Photo: Deposit Photos_Alan Poulson
As you wave goodbye to someone, you see something in the corner of your eye. Yikes, it’s your flabby arm waving in the breeze, too. Well, don’t despair, because you are never too old to regain muscle strength.
One of the best ways to improve your muscle tone and fitness is to head to the gym. The ultimate program is to have a personal trainer who can analyze your fitness level and recommend training exercises. The trainer can oversee your workout to ensure you maximize your results and don’t hurt yourself.
If you can’t afford a personal trainer, you can take out a membership at a gym or “Y” and at least start with a personal trainer who can jump-start your program. It’s best to set up at least three days a week, 45 minutes to an hour at a time, at the gym to see results.
Don’t have the time or funds for a gym membership? You might try following a fitness training video on YouTube. There are hundreds of videos to choose from making the selections somewhat mind-boggling.
We tried two different programs and share our recommendations here.
Before and after: Melisa Pizzuti
Your Time Training
Melisa Pizzuti shares her exercise and fitness videos via her Your Time Training YouTube channel. You’ll be inspired by her before-and-after photo on each video. She apparently lost 120 pounds after childbirth. A certified personal trainer, Melissa is also experienced in kickboxing, group fitness, and women’s self-defense. Don’t let that psych you out. She is inspirational no matter what shape you’re in.
The exercise videos we viewed require no special equipment, are easy and fun to follow, and produce results.
One video we tried was the “Get Amazing Arms Fast! At Home, No Equipment! Slim & Lean Arms.” Melisa provides a routine that she recommends doing three times in a row. The whole thing takes around 20 minutes, and we definitely experienced toned arms in a matter of about six weeks after doing these exercises every day or every other day.
Some of Melisa’s most popular training videos, she said, are:
I LOST 120 LBS! HOW TO START YOUR WEIGHT LOSS JOURNEY! TIPS & MOTIVATION!
YOUR TIME TRAINING PLAY LIST OF WORKOUTS
This is a great one to try, and you will see results. If you keep it up, making it a lifelong habit, your arms will continue to look great, not flap in the wind, and might make your skin look less like crepe paper.
Fitness Blender
The new YouTube sensations are husband and wife team Kelli and Daniel Segars, founders of the Fitness Blender channel, to make health and fitness information available.
They felt “there was a lack of reliable health and fitness information on the web, and too many people in the industry were more focused on monetary gain or appearance than they were on good health.”
What started out as workout videos produced in their garage, Fitness Blender has now produced over 500 videos and has a monthly workout audience of 35 million people from around the world.
The exercises are clearly explained without annoying background music. The visuals are simply presented with just the Kelli and-or Daniel against a white screen. The explanations are easy to follow, and the exercises are what you could find with the best of personal trainers in a quality gym. Very little equipment is required except for optional dumbbells in the videos we reviewed.
Try these videos:
The “1,000 Calorie Workout,” which includes a low-impact demonstration. Spoiler alert: this exercise program takes 87 minutes to burn 1,000 calories, but it’s fun and goes fast.
“Lower Back Stretches for Sciatica Pain”
“Top 10 Fat Burning Exercises” from “Best Fat Burning Workout Videos and Total Body Strength to HIIT and Strength Training Combined.”
Some of their best fat burning exercises include:
Burpees
Lunge/Jumping
Jackknife crunches
Best of all, these are free, easy to follow, inspirational, and will help you get or keep in shape.
Now, you don’t have any excuses for getting started!
