DAVID KIRSCH IN A NEW YORK MINUTE

Exercise is not a chore or a punishment; rather, it’s a way of honoring yourself. It’s a reward.

If you followed my Slimdown cardio sculpting routines, you know how good it feels to have achieved the grand prize: An amazing body and more energy than you’ve had in years.

You know what it means to honor yourself. I hope you have decided to make exercise a priority for life!

How will you maintain your results?
You won’t have to work out for hours every day but you must commit to a modified exercise regimen. Here’s what I recommend in my Ultimate Fitness Plan.

EXERCISE AT LEAST 4 DAYS PER WEEK

3 DAYS PER WEEK:  Complete a 45-minute cardio sculpting workout like the one I feature in the 7-Day Prescription.

ONE DAY A WEEK:  Work your pet peeves or trouble spot areas – either your abs or legs and butt – with one of my toning workouts, and then follow up with 30 to 40 minutes of intense cardio.

EVERY OTHER MONTH: Switch the order of the exercise by doing the 45-minute cardio sculpting workout once per week, and work your pet peeves and other areas of your body 3 days per week.

USE YOUR NEWFOUND ENERGY AND MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR DAYS OFF.  Rather than lying on the couch and watching TV, find ways to move and use your fit and strong body. You now have the fitness and energy to explore the outdoors! Play with your kids at the park. Go for a romantic walk with your spouse. Chase the dog around the yard. Take a day hike or canoe trip.

FIND SMALL WAYS TO BURN CALORIES THROUGHOUT THE DAY.
Take the stairs instead of the elevator. Walk or ride a bike to your errands rather than taking a car. Walk to a coworker’s office rather than sending an email.

ADD VARIETY TO YOUR WORKOUTS.
To maintain and even improve your results you’ve got to change it up a bit. When you do the same workouts day in and day out, you become bored; your motivation plummets, and your muscles stop responding. I encourage you to add different movements to your cardio sculpting and toning routines. As long as you stick with the basic formula of low resistance, high repetitions, you can’t go wrong. Check out my 7-Day Prescription for seven of my favorite results-oriented workouts.