The Brunette Diaries

You Can Dance To Lose Weight!

Are you one of those people who find hitting the gym or doing yoga boring? Are you looking out for an effective way of losing weight the fun way? Then, why don’t you try dancing! That’s right! Dancing works on the whole body – be it hands, legs, back, tummy. Moreover, you can choose a dance form that you’ll enjoy. Here we have a few dance styles that are popular for their calorie-burning, body toning characteristics.

Groove on Bollywood style

Bollywood dance is your Mecca if you love groovy numbers! Look no further than the Bollywood style of dancing to shed those extra kilos. Since this dance form is groovy and peppy, it is taking the world by rage. A combination of Bhangra with a little hip-hop and other modern Indian dances combine to form a pulsating session of workout.

Salsa for the lovebirds

There is nothing better if you have your beloved bucking you up at every step? Match him step-for-step while keeping him close as you both start on salsa lessons together. This dance form is perfect for keeping you fit. Through this you can meet new people or capture some memorable moments with your loved one. This cardio-intensive workout, with its many movements, will help you lose 10 calories by the minute. Thus, by the end of an hour, you would have lost an awesome 600 calories, and got some titillating moments with your loved one.

Go Zumba!

What about partying to lose weight and ditching your workout regime? Sounds interesting right? Add some spice to your daily workout schedules with Zumba. Imagine learning a little bit of salsa, calypso, belly dancing, samba and many such dance forms in just one amazing dance exercise. Zumba helps in cardio exercise blending all dance forms in one.

Put on your Ballerina shoes

Taking an inspiration from Black Swan? Make the best use of your ballerina shoes to good use and enroll in a ballet class. Improve your posture, get more flexible and build your hips, abdomen and thighs with this amazing dance form. Ballet definitely sounds more fun than lifting weights at your gym.

Post Workout Mistakes You May Be Making

No matter how much effort you put into your workout, if your post workout habits are inappropriate, you’ll be losing out on your desired results. Pretty soon, you may find yourself de-motivated to work out and give up on your health goals. Therefore, it is necessary to maximise your workouts by paying attention to healthy post workout habits. Here we take a look at a few unhealthy post workout habits that you have.

(Also read – How to burn fat without losing muscle)

Cooling down

Post workout aerobics can help you cool down

Letting your heart rate and blood pressure return to normal levels cuts your risk of injury, according to experts. We hardly ever pay attention to this and return to our regular chores after a rigorous workout. The best solution is to end your workout with a light aerobic exercise to bring back your body to the normal resting levels gradually.

(Try reading – Benefits of push-ups)

Stretching

You must stretch to prevent muscle soreness

Stretching can prevent muscle soreness on the following day. Less soreness will mean you can hit the gym the sooner than ever and get back to working those muscles to attain your dream body!

Nutrition

Nutrition helps your muscles repair after a break-down workout. A combination of carbs and protein, like yogurt or a handful of nuts, is a great post workout snack to revitalize your body!

(You can also read – You can dance to lose weight!)

Hygiene

Make sure you take a shower and change your clothes after a workout

This may or may not apply to you; however, there are some people out there who don’t change their clothes or wash their bodies after a workout. Gross as it sounds, it obviously has more to it than just plain dirtiness. It can lead to yeast infections!

Sleep

Most people do not find the time to rest their bodies adequately due to hectic schedules. But what is important to note is that a good 7-8 hours of sleep is imperative for a person who works out.

(Also read – Get fit in 15 minutes!)

So the next time you think that skipping any of these things is fine, think again. Workouts can be good for you, but don’t let it affect your health!

Fitness habits to establish in your 20’s

Your twenties is the time to live life to the fullest, to explore, to go on adventures and do everything your body permits you to do. However, if we neglect our body at this age, it is obvious that we have to bear the brunt of it at a later age. It is essential that you take care of your body and inculcate the following fitness habits at this age.

(Also read – How to avoid weight gain due to a desk job)

Strength training

Strength training is one habit that you must get into. It increases lean muscle mass, boosts metabolism, torches calories, eases back pain, helps you sleep, and even wards off diabetes. Doing this at a young age when you have the strength and time to do it is like making hay while the sun shines.

(Try reading – Benefits of push-ups)

Drink water

Get into the habit of having enough water

If you aren’t into the habit of having six to eight glasses of water per day, you must! Our body is made up of 50-65% water and it is the most essential and overlooked part of our fitness regime. So get to chugging on that H2O.

Learn proper form

The key to weight lifting and circuit training is proper form. If you do not use proper form, you risk injury; and injuring yourself at such a young age could make matters worse later on in life.

(Also read – Too much of fatigue ruining your lifestyle?)

Stretching

Stretching before and after your workout is essential. If you do not stretch, your muscles can get tight and this sets you up for injury. Stretching is one thing that most of us overlook but is imperative in your fitness regime.

