Natasha Rahman tries out these fabulous moves to accelerate the metabolism and burn calories, all at once!
Hitting the gym may not always be feasible, but that’s no excuse to get into the saddle and do nothing this Ramadan. The best way to really shape up this month is to follow a moderately paced workout regime a few hours after Iftar. There are those who workout while fasting, but if that gets too strenuous for you, you can hit the music after your bellies are satiated from the evening meal.
Plank-a-rama
Planks are excellent for strengthening your core. However, it’s very easy to get this move wrong.
When you are in a pushup position, remember to always position your elbows directly beneath the shoulders and your wrist directly beneath your elbows so that it forms a straight line. Your body must form a straight line starting from the back of your head to your feet. The natural instinct for your stomach is to dip down as this is extremely strenuous on the torso. The key to holding this position for longer is to constantly keep breathing. At no point should you hold your breath during the workouts. As you get stronger hold the plank for about a minute and a half and pace it up to a full two minutes. Don’t let that hip dip!
Tricep Dips
Ah, this one is a killer. This workout is excellent for toning up the arms while giving the rest of your body a reason to burn as well. Knees bent, sit on the mat, keeping your hands on the floor slightly behind you with the fingers pointing towards the body.
Your hands should be positioned shoulder-width apart with your legs extended in front of you. Now push your torso and hips off the mat so you are hovering above the mat. Now bend your elbows, bringing your hips down and again push yourself up to the hover by straightening your arms. Focus on bending your elbow and not on lowering your hips. To make the tricep dip harder, keep your palms on the floor, lift your hips keeping the knees together and bring one leg up and lower it at the bend of the elbow. Repeat this on the other side. Be careful to keep the elbows facing back and stack your arms as near to your ribcage as possible to avoid injury. Start with the basic dips at least thirty times and then move on to the advanced form with each leg being raised at least ten times to feel the burn. These also work on the hamstrings and quads.
Back attack
This will make you feel like Superwoman! Lie flat on your stomach with your arms reaching out ahead of you and over your head. Elongate your legs and really stretch out your entire body. Now lift your knees, keeping the legs straight, and your arms off the ground and hold it in that superwoman position for three seconds and bring yourself down on the mat. This works your entire back area and also strengthens your hips. To kick it up a notch, lift your left arm and right leg and change it with the right arm and left leg, hold it for three seconds and bring your body down. Make sure to keep your arms straight as you raise your hips up and your knees straight throughout the routine. Twenty reps on each side should be good if you are a beginner. The back attack forces your entire back, starting from the upper, working through the middle, and finally working your lower back to crunch all the flab on your back.
To have a well rounded workout, try a five minute High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT). HIIT pushes your body to give it all you’ve got for a small period of time, which is followed by a recovery time. This could comprise of squats, jump ropes, burpees, knee tucks and mountain climbers. Each of these moves should be done for a minute and you can rest for twenty seconds between each exercise and move on to the next one. Pumping weights and cardio can only get you so far. Hence you should opt for more fruits and raw veggies for a stronger fitter you!