Blast Your Body

Standing Leg Lift

Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, arms at your sides. Lift your right knee as high as you can and swing your left arm forward until it's parallel to the floor (A). Return to start and repeat with your left knee and right arm (B). Continue alternating sides, completing as many reps as possible, for 1 minute.

Cardio Ski Hop

Start at the top of a pushup position (A). With your legs together, brace your abs and kick your legs to the right, bending them so your feet land just outside of your right shoulder (B). Hop back to start and immediately repeat on the left side (C). Continue hopping side to side for 1 minute.

Hand Tap

Start at the top of a pushup position. Keeping your abs braced and your arms straight, lift your left hand, put it down next to your right hand, then return to start (A). Repeat with the right hand and return to start (B). Continue going back and forth for 1 minute, keeping your body in a straight line.

Plie Plyometric Jump

Stand with your legs together, toes pointed out to form a V, and arms at your sides (A). Engage your abs and quickly jump up in the air, landing in the starting position. Repeat 20 times. Move your feet to wider than shoulder-width apart, knees and toes still turned out (B). Jump in the air, keeping your legs wide. Repeat 20 times. Alternate between the first and second positions for 20 more reps.

Beginner Running For Weight Loss: Run/Walk Program

Week One

Monday One Walk 10 minutes. Next 6 minutes alternate running 1 minute and walking 1 minute. Walk 4 minutes. Stretch.

Tuesday "Tone Zone" Strength Training Program. Stretch.

Wednesday Walk 10 minutes. Next 8 minutes alternate running 1 minute and walking 1 minute. Walk 2 minutes. Stretch.

Thursday "Rock Solid Abs" Strength Training Program. Stretch.

Friday Walk 8 minutes. Next 10 minutes alternate running 1 minute and walking 1 minute. Walk 2 minutes. Stretch.

Saturday Rest Day

Sunday Walk 6 minutes. Next 12 minutes alternate running 2 minutes and walking 2 minutes. Walk 2 minutes. Stretch.

Week Two

Monday Walk 10 minutes. Next 10 minutes alternate running 1 minute and walking 1 minute. Walk 5 minutes. Stretch

Tuesday "Tone Zone" Strength Training Program. Stretch.

Wednesday Walk 10 minutes. Next 12 minutes alternate running 1 minute and walking 1 minute. Walk 3 minutes. Stretch.

Thursday "Rock Solid Abs" Strength Training Program. Stretch.

Friday Walk 10 minutes. Next 12 minutes alternate running 2 minutes and walking 1 minute. Walk 3 minutes. Stretch.

Saturday Rest Day

Sunday Walk 8 minutes. Next 15 minutes alternate running 2 minutes and walking 1 minute. Walk 2 minutes. Stretch.

Week Three

Monday Walk 10 minutes. Next 10 minutes alternate running for 1 minute and walking for 1 minute. Walk 10 minutes. Stretch.

Tuesday "Tone Zone" Strength Training Program. Stretch.

Wednesday Walk 10 minutes. Next 15 minutes, alternate running for 1 minute and walking for 1 minute. Walk 5 minutes. Stretch.

Thursday "Rock Solid Abs" Strength Training Program. Stretch.

Friday Walk 10 minutes. Next 15 minutes alternate running 2 minutes with walking 1 minute. Walk 5 minutes. Stretch.

Saturday Rest Day

Sunday Walk 5 minutes. Next 21 minutes, alternate running for 2 minutes and walking for 1 minute. Walk 4 minutes. Stretch.

Week Four

Monday Walk 5 minutes. Next 20 minutes alternate running for 3 minutes and walking for 1 minute. Walk 5 minutes. Stretch.

Tuesday "Lean Machine" Strength Training Program. Strength Training Program. Stretch.

Wednesday Walk 4 minutes. Next 24 minutes, alternate running for 5 minute and walking for 1 minute. Walk 2 minutes. Stretch.

Thursday "Lean Machine" Strength Training Program. Strength Training Program. Stretch.

Friday Walk 4 minutes. Next 24 minutes alternate running 5 minutes with walking 1 minute. Walk 2 minutes. Stretch.

Saturday Rest Day

Sunday Walk 5 minutes. Next 22 minutes, alternate running for 8 minutes and walking for 3 minutes. Walk 3 minutes. Stretch.

Week Five

Monday Walk 5 minutes. Run 10 minutes. Walk 5 minutes. Run 5 minutes. Walk 5 minutes. Stretch.

Tuesday "No Gear Here" Strength Training Program. Stretch.

Wednesday Walk 5 minutes. Run 12 minutes. Walk 3 minutes. Run 5 minutes. Walk 5 minutes. Stretch.

Thursday "Lean Machine" Strength Training Program. Strength Training Program. Stretch.

Friday Walk 10 minutes. Run 15 minutes. Walk 5 minutes. Stretch

Saturday Rest Day

Sunday Walk 6 minutes. Run 18 minutes. Walk 6 minutes. Stretch.

Week Six

Monday Walk 5 minutes. Run 20 minutes. Walk 5 minutes. Stretch.

Tuesday "No Gear Here" Strength Training Program. Stretch.

Wednesday Walk 5 minutes. Run 22 minutes. Walk 3 minutes. Stretch.

Thursday "Lean Machine" Strength Training Program. Strength Training Program. Stretch.

Friday Walk 3 minutes. Run 25 minutes. Walk 2 minutes. Stretch

Saturday Rest Day

Sunday Run 30 minutes. Stretch.

Walk Off 5 Times More Belly Fat

Exercise Breakthrough: Scientists discover the best way to stride off pounds without dieting

Pop quiz: Two women go walking. One finishes quickly; the other takes her time. They each burn about 400 calories. So who sheds more belly fat? The obvious answer: It's a tie. But a surprising new study shows that the one speed walking actually loses more.

Researchers from the University of Virginia found that women who did three shorter, fast-paced walks a week (plus two longer, moderate-paced ones) lost 5 times more belly fat than those who simply strolled at a moderate speed 5 days a week, even though both groups burned exactly the same number of calories (400) per workout. Those speed walking also dropped more than 2 inches from their waistlines, pared about 3 times more fat from their thighs, shed 4 times more total body fat, and lost almost 8 pounds over 16 weeks--all without dieting!

The improvements didn't stop there. The high-intensity exercisers lost about 3 times more visceral fat--the dangerous belly fat that wraps around organs such as the liver and kidneys and has been linked to diabetes, heart disease, and high blood pressure. "Vigorous exercise raises levels of fat-burning hormones," says lead researcher Arthur Weltman, PhD, director of the exercise physiology laboratory at the university. It also increases afterburn (the number of calories your body uses postexercise as it recovers) by about 47% compared with lower-intensity workouts.

So how do you make all this science work for you? Start with our 8-week progressive walking plan, which includes both shorter, high-intensity workouts and longer, moderate-paced ones. Add in the Flat Belly sculpting moves to firm your ever-shrinking middle. In just 2 months, you could walk off 1 or 2 sizes--without dieting!

Then celebrate your success by joining Team Prevention to walk a full or a half marathon. The 8-Week Plan will prime you for the challenge while flattening your belly, and our Walk-a-Marathon (or Half) Training will keep you on track to get in your best shape possible.