Doable Fitness

By Eden L. Elisan

Toning exercises are similar to strength training. Some women didn’t want to get bulky from strength training, so trainers started using “toning” instead of “strength training.”

The American College of Sports Medicine and the Centers for Disease Control recommend that every adult exercise at least two days per week for muscular strength, especially if you want to gain lean muscle mass while losing body fat.

Toning focuses on muscle endurance rather than muscle size. It is beneficial not only to the young but also to the elderly; even people over the age of 90 can develop muscular strength through regular strengthening exercises.

Younger people, on the other hand, can increase their bone strength through regular strength training. Bone strength is critical in the prevention of osteoporosis and lower-body fractures. Despite the possibility of bone loss as we age, strength training can help to slow this process.

Aside from these, strength training also enhances glucose metabolism, improves the maintenance of healthy body weight, and aids in improving cardiovascular risk factors such as blood pressure. There is a 10–20 percent lower risk of death from any cause, including cancer and heart disease, when doing these exercises regularly. And according to a recent meta-analysis, people who engage in muscle-strengthening practices are less likely to die prematurely.

Here are some toning exercises you can do at home:

Push-ups

• Get on all fours and spread your hands slightly wider than your shoulders.

• Extend your arms and legs.

• Lower your body until your chest almost touches the floor.

• Pause for a moment, then push yourself back up.

• Do three sets of twelve. Repeat three times a week.

• If you have trouble doing regular push-ups, start with modified push-ups such as wall push-ups.

Biceps curl

• Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and a small hand weight in one hand, palm facing forward.