. When you eat less and try to dump body fat, a lot of times the metabolism adapts and burns quite a bit fewer calories. One way to get around the slowdown is with phosphates. A combo of 537 mgs of calcium phosphate, 107 mgs of potassium phosphate and 25 mgs of sodium phosphate given to strict dieters yielded a 12-19% more elevated metabolism than dieters who did not use phosphates.

16) Write It Down. This one seems simple, but it’s one of the most overlooked tips in shedding fat. Dieters who record what they eat, meal by meal, day by day, not only make better choices, but cheat less and eat fewer total calories. Writing it down “keeps you honest” and is a tool for reminding you that getting lean is a day by day process.

About the Author

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Getting started on your weight loss journey can be difficult. The only thing that is more difficult is sticking to it. Some diet and fitness programs are so complicated and time consuming they are impossible to stick to. No matter what your weight loss goals are these 6 simple tips will help you reach your weight loss goals and stick to your program.

1. Water Water Water! People just don’t seem to understand how essential it is to stay hydrated. Approximately 80% of Americans live in a constant state of dehydration. Not only can this cause medical problems, but your body will hold every ounce of fluid it can get. So I recommend 64 ounces or more of plain ice water everyday. Adding a lemon wedge is fine and lemon is a natural diuretic, BUT NOTHING ELSE!

2. Portion Control is key. Even if you are eating valuable foods you can still consume excess calories. My rule of thumb is use a 9 inch dinner plate and imagine it is divided into 4 equal sections. One section would be your lean protein like fish or chicken, one would be your whole grain such as brown rice, and the other two would be produce such as steamed veggies. This works well for most dishes and makes it simple to visualize proper portions.

3. Don’t try to completely give up your favorite foods. Many people have trouble sticking to a program because they convince themselves that they can never have pizza or cake again. You should think of losing weight not as a diet but as a life style change. Therefor, it must be livable and realistic. If you go to a party, have a piece of cake. If you are really craving pizza, have a slice or two and a salad with lite dressing. If you go into knowing that you can enjoy your favorite foods from time to time you will have much more success and prevent binge eating.

4. Do something active everyday. Even if your busy you have to make time for yourself to do something active. Even if there are some days you just don’t have 30 minutes or an hour to work out. It may only be 15 minutes some days, or 10 minutes in the morning and 10 minutes at night, or on your lunch break. Pop in your favorite CD and dance or walk stairs, anything that gets your body moving.

5. Keep a food Journal. This can seem like a daunting task, but it is extremely important, especially in the beginning until you adjust and develop new eating habits. A simple notebook small enough to carry with you is fine. Just jot down everything you put in your mouth. You will find yourself resisting eating a handful of potato chips simply because you don’t want to write it in the journal! Also, if you have a week that you don’t lose weight or worse, you gain, you can look in your journal and compare what you ate that week to the weeks that you lost weight.

6. Include your family. It is important to talk to your family about the efforts you are making to live a healthier lifestyle. You can easily make the meals you normally eat with your family healthier by simply using a different cooking method or by making some minor swaps for example: replace white rice with brown rice, use olive oil instead of other oils, grill, broil, or bake your meat, replace pasta with whole grain pasta, and make your own potato wedges by cutting potatoes into wedges and tossing them with olive oil, sea salt, and pepper. Spread them on a cookie sheet and bake them.

If you make these 6 simple changes in your life style, you will be well on your way to weight loss success.

About the Author

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Its strange that whilst the number of men with gym memberships has increased by 16% since 2003, the number who hit the weights has dropped by 15%. This drop is worrying because if you go and lift weights of any sort 3 times a week you can achieve the following:-

1) Cut the risk of diabetes in just four months. According to a study at Tufts University, Massachusetts weight training reduces blood-glucose levels and improve insulin sensitivity.

2) Treat Depression. Harvard University researchers have compared the benefits of weight training and cardio exercise over a 10 week period and discovered that weight lifters experienced the greater mood boost.

3) Spike your testosterone. Researchers in Finland have discovered that the hormone testosterone plays a key role in your overall mortality risk and of course your sex drive.

4) Prevent a stroke. By lifting weights you can reduce your blood pressure. According to the University of Michigan the lifting of weights actually reduces your risk of a stroke by 4%.

Now that the benefits have been brought to your attention you need to put together a training plan to help burn that fat. The best training is short interval, intensity training with repetitions. Going for a 10Km on a treadmill will not work too well but 30 seconds on, 30 seconds off with weights will get your body in the zone and the fat will begin to burn and the weight will drop off.

Now to get the total benefit of the exercise workout you need to support it with what you eat. You need to eat protein, good carbs, and use supplements and vitamins to repair your muscles whilst you go through and recover from the physical method of burning fat.

In the end, do not be scared of the thought of fitness training, embrace the whole concept of burning fat to lose weight and you will enjoy all of the benefits for years to come.

About the Author

To burn fat you need 1. Change diet 2. Exercise 3. Take supplements 4. Drink water 5. Sleep and distress Take a look at How to Burn Body Fat for help in the right direction.

It may come as a surprise to some of you, but the fastest and most effective way to transform your body and ignite the fat burning process 24/7 is to strength train.

You didn’t think you could get in shape only by running for hours and hours on a treadmill to nowhere, did you?

Our goal with strength training, also known as anaerobic exercise, is to increase our muscular strength and to add as much lean shapely muscle to our bodies as we can. And why do we want to add muscle? Well, it is attractive to look at, increases bone density (especially important as we age), and a muscular body burns far more calories at rest each day than a body with less muscle, raising our resting metabolic rate (RMR). This last fact is an enormously powerful secret to getting the body you want.

Just one more pound of muscle added to your body will require an extra 40-50 or so calories per day to keep it alive.

Just think if you add 20 pounds of lean muscle tissue…you’re automatically burning an additional 800-1000 calories per day, just sitting on your behind watching TV or at work! And guess what happens when you’re burning more calories than you need to maintain your current bodyweight? You have a calorie deficit, and your body begins to shed fat.

In addition, the growth and repair process that occurs following properly conducted resistance exercise requires large amounts of stored energy in the form of calories. So know that you’re going to burn even more stored calories and fat to build your new strength and muscle. In fact, after your properly conducted resistance workout is over, your body will use its stored fat for the repair process. This amounts to burning body fat like crazy, for up to 48 hours after your workout!

Another important concept to understand regarding strength training and muscle building is that as we age, we lose muscle naturally. Have you ever noticed that man or woman who is in good shape for most of their 20s and 30s but then starts to pack on the pounds in their 40s and up? It’s gradual, and before you know it, they look like they’ve gained 20 lbs of fat overnight!

Muscle deterioration is a huge, if not the biggest, part of this problem.

Muscle deteriorates with age, and for every pound of muscle we lose, we are burning 40 less calories each day. Your metabolic rate is dropping, right now. Add that up over a period of years and you can see why packing on fat as we age is unfortunately very easy to do. While we can’t prevent muscle deterioration, we can certainly combat it by adding as much lean muscle to our bodies as possible!

That’s why training for strength and building lean and shapely muscle is the cornerstone of getting in your best shape for the rest of your life… and that’s why it’s the spark to igniting your fat burning furnace all day long.

About the Author

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