They say that somewhere in your late 20s/early 30s your metabolism starts to slow down. It’s true–at least that’s what I figured was happening a few months ago when I gained a couple extra pounds(and received some unkind comments about it), despite maintaining a fairly healthy diet and reasonable level of physical activity that had worked for me for years. Some things clearly had to change, so I set out to figure out the quickest way to get my sexy back, and found these three small changes that helped me get my body back in just 8 weeks.
1. Kettlebell Workouts
I decided to replace my usual cycling and yoga routines with kettlebell workouts. A well executed kettlebell session is an incredibly efficient way to exercise–by combining weightlifting and cardio all in one dynamic session, you can workout for a shorter amount of time but still get the same benefits as from more traditional forms of exercise. According to a study by the American Council on Exercise, a 20-minute kettlebell workout can burn about 400 calories, which is similar to the burn rate from running a 6-minute mile! As a busy person, the allure of a shorter workout time without sacrificing results is what swayed me the most into investing in a kettlebell of my own. You can get a 15lb kettlebell for about $15 from Walmart.
I started off with this simple routine three times a week. The routine may look deceptively simple but trust me, after just 10 minutes I was drenched in sweat, out of breath, and my heart was beating like it was going to explode through my chest...
Excerpt from post originally published on Madame Noire.