What is Body Toning?
Body toning is nothing but getting your body into shape. A toned body not only looks good, but it functions to its fullest potential physically. Our body is not supposed to be stagnant. It needs to move every day to function efficiently.
You might have seen a flowing river or a waterfall. It is magnificent, right? But stagnant water looks terrible and can not be used in daily life. Likewise, our bodies are meant to perform certain activities, whether walking, dancing, playing, or any activity.
People say if we do not exercise, our muscles get weak, but with muscles, our bones, joints, and ligaments also get weak. The food we eat also plays a vital role in maintaining our fitness. It heals our body after we use it throughout the day.
A toned body is something everyone can have, no matter how young or how old they are. For instance, weight training has shown remarkable results in improving fitness and health among middle-aged and aged people. (1)
Any training, be it weight or bodyweight, makes a huge difference in keeping our bodies fit and healthy. Although this article is about toning the body, it is also necessary to keep your internal organs, tissues, ligaments, joints, and bones healthy.
Let’s look at some body toning exercises that will make you fit and look fantastic.
Body Toning Exercises
Planks
Place your forearms shoulder-width apart on the floor with your body straight from head to toe and feet together or close enough. Hold this pose for as much time as you can. You can do 2 to 4 sets of this exercise.
This is one of the best exercises to get a toned body.
Side planks
Side planks are similar to planks, but you must place only one arm on the ground facing sideways. Hold this for as long as you can and repeat for 2 to 4 sets. This exercise strengthens and tones your obliques, giving an incredible toned body look.
Squats
Place your feet a little wider than shoulder-width, and place your hands together at the chest or extend them forward. Now try to bend the knees by going downwards. Go as far as you can. Make sure your knees do not cross your toes from a verticle angle.
Try keeping your legs wide for targeting glutes (butt) and closer to target quads (thighs). Do this for as many reps as you can. Do about 2 to 4 sets of squats. Squats strengthen the legs and tone them.
Lunges
Keep your foot flat in front of the other nearly one meter apart with the front knee bent at right angles. Now repeat this movement with the other leg. Do as many reps as you can and for 2-4 sets.
You can do 10 reps on each side and then shift to another instead of doing alternatively. This tones your legs and glutes, and also the core muscles.
Bridges/Hip Thrusts
Lie on your back on the floor with your face facing upwards. Now bend your knees and place your feet so that your lower legs are near 90 degrees to the floor. Lift your waist as far as you can and hold this pose.
You can repeat the movement as you do in pushups. These are called hip thrusts. Do this as many reps as you can for 2 to 4 sets.
This will tone your legs, glutes, and hamstrings and strengthen your lower back.
Pushups
Keep your palms shoulder-width apart on the floor, with your body straight from head to toe. Bring your chest closer to the ground and then return to normal. Repeat this motion as many times as you can. Repeat it for 2 to 3 sets.
Pushups help strengthen and tone your chest, shoulders, and triceps.
Leg raises
Lie on the floor and lift your legs to 90 degrees. This is leg raise that helps you tone your abdomen area. Do this exercise for 3 to 4 sets. Lower abs get strengthened in this exercise.
Ab crunches
Lie on the floor. Try to squeeze your abs by arching your back as if you are trying to sit up. Do this for as many reps as possible and repeat for 2 to 4 sets. Ab crunches work on your upper abs and tone the abdomen region.
How To Get A Toned Body
Here are the crucial things you must do to get a toned body. There are quite a few things that need to be done on a daily basis for several months to achieve a muscular and good-looking physique.
Exercising for at least 3 to 5 days/week
The exercise mentioned above in this article will help you attain your desired toned body. But, you must ensure you exercise for at least 3 to 5 days per week. This will stimulate your muscles more and keep them active. (2)
Many of you who are reading this blog may not exercise at all or exercise a little. But this is not enough if you have a goal that has a flat stomach and well-developed muscles. You need not go to the gym to achieve a physique like this.
You need to train at home or anywhere by just using your body weight. You can use weights or o to the gym if you want to. Choose 3 to 6 exercises in a workout session. Perform these exercises for 2 to 3 sets.
Then choose 2 other exercises for the second workout session. Then repeat the first workout in the third session. Keep changing and orienting exercises in between workout sessions. This will shock your muscles and keep them stimulated and growing.
Nutrition and diet
Exercising is for 1 to 2 hours per day, but eating for the whole day is very important to get results. Eating clean is the first thing you should be doing. Next, track your calories, and check whether you are getting all the essential nutrients.
Junk foods are the worst thing you can eat during a fitness regime. You can eat them once a week if you want to. If you really crave something, prepare it at your home.
Foods like junk food slow down your metabolism, which prevents fitness. Track your macros, that is, carbohydrates, proteins, and fats, which play the most critical role in fat loss and muscle gain.
More protein intake decreases the risk of muscle loss and helps you recover broken muscle tissues. A moderate carbohydrate intake will ensure you will not gain fat during the process. (3)
Good fats are essential for muscle building and overall fitness and health. These lubricate the joints, help in increasing testosterone, and help build muscle. Have 50 to 60% carbs, 25 to 35% proteins, and 15 to 25% fats in your diet.
You will see the best results if you maintain this ratio. Another essential factor to be noted is the intake of complex and simple carbs. It would be best to eat more complex and less simple carbs.
Simple carbs are best in pre-workouts and post-workouts because they digest quickly and help to recover muscle glycogen after exercise. Follow these tips with great discipline to get the best results. Comment below if you have any doubts, and follow us on Instagram and Facebook for more informative content.