24 Hours to the Body of Your Dreams

Provided by Prevention

Your Midday Workout: Interval Sprint Walk
As little as 30 seconds of high-intensity exercise-- like sprints -- can spike levels of human growth hormone by a whopping 530 percent, British researchers report. This boost, in turn, helps build lean muscle and burn fat.

With our routine, you won't be working quite that hard, but you'll increase the intensity enough to enjoy a metabolic bump that will last several hours. Related Canadian research reveals that eight exercisers doing just four 30-second sprints three times a week for 2 weeks doubled their endurance in exercise tests and ramped up their mitochondria activity by 38 percent, meaning their muscles and cells could use more oxygen and burn more calories.

The following workout is based on a 1-to-10 scale of intensity, with 1 equivalent to sitting on the sofa and 10 equivalent to sprinting.

Evening
Have a light (500- to 700-calorie) dinner
A balanced meal, such as fish, chicken, lean meat, or soy with steamed or sautéed veggies and a side of beans and rice, will refuel you without slowing you down. "Pause 15 minutes before taking second helpings; a relaxed eating style will ensure you don't get overstuffed," suggests Cooper.

Pay bills, sort mail, surf the Web or knit
You'll burn up to 54 more calories per hour than if you simply sit guarding the remote. (Bonus: Your hands will be too busy to reach into a bag of chips or cookies.)

Drink warm milk
Some studies suggest that amino acids in dairy products help promote fat burning. (Stick to low-fat or fat-free to keep calories in check.)

Lower the thermostat to sleep better
Skimp on shut-eye and you'll not only feel sluggish the next day -- making activity less attractive -- but you'll also be more at risk of gaining weight. A new report from the Nurses' Health Study, which followed more than 68,000 women for 16 years, found that women who slept just 5 hours a night were 32 percent more likely to gain 30-plus pounds during adulthood than those who got 7 hours of shut-eye, even though the light sleepers typically ate less.

Your After-Work Exercise Plan: 5 Strength-Building Moves
"For every pound of muscle you build, you'll burn up to 50 extra calories a day," says Nelson. Why lift now? Body temperature inches upward as the day goes on, peaking around 5PM (when it's about 1 to 2°F warmer than it is in the morning), priming your muscles for activity.

Studies show that evening exercisers move faster, produce more power, and don't fade as fast -- all while feeling less tired. Try this multimuscle starter routine: Perform two sets of 8 to 10 reps, 3 days a week with a rest day after each.

1. Squat Press
Stand with feet hip-width apart, abs tight. Hold 8- to 12-pound dumbbells by shoulders, palms facing forward. Bend knees and hips, lowering body as if sitting into a chair -- butt out, chest lifted, spine long. Keep knees behind toes and don't go lower than thighs parallel to floor. As you stand back up, press weights overhead. Then lower dumbbells back to shoulders and repeat.

2. Lunge Curl
Stand with left foot about 3 feet in front of right with left foot flat and right heel off floor. Hold 8- to 12-pound dumbbells down at sides, palms facing forward. Bend both knees, lowering right knee straight down until left thigh is parallel to floor. Keep left knee directly above ankle. As you lower, curl weights toward shoulders. Then straighten legs and lower dumbbells back to start position and repeat.

3. Plilé Lat Raise
Stand with feet wider than shoulder-width apart, toes pointing out. Hold 5- to 8-pound dumbbells down at sides, palms facing in. Keeping back straight, bend knees and lower hips until thighs are nearly parallel to floor. At the same time, raise weights out to sides until arms are at shoulder height. Return to start and repeat.

4. Calf Raise & Press
Stand with feet close together, arms at sides holding 5- to 8-pound dumbbells, palms facing in. Rise up onto balls of feet, lifting heels off floor. At the same time, press arms behind you, turning wrists so palms face ceiling. Keep arms straight. Lower and repeat.

5. Curl & Press
Hold an 8- to 12-pound dumbbell in each hand and lie on floor with knees bent, feet flat. Position dumbbells at either side of chest, palms facing feet. Contract abs and curl head, shoulders, and upper back off floor. Once in the up position, press weights straight above chest. Lower weights, roll back to start, and repeat.



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