Skin Care Tips for Teens

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AAAAre you a teen in need of some skin care tips? Maybe you've had an experience like 15-year-old "Cristina" (not her real name). She used a popular lotion on her skin for weeks before realizing that it clogged her facial pores, causing a full acne outbreak. She was relieved to learn how to clean her skin effectively, and now uses a moisturizer for her dry skin that does not trigger acne.

What's Your Skin Type?

Before you can care for your skin and keep it healthy, you need to identify your skin type. The four main types of skin are normal, dry, oily, and combination:

1. Normal Skin Care

Normal skin has an even, smooth skin tone; soft texture; and no visible blemishes, red spots, or flaky patches. Pores are barely visible, and the skin surface is neither greasy nor dry. Normal skin has few imperfections because of the balanced amount of water and oil and good blood circulation.

If your skin is normal, wash your face two to three times each day, with mild cleanser or plain soap and water, to remove dirt and sweat.

2. Dry Skin Care

Dry skin is dull, rough, scaly, and itchy, with almost invisible pores. Dry skin is usually caused by an abnormal shedding of cells from the skin's outer layer. In normal situations, lubrication from the body's natural oils helps to prevent water loss from the skin.

If you have dry skin, wash your face daily with a mild cleanser. This will help prevent your skin from becoming drier. Moisturize with a non-perfumed, non-alcohol-containing lotion after washing.

Also, limit very hot showers, high temperatures, and low humidity, which rob your skin of moisture. Even using soap and excessive washing or scrubbing of the skin increases dryness. Many teens have drier skin during the winter months, when humidity is low and heaters force hot, dry air into enclosed rooms.

If your skin is very dry, take a warm bath for about 20 minutes. Avoid using soap or other drying products. When you get out of the tub, pat your body dry, then rub mineral oil (found at most supermarkets and drugstores) or a non-perfumed, non-alcohol lotion all over your skin. Pat your skin dry again. The oil or lotion helps to lock in healing moisture, keeping skin supple and soft.

3. Oily Skin Care

Oily skin is acne-prone skin with open pores, a shiny complexion, blackheads, and pimples. Because hormones affect oil production, anything that affects your hormone levels may influence your skin. Some experts believe that stress, such as from exams, may trigger outbreaks of acne. Many teens know that acne in itself creates added stress!

To keep oily skin clean, wash your face a three times a day with plain soap and water. If you need to cleanse your face at school, use an over-the-counter cleansing pad that helps dissolve oil and removes excess dirt from the skin surface.

If you have pimples, never pop or squeeze them, which can spread the inflammation and worsen acne.

Use cosmetics and other facial products that are "noncomedogenic," meaning they do not clog pores.Keep your hair off your face, and wash your hair daily to reduce oil.

4. Normal/Combination Skin Care

With normal/combination skin, you might have an oily "T-Zone" (forehead, nose, and chin) and dry skin elsewhere. The pores on your face are large, and the skin tends to have blackheads.

Normal/combination skin can be either overly dry or excessively oily, while cheeks may appear rough. Depending on the time of year, the oiliness and dryness can change, too. The skin is usually drier when the weather is cold.

If you have normal/combination skin, wash your face two or three times a day with plain soap and water to remove the excess oil. Moisturize dry areas, but not oily areas.

4 Simple Steps to Healthy Skin

Here are the four simple steps to healthy skin:

1. Cleanse

It's important to cleanse your skin daily to remove dirt, oil, and dead skin flakes. Washing your skin also rids the skin of excess oil, which can prevent acne.

If you have oily or normal/combination skin, use a daily cleanser that containssalicylic acid. This ingredient is used in many popular "acne washes" such as the Neutrogena products. Salicylic acid controls oil production and increases hydration.

A cleanser containing glycolic acid can help rid skin of dead cells. It's useful for teens who can't tolerate prescription retinoid creams (like Retin-A and Renova). Read the label to see if your cleanser contains these ingredients.

To remove eye make-up, especially waterproof mascara, there are products specifically formulated for the eye area. But some gentle facial cleansers can effectively remove eye and facial makeup, as well as cleanse the skin. Choose products that are fragrance-free to avoid irritating the eye area.

2. Hydrate/Moisturize

When you hydrate your skin, you simply add water, such as when washing your face or taking a bath. To moisturize your skin, you add water, oil, or both.

For most skin types, you should moisturize skin morning and evening, using a moisturizer that does not aggravate a skin problem.

For instance, never put heavy cream on oily skin that is prone to breakouts. For oily skin, the moisturizer should be oil-free, but have hydrating qualities. Always apply moisturizers after cleansing and hydrating your skin.

