Tone Those Flabby Bits, DIY Style

Despite all the ultramodern gym equipment, diet pills, and exercise regimen targeted at your wobbly areas, there’s really only one requirement to achieve that perfectly toned bod: discipline. A prima ballerina doesn’t get to be where she’s at by sitting on her backside and scarfing glazed donuts by the dozen, instead of standing before a barre and doing the required number of pliés so she can work here way to being Odette instead of just an ordinary swan. And while you may argue that you have absolutely no plans of being Mr. or Ms. Body Beautiful-Universe (or worse, a Baryshnikov Junior), discipline is still at the bottom of any activity you’re going to undertake to get rid of those juddering parts of your bodies that aren’t meant to judder.

First off, don’t forget to warm up. I can’t count the number of people I know who have been health nuts for so long, but still end up with exercise-related injuries just because they decided to forego this very vital first step. You can jog in place for about 5 minutes, taking care to add some stretches and lunges to prepare your muscles for what lies ahead. Also, drink plenty of fluids (not soft drinks) to make up for the sweat that’ll come pouring out of you once you start the toning proper.

Then you’ll need tools for resistance training. Depending on your strength, this can mean anything from a couple of canned Vienna sausages to dumbbells, so long as you can grip them comfortably with your hands. Your safest weight bet for your DIY weights would be somewhere between 1 to 5 lbs—anything heavier than that and you won’t be able to use your hands or arms for some time. Take note that if you don’t even remember when you last exercised, it’s best to go with the lightest weight you can manage to carry. You can use heavier weights once your body gets used to it.

To tone your chest and shoulders area, you can simply lie on your back with knees bent. With your chosen weights in your hands, palms up and arms stretched out to either side, slowly but surely raise your arms above your chest to make your hands “meet”, but not quite. Make sure your arms aren’t ram-rod straight, but curved slightly and bent near the elbows. Count to ten before bringing your arms slowly back on the floor. Repeat until you feel your shoulder area “protesting”, but don’t go as far as a sore and burning chest area. Be instinctive about when to stop, and rely on your own threshold of endurance.

To target flabby arms, you can do an exercise while sitting up, but make sure your back is straight and your arms are relaxed and not rigid. Again, grip your chosen weights with your palms up, then curl your forearms to bring the weights toward your shoulder. Do this alternately with your left and right arms. Always remember to keep the rest of your torso still while your arms are toning themselves. Do this on a regular basis, and you’ll be reaping the rewards of a do-it-yourself toning regimen: enviable chest and shoulder muscles, and flab-free arms that scream “disciplined!”

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