A better body in half the time – meet the
exercise Power Couples
Newsflash: the key to a better body isn’t
doing more exercise, it’s doing different exercise. “Split workouts 50/50
between cardio (to improve heart and lungs) and strength work (to build muscle)
and you’ll burn calories and define your body faster,” says trainer Tim Weeks.
High five to that! Here’s our pick of the best workout two-for-ones.
Running + Pilates
“Running strips body fat and increases
metabolism, but it’s high impact, so can bulk muscles,” says fitness expert
Lucy Wyndham Read, author of The Fitness Book. “Pilates is low impact and
stretches muscles, helping to sculpt your body and build core strength. And,
for runners, a strong core means less risk of injury.” For extra oomph, suck in
your abs while you run. “This force your posture into a better position,
activating more muscle fibres in your bum,” adds trainer Ali Campbell.
Swimming + toning
“As swimming is non-weight-bearing, combine
it with a toning routine,” says Wyndham-Read. “Any exercise that uses weight
press-up, squats or a circuit class results in stronger muscles and bones,
which also helps prevent osteoporosis.”
Spinning + Hatha yoga
Hatha
yoga
“Spinning burns loads of calories, but it
often tightens up the hips,” says personal trainer Dan Roberts. “Hatha yoga
burns hardly any calories, but opens up the hips. Go to some classes to get the
idea, then do it yourself after a Spinning class.”
Lunges + rorations
Lunges
+ rorations
“Lunges are brilliant, but add in a 450
rotation of your upper body and they become a core-activating, side-firming
exercise,” says Roberts. “As you lunge down with your right leg, rotate your
upper body to the right but keep your hips facing forwards. Rotate back, stand
up, then repeat on the left leg. Do four sets of 12 every other day and you’ll
see a difference in eight days”
Tennis + ballet
“Pick a heart-pumping activity (such as
tennis, rowing or boxing) and add an exercise that helps you control your body,
such as ballet, rock climbing, yoga or Tai Chi,” says Weeks. “The first one
gets your body physically fit; the second helps to stabilise the pelvis and
spine vital for any fitness activity.”
