Written By: Lauretta Jade Curtis @lauretta_curtis

You do not have to be an expert to be in great shape, you just have to be aware of how your body responds to the things you do to it. I.e. The food you consume and the physical activity you perform.

You should have your note book ready… (Check last week’s article) I would like you to keep a food diary.

Things to include:

What you ate (pretty obvious)

What time you ate it

Portion Size

Did it make you feel full?

How did it affect your energy levels 30 minutes after?

Also keep a track of liquids you are drinking.

2 Litres of water is the recommended daily intake. After all, water makes roughly 60% of our body weight! Lack of water can lead to dehydration which can seriously drain your energy levels but most importantly can limit your body to carrying out its normal functions – let’s make sure your giving your body the chance to work at its best.

5 FEMALE SHAPES – WORKOUT WITH IT.

Hourglass – Broad shoulders, big bust, small waist and big bum.

Pear – Narrow shoulders, smaller bust with bigger hips.

Rectangle – Equal bust and hip measurements.

Apple – Bigger bust, wider waist and a big bum

Strawberry – Broad shoulders, big bust and narrow hips.

Workout for your shape

The hourglass shape has been considered the ideal body shape. When choosing clothes it is usually suggested you pick items that emphasize the areas that create the hour glass shape and deemphasize the areas the others.

Hourglass exercise of the week (I’ve thrown 2 exercises in for good measure)

Squat - Will help to tone your legs and bum whilst improving your flexibility, core strength and most importantly help create that hourglass shape. If you are not sure or you have never done this exercise before, make sure you follow the correct instruction to avoid injury. People often get confused and think that squats cause damage. This can only happen if using a poor technique. Squatting deep with good form is the key to avoiding knee injuries.

Lunge – Super toning for the bum and legs. Short lunges are great for shaping and toning the quadriceps (front thigh) if you would rather focus on toning your bum, make your lunges a little wider but pretty please make sure your knee is in line or behind your toe at all times to avoid injury.

Good technique and focusing on the muscle you want to tone will guarantee you better results!

Next week I will be featuring more on workouts for your shape. Until then, keep a food diary and I’ll be posting ‘hourglass’ foods to go along with your exercises – you can check how well your doing!

WEAKNESS YOU OVERCAME

Last week I asked you to send in your success story.  All the ones I received were great and very well done on your achievements. Here’s the winner!

I used to hate exercising and going to the gym. I was signed up to a gym but I never used go. I got fed up of wasting my money on gyms and supplements that claimed to help burn fat so one day I decided to do a bit of online research. What I found was interesting and I started doing little bits at home from watching different videos. After 2 months of doing mini workouts on my living floor I noticed I was getting a little bit stronger and started noticing I was getting more toned. This gave me motivation to continue and now I can proudly say I’m as fit as I want to be, 2 stone lighter and considering training for a marathon (maybe?)! I did it all on my own from nothing!  I just want to let everyone know that it is possible; firstly you need to find it within yourself! You’ve got to want it! If you want it you will make it happen!