Question for the exercise-minded amongst you:

[burntcopper]

At what stage should I expect to see some result from toning exercises?

(understand that these are your standard bums and tums - sit-ups, leg lifts, squats, no weights or whatever involved)

I started five days ago, with a view to a slightly better looking thigh and stomach area by about april. Exercise regime is 40-50 mins brisk walk (with occasional bursts of jogging due to lateness) + running up and down tube and train stairs, with added fidgeting. I don't see it changing anytime soon due to current life pattern and knackeredness. Diet - vaguely healthy, plus chocolate. Also not changing that.

Current actual shape is curvy (hourglass) 5'3 shortarse, UK size 12/US size 8, weighs approx 10 stone or 140 lbs.

So... opinions?

Comments

[transtempts.livejournal.com]

on the subject of your icon - wow, robin hood is v. slashy. i just started the first season and *blinks* very slashy. and there are lots of interesting combinations aren't there?

Toning ...

[davidcook.livejournal.com]

My understanding is that there's really no such thing as "toning" that works on particular areas of the body. What you can do, with a mixture of cardio and resistance training of some sort, is change the ratios of fat and muscle in your body, which in turn may make some areas leaner and some areas more defined.
See also here (http://www.stumptuous.com/cms/displayarticle.php?aid=45) and here (http://www.stumptuous.com/cms/displayarticle.php?aid=84) ...
Errr, anyway, you should see some sort of changes, at least in fitness level, in 3-4 weeks, and maybe some change in shape after that, at a guess.

[sephirayne.livejournal.com]

It can vary from person to person. My body responses very quickly to exercise. I noticed a visable difference and lost a stone and a half in two weeks. While a friend of mine who was doing the same work out as me took two months to have the smae result. One thing is to stick at what ever you are doing as it will work. I was a size 18-20. I'm now a size 10-12. I've also saved my life by exercising. As all the cardio exercises I do have cured a serious heart condition that I had.

[gerriparker.livejournal.com]

wow! That's a great result.

Your results from that type of toning exercise will be the sort that you will notice but that others may not. it will be light toning of the areas involved so long as you keep up your current levels of cardio activity.

If you are looking to tone the tum can recommend something much more effective instead of sit ups...

Lie on the floor with your arms flat and out to the sides for stability. Bend your knees and lift both legs off the floor so that the lower half of your legs are parallel to the floor and forming a right angle with the upper half of your legs.

Keeping the left leg in that position slowly straighten and lower your right leg so that your heel almost touches the floor but not quite and then slowly bring it back into the start position. Repeat with the left leg.

Start of doing 3 sets of 5 repetions. (Unless you already have super abs it will prob be all you can manage at the moment) and build up. You'll fel it not only in the normal ab area that sit ups target but also the deep abdominal muscles and the higher ones that go up to your ribcage.

Finally - good luck :)