We asked more than 1,200 of you what’s standing between you and ultimate hotness. See the results and how to find more time, have more fun and look ba-zam!
1.) DID YOU KNOW:
61% say fitting in exercise is a stressfest.
So bang it out first thing in the morning. Getting up at 6 a.m. will blow initially, but deadlines, bosses and happy hours will be way less likely to derail your workout. And after about four weeks of early rising, you get used to it. Seriously!
2.) DID YOU KNOW:
71% say they hardly ever try a new routine.
Sweating but not slimming? The problem may be doing the same thing over and over. Your body adapts to a workout in about a month, says Michael Olzinski, an exercise physiologist and fitness manager for Equinox in New York City, after which you see diminishing returns instead of diminishing thighs. Every four weeks, change it up to see change.
3.) DID YOU KNOW:
58% of you push for that postworkout “I Killed it” feeling.
To keep crushing it, give muscles TLC, using a foam roller for 10 minutes after exercise. You’ll reduce inflammation and trigger the production of new mitochondria, the power plants of your cells, a recent McMaster University study reports.
4.) DID YOU KNOW:
45% sweat to drop pounds.
Have a game day. Make them calorie-obliterating, all-out sessions, where you push yourself to the max, Olzinski says. Run at a faster clip or try a bunch of truly breathless intervals. Aim for one or two a week, then use your other workouts as recovery or prep. Go for an easy run, take a toning class or try a quick routine. Those “easy” days will give your body a breather and make you stronger so you’ll be able to push harder—and sizzle more—during challenging ones.
45% of you shake your booty in Zumba.
Shimmy smarter. “My grandma can Zumba, but if you dance like her, you’re not going to accomplish much!” Feldermann says. “Make all movements count. Jump high, really swing your arms, and shake it like you mean it.”
What’s new: Zumba Fitness Core, an Xbox 360 and Nintendo Wii game that fuses jazz, Brazilian funk and African dance to “party your abs off.”
6.) DID YOU KNOW:
61% feel friskier when you’re in shape.
Mentally replay a hot tryst while you work out to run faster, lift more and generally up your oomph in the gym. “Racy thoughts increase heart rate and blood flow, which can increase energy and Performance,” says Linda Young, Ph.D., a psychologist in The Woodlands, Texas.
7.) DID YOU KNOW:
70% of you set goals to get psyched.
Be creative to stick to them. Rewards are great, but penalties can be an even stronger motivator, Feldermann says. When setting goals, come up with a few punishments for missing your mark. Make a pact with a friend that the first one to blow off boot camp buys the first round on Friday night. Like hell you’ll skip a session!
If you would like to see more great statistics on fitness you can go to Fitness: Self.com
