How to Shape Yourself Up

Getting in shape provides a number of benefits, regardless of whether you would like to improve your muscle tone and flexibility or whether you're a couch potato who needs to lose several pounds. Shaping up involves implementing a combination of dietary changes and performing regular physical exercise. But eating right and exercising won't just help you shape up, they also strengthen your cardiovascular system, promote healthy bones, improve your overall sense of well-being and help you look and feel great, according to the President’s Council on Fitness, Sports and Nutrition.

Instructions

    • 1

      Consult your physician to discuss a healthy weight range for your body type. Discuss a realistic weight goal and time frame for achieving weight loss with your doctor, recommends Nutrition.gov. If you have a lot of weight to lose, choose a realistic, short-term goal, such as losing 10 percent of your body weight.

    • 2

      Reduce your caloric intake and increase your energy expenditure. You can determine the approximate number of calories you'll need to take in on a daily basis to lose weight and shape up by using free online calorie calculators, such as the USDA's Adult Energy Needs and BMI Calculator.

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      Cut out junk foods, simple carbohydrates and refined sugars from your diet. Choose cabs wisely, advises the Mayo Clinic. Incorporate fresh fruits and vegetables and high-fiber foods in your diet. Limit high-fat dairy products and select lower-fat alternatives.

    • 4

      Create a realistic fitness goal that takes into account any physical limitations or conditions you may have. Perhaps your goal is to get in shape so you can run a half-marathon, or to tone up your rear and thighs so you can fit into a new pair of jeans. Write down your goal and keep it in a visible location, advises Dr. Pamela Peeke in an article for WebMD.

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      Select a realistic fitness plan based on your fitness goal. Include aerobic fitness, muscular fitness, stretching, core exercises and balance training, suggests the Mayo Clinic.

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      Choose an aerobic activity that you think you'll enjoy -- you'll be more likely to stick with it. Think outside the box and mix up your workouts every time you exercise. If you run one day, use the elliptical trainer the next. Or take martial arts instruction or join a water aerobics class. Aim for around 2.5 hours of moderate intensity aerobic activity or 75 minutes of high intensity activity, advises the Mayo Clinic. Spread your workouts out over the course of your week.

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      Incorporate at least two weekly sessions of strength training into your fitness plan. The American Council on Exercise recommends using a combination of machines and free weights. You can also use resistance bands or exercises that involve your own body weight, such as squats, pushups and bicycle crunches.

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      Strengthen your core -- these are muscles that support healthy posture and protect your back, and includes your abdomen, back and pelvic muscles. Try Pilates or perform crunches on a stability ball. Perform core exercises regularly -- according to fitness instructor LaReine Chabut in her book, "Core Strength for Dummies," you should perform core strengthening exercises between three and five times per week.

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      Practice exercises that improve your balance, stability and flexibility. Exercises like yoga or tai chi help stretch and elongate your muscles, improve your balance and stability and increase your level of flexibility and range of motion, according to Help Guide.