Have fun

While you’re at all of this, make sure you have fun. Because, remember, you’re in your twenties after all!

(You may find this interesting – Post workout mistakes you may be making)

Your 20’s is basically a time to prepare yourself and your body to live a wholesome life. So get off your behind if you are lazy and make the most of it!

Top 5 Women Instagrammers To Follow For Best Fitness Tips

Social Media is the new bible of today’s generation. Everything is on Social Media. From Photographs to Phones, facts to food, Buying/Selling, Celebrities, etc. In fact, people search “How to lose weight?” on Google before giving up their toxic habits and hitting the gym. Naturally, people turn to social media to look for motivation so that they could lose weight or even go to the gym. For example, people follow who they like or aspire to become like, they may follow actor SRK if they’re aspiring actors, girls tend to follow role models of their liking. And people who are trying to lose weight or be more pro-active, more of a fitness person should follow these lady bosses who are masters of fitness.

1) Ishwari Patil

If you’re interested in learning YOGA the right way then she’s the one to follow. Ishwari Patil, based in Mumbai, is a Women empowerment enthusiastic. She is trying to increase the awareness of benefits of Yoga and Fitness through her Instagram account. You can see her posing at different locations all over Mumbai, she also provides online consultation to the ones in need.

Instagram Account – @_ishwari_

2) Rashmi Agarwal

Rashmi Agarwal is a fitness freak being a mother. She goes by the name #FitMom or #Momwholifts. She is a fitness model and an inspiration to many. No one can guess that she’s a mother by looking at the pictures she posts on her account. From Weight Lifting to Cross fit, there’s nothing this lady can’t do.

Instagram account – @rashmiaagarwal

3) Surbhi Sharma

Surbhi Sharma is a Rhythmic Gymnast who also practices Yoga. Her Instagram feed is filled with her pictures doing all the extreme yoga poses with a smile on her face. She is on her journey to inspire and teach people the true meaning of Yoga.

Instagram Account – @_surbhisharma

4) Jinni Shaikh

Jinni Shaikh is one of the most hardcore lady bosses of all. She is an ESN Athlete who trains in heavy lifting. Her training videos will get you off of your couch and into the gym. A perfect role model and inspiration, she shares her experiences through her posts and her feelings of motivation and dedication through her captions.

Instagram account – @jinni_shaikh

5) Priya Chandra

A certified nutrition and Fitness consultant, Priya Chandra is a Body Transformation Specialist. She provides diet and workout schedule and guidance through her Instagram account online. She majorly posts videos of her working out for her followers for them to see and do it themselves.

Instagram account – @priya_chandra94

Apps that help you lose weight

Losing weight is not everyone’s cup of tea, but it is definitely achievable. With a little motivation and dedication, you can too, reach your goal weight, and that too this year itself. Going to the gym, working out, while following a strict diet isn’t going to cut it. For the constant track of your journey as well as the progress, you need a personal trainer. A trainer that isn’t just present in the gym, but is with you 24/7. Your SMARTPHONE. As many aren’t aware, your smartphone can be of a great help in achieving your weight loss dream. How? All you need to do is just need to download these following apps, which are designed specifically to keep track on your health, on your food intake, calories, workout and many more.

1) My Fitness Pal

When you download this app, it will first take your weight, height and your lifestyle to understand what you eat, and how it can help you to lose weight easily. It cuts down your weight loss goals shorter, for like what you can achieve in a month which is really motivating.

2) Lose It!

This app keeps a proper track on your food and calories, your current weight, and prepares you a plan to focus on weight loss along with tracking your workout regime and your only job is to lose it!

3) Fooducate

Fooducate educates you about every food there is to eat. It helps you understand what harms your body, which food is rich in fibre, protein, calcium and so on. With the help of this app, you know what you eat and this way you can easily substitute the harmful junk you were eating into healthy and wholesome foods.

4) Pact

We are sure you must’ve seen a video of a girl running behind a car where her friend is seated giving her cash for running. How about you get cash for every kilo you lose? That’s what the app Pact does. It’s a weight loss app that uses cash stakes to keep you motivated and help you achieve your goals.

5) Nike Training Club

If you’re not comfortable with personal trainers or their high budgeted bills and expenses, this app is for you. Here you can get professional help from Nike’s experts and tons of workout plans from, guidance from pro athletes and celebrity trainers and much more. The app considers your requirement and plans your regime accordingly.

So, which app are you downloading next?

Tips To Help You Maintain Your Weight Post Weight Loss

Neither it is easy to lose weight, nor it is a cup of tea to maintain the lost calories. Once you’ve lost a significant weight, you feel proud of having to achieve what once you thought was a dream. But often people feel so proud, they allow themselves a lot of cheat day, that not only harms your system but also puts you off of your daily routine. It is NECESSARY to award yourself some prizes, but if you want to maintain that weight loss, you got to work harder all over AGAIN. Worry not, we have some tips for you, especially that will help you keep your fitness at bay, and your health top notch.

