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Action News Extra: Lifestyle Change Exercise Plan

POSTED: 10:45 am EST March 1, 2005

The second part of the Lifestyle Change, according to Schenley High School physical education teacher Bonnie Perella, is exercise!! Bonnie lost more than 100 pounds in a year, simply by living a healthier lifestyle. She stopped her 5-a-day Pepsi habit, did away with fried foods and pizza, and embarked on a low-carb, lo-cal Lifestyle Change. She eats plenty of protein. Turkey. Fish. Chicken. A steak here and there. Plus -- lots of fruits and vegetables, water, and common sense. After losing the pounds, she wanted to firm up. So Bonnie created a fitness regimen that consists of cardiovascular exercise and light weight lifting. Here's her routine:

1. Cardiovascular Activity -- Several Times a Week
Bonnie bicycles, speed-walks, jogs and runs. If you have a treadmill, great! Get that heart pumping! Bonnie often goes to the mall in the mornings, especially during the winter, to speed walk. She'll put in about 30 minutes a day, 4-5 days a week.

2. Crunches
These are mini sit-ups you do with your arms crossed over your chest. Bonnie does 100 of these, pretty quickly, too! She says she could only manage 15 crunches when she first started, so this is all about building up your endurance.

3. Shoulder Press
Bonnie presses 40 pounds -- not a lot of weight -- but she does it quickly, putting in about 30 repetitions.

4. Chest Press
30 pounds, 30 times. Again, quickly. Breathe!!

5. Curls
Bonnie uses easy-to-manage 8 pound hand weights and does alternating curls. 30 repetitions.

6. Bench Press
Bonnie uses 10 pound weights on either side of a 45 pound bar for a total press of 65 pounds. 10 repetitions.

7. Lat Pull
This really tones the muscles in your arms. Bonnie uses 50 pounds and changes her hand positions four times. Each hand position gets 10 reps and tones the different muscles in your arms.

8. Seated Row
40 pounds, 30 repetitions.

Remember, start light. Build up your resistance and your weights. Bonnie will go through steps 1-8 THREE TIMES in each workout, and she does this quickly. After all, she's got to squeeze in her workout during a 50 minute school period at Schenley High School. She says lights weights and lots of repetitions will help you firm up, but not BULK up. If you stick to it... you can build up your strength and watch the pounds fall off you!

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