Don't be a sag bag: Tighten and tone your bod!

Your problem spots have two layers to concentrate on:

• The loose flab on top that you see, which is fat.
• The underlying muscles that have gone soft and out of shape.

So what can you do about it? Here's the three-rung programme you need to follow if you're going to make any headway with your sag bags.

Burn the flab!

Get moving! Walk, cycle, swim or do aerobics, depending on the exercise you enjoy most.

The fatty tissues need to be burnt to get rid of the top layer of flab through heart-racing cardio excercises. When the heart rate goes up, oxygen gets circulated through the body faster, busting the fat it comes in contact with.

For the fat burn to become effective, you need to exercise 4-5 days a week and work out at a brisk pace for at least 30 minutes. It should be challenging for you.

Trim down your diet too

Not only do you have to burn fat, you need to prevent accumulation of fat by eating right. Here are a few pointers to get you to your goal:

• Eat a large breakfast, a small mid-morning snack, a medium-sized lunch, an evening snack and a light dinner. Giving your body frequent meals raises the metabolism, helping you to burn more fat. A light dinner is pretty much the key to weight-loss.
• Cut out fats like sweets, fried foods, fast foods, colas and sugar.
• Add plenty of fresh veggies and fruit to your diet.
• Don't remain hungry. Starving your body is a recipe for disaster! Just remember to indulge in nutritious foods.

Let's get down to the sculpting and shaping exercises. There are plenty, but I've listed the most effective ones for each of the common problem areas.

You need to do 2-3 sets of each exercise, comprising 12-16 repetitions, 3-4 days a week. Do remember to do a short warm-up before you start, like walking, climbing stairs or dancing for about 5 to7 minutes at a medium pace. Move on to the next page to get started!

Brinda Sapat is head of the Group Exercise Department at Gold's Gym, Napean Sea Road, Mumbai. Certified with Training Zone & Progressive Fitness (USA), she has been a fitness instructor for over a decade.

Push-ups

Wave goodbye to the push-up bra with this one!

Lie on your tummy. Raise yourself and place your palms on the floor, in line with your shoulders, elbows bent and fingers facing forwards. Keep your tummy muscles tight and pressing your knees to the floor, push yourself up till your arms are straight . As you push up, dig the heels of the palms into the floor and squeeze your chest muscles to lift you up. In this position, your body needs to be in an inclined plane: head, shoulders, hips and knees in a diagonal straight line. It is important that your hips don't lift too high or too low out of alignment to prevent strain on the back. Slowly lower to start position and repeat.

You will need a pair of 3 kilo dumbbells.

Lie on a bench if you have one, or on the floor. Bend both knees and place your feet flat on the bench, keeping your tummy muscles contracted. Hold a dumbbell in each hand and raise your hands straight up at eye level. The palms should be facing in towards each other. Now keeping your elbows out to the side, slowly lower the arms down and out to the sides at shoulder level; then slowly raise them up as you squeeze the chest muscles. Imagine yourself hugging a huge teddy bear. Repeat.

Lateral raises

Upside-down crunches

This is more challenging than regular crunches and feels great.

Lie on your tummy. Push yourself up on your elbows and toes. Keep your body in a straight line. Tighten the abs and hold this 'plank' for 30-60 seconds. Relax and repeat.

Get back to the T-stand position. Slowly lower your hips toward the floor and lift them up again as you squeeze the right side of the waist. Repeat.

Butt crunches

Lie with your knees bent, the heels digging into the floor. Place your arms by your sides. Squeeze your butt and lift it off as you push your heels in. Slowly lower and repeat.

After you are done with 16 reps, take the right leg off the floor and place the right ankle on your left knee, while maintaining the same butt-lifting and squeezing movement. You will feel the left hip working. After 16 reps, place the left ankle on the right knee to work the right hip for 16 reps.

Concentrated lunges

Take a large stride, with at least a 3 foot gap between the front and rear foot. Hold 3 kilo dumbbells in both hands. Bend both knees and slowly lower your body towards the floor. Squeeze your thighs and come up to start position. Repeat. The movement is up and down, not front and back. Your knee should never go forward past andover your toes. Switch legs when you complete all your sets with one.

Dynamic lunges

Follow the same technique as above but keep alternating the legs.

Round off your toning workout with light stretches to open out the muscles and prevent any soreness.