1) Never skip your breakfast

Breakfast is the MOST important part of your meals. It helps the body kick start, provides the right energy for you to keep going the whole day. It’s a proven fact, people who have breakfast as compared to those who DON’T are healthier and at lesser risk of obesity.

2) Exercise daily

Remember the time you worked so hard to lose all the fats that you carried, but now that you achieved your goal, you don’t hit the gym that often. Regular exercise is a MUST, it helps you burn any new fat that the body produces. It also keeps you on track with your health.

3) Weigh yourself quite often

Checking your weight on regular intervals helps you keep a track. It shows if you have gained or are gaining constantly. You can, accordingly, moderate your diet and exercises. Anytime you feel lazy about following your routine, just check your weight.

4) Lift weights

Doing cardio may be fun, but weight lifting is essential for maintaining your weight loss. You may not need to hit the gym every day of the week, if you train in heavy lifting, going 3-4 times a week is more than enough for your body. Lifting weight builds your core stronger, eventually helping your system to be stronger and healthier.

5) Stay hydrated

No matter what, keep your water intake proper. Don’t neglect this point, water is extremely crucial for any problems. Acne – drink water, constipated – drink water, need to lose weight – drink water!

6) Make sustainable changes in your lifestyle

Now that you’ve achieved the unachievable, you need to keep that goal forever. If your work schedule doesn’t allow you working out a time or you have to eat outside often, DON’T. Make sure you remind yourself of all the hardships you went through to achieve wherever you stand today. Make necessary changes in your lifestyle and priority to your health and fitness.

Get on roll, guys! It’s time to take your health seriously! 😉

Fitness Tips From Fitness Guru Herself, Up Close With Sonam Bajwa

Interviewing celebs and great personalities is one of the perks enjoyed by the team of TBD. We get to ask various questions that many fans wish to ask their role models. This time, TBD got the chance to get up close with the beautiful and graceful, Sonam Bajwa.

Sonam, who is known for her role in “Carry On Jatta 2” starring alongside with Diljith Dosanjh, also participated in the Femina Miss India Contest in 2012. But, if you follow her on Instagram, you’d know she is a huge fitness freak too. She loves Gymming and the results are evident from her super hot body for which she seems to have worked hard.

Check out our video on our Youtube Channel:

Also, here are some pictures from Sonam’s Instagram proving her love for fitness!

Be Beautiful Without Having To Sacrifice Your Health

You don’t need to undergo extreme or painful measures to be beautiful. Being good to yourself and maintaining your health are important ways to accentuate your appearance ― it will make you gorgeous inside and out.

Look Younger, Naturally!

You might undergo youth-boosting treatments for your skin but these can be damaging to your health. An example is using chemically-enhanced skincare products that spread toxins into your skin and body. These can cause illness or adverse skin reactions. A much better option is organic skincare that looks after your skin with gentle ingredients while keeping your body free of harmful chemicals. Nutritional ingredients such as Vitamin C and Vitamin A, both in your diet and beauty routine, will also keep your skin firm and young without you having to resort to invasive procedures. Looking after your skin will keep your body functioning healthily so you can be naturally beautiful all over.

Is the Gym Your Friend or Enemy?

You know that it’s important to exercise daily ― when you get your heart pumping, this increases the oxygen in your body and activates your immune system. It also leads to weight loss. However, working out too much can disintegrate tissues, it can release the stress hormone called cortisol that can lead to disease, cause muscle tears that increase injury risk, as well as put your body under strain so that your immune system takes a dive.

How do you know if you’re exercising too much? If you get sick easily, you feel short-tempered, exercise makes you feel really tired all the time, or your body takes days to recover after a session, these symptoms mean you have to scale down your workouts.

Fashion Faux Pas to Avoid

Wearing clothing and shoes that make you look stylish but aren’t comfortable or put pressure on your body in various ways can harm your health. Are you guilty of these fashion faux pas?

Wearing High Heels Regularly

Yes, they’re gorgeous and make you feel like a million bucks, but they also strain your feet because they put your feet into an abnormal position. This can lead to pain, joint inflammation, and pinched nerves. High heels can also harm your spine because they alter your posture. Your lower back will feel the strain as it tries to deal with the unnatural position, causing pain.

Wearing Too-Tight Clothing

You might be trying to squeeze yourself into tight clothing over the holiday season when attending all the festive season parties, but this is dangerous. It can lead to numbness in your body because of constriction. Over time this can cause chronic problems. Tight clothing around your abdomen prevents digestion, so it can lead to problems such as burping and discomfort, which is exacerbated if you already have a health issue such as heartburn. Avoid anything that’s too tight and remember this isn’t flattering― instead of hiding any extra weight on your body, it will actually accentuate it.

Being beautiful should never be about harming yourself. Remember: health and beauty go hand in hand for best results!