3. Treat

Many teens need to treat skin conditions such as acne, which occurs when pores on the surface of skin become clogged. This happens when oil glands produce too much oil, and pores get blocked with dirt, bacteria, and debris. Sometimes, moisturizers and greasy cosmetics contribute to the development of acne. Oils or dyes in hair products can worsen acne by blocking pores.

4 Simple Steps to Healthy Skin continued...

While soaps and astringents remove oil from the skin, they don't alter the oil production. Scrubbing the skin sometimes causes irritation, which triggers acne instead of resolving it.

Skin products containing benzoyl peroxide may help to treat mild acne if you use sparingly (once daily in the evening). The goal is to treat all oily areas of the face -- forehead, chin, nose, and cheeks -- not just where you notice pimples. Treating the areas that tend to break out may help prevent future pimples.

Some of these products can cause the skin to become too dry if overused. If you feel stinging or burning, rinse your skin with mild soap and water. Try the topical benzoyl peroxide again the next day.

Be aware that you must use benzoyl peroxide daily for a least a month before you'll see the full effect. You have to be a bit patient.

4. Protect

After cleansing your skin, protect it daily from the sun and other environmental factors. Use a moisturizer or foundation with a sunscreen of SPF of 30 or higher (depending on your skin pigmentation or color) year-round.

Wearing sunscreen with protective clothing, such as long-sleeved shirts, pants and wide-brimmed hats, while avoiding the sun's peak ultraviolet rays (from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m.), may provide some protection against premature aging and skin cancer.

Why Moisturize Skin?

Water is an essential part of healthy skin. Normally, hydration moves from the inside of the skin to the outer layer. When skin lacks hydration, it becomes dry and flaky. Without adequate moisture, skin looks dry and dull. During winter, the icy outdoor air and blasts of heat from the furnace make things worse. You can compensate for these "moisture robbers" by using over-the-counter moisturizers.

A moisturizer is a product that functions to increase the water content of the skin's top layer. Choose a moisturizer that includes a broad-spectrum sunscreen to help protect your skin from the sun's rays. If you have sensitive skin, avoid moisturizers with added fragrance.

When Should I Call A Doctor About My Skin?

No matter what your skin type, if you are unsure how to treat acne or other skin problems, talk to your primary health care provider or a dermatologist. Treating your skin properly each day is the key to avoiding more serious skin problems.

How to Care for Oily Skin Quickly16 Comments • Leave a comment! (details)

Most people experience some degree of oily skin at one point or another, but for some, it’s less an occasional annoyance than a fact of life. Your genetics and hormones determine whether or not you have oily skin, and although it may seem like a hassle, oily skin does provide a protective advantage over other skin types. With a proper skin care regimen and products that help to balance oil without over drying, it is possible to reduce the negative aspects associate with oily skin.This article will discuss:

• Where does oil come from? • Advantages and disadvantages of oily skin • Tips for managing oily skin

Where does oil come from?Skin oil, or sebum, comes from sebaceous glands located in pores all over the body. The highest density of sebaceous glands is on the T-zone (forehead, nose, and chin). Thus, this is the most common location of excess oiliness.Oil production increases at puberty when a hormone called DHT (dihydrotestosterone) begins affecting the bodies of both males and females. If the body produces too much DHT or glands are overly sensitive to normal amounts of DHT, skin can easily become too oily. DHT levels are genetic, and oil production generally increases at puberty and decreases as time goes on. However, for some people, oily skin is something they deal with throughout their lifetimes.

•naina answered 6 years ago

•i suggest to go for some home remedies rather than relayin on the drug store products which may not give the desired results or even make the situaion worse...

1)take 2-3 teaspoons of rice powder and mix it in orange juice (sufficient amt so dat u get a smooth paste).apply it all over your face and neck n let it dry.wash it off with orange juice itself.it makes your skin glow,renders complexion,acts against pimples,removes black n white heads if any as rice powder s a good scrub..this is good for any skin type

2)apply honey on your face and neck and wash it off after 20 min.

3)apply sugar syrup (sugar in water) if your skin is oily or else go for sugar in milk and wash it off after 20 min

4)washing your face in skimmed milk once you r back from work is good for removin tan

5)rubbin your skin with tomato juice n washing it off after 20 min s very good..keeps skin smooth and healthy

6)rubbing ice cubes for 5 min after washing face with cold water or luke warm water before any make up or outing helps maintaing the oil in control givin no way to breakouts(oily skin)

7)you can apply small banana-yellow coloured as a nice face pack

8)lemon(juice) and tomato(juice) mixture can be applied..ie,2-3 coats and wash it off after bout 30 min

9)applyin milk n sugar mixture and leaving it for 20-30 min is also good if your skinis oily or milk alone if your skin is normal or of dry type..

10)boil 2 pinches of saffron in milk n add turmeric if you r not allergic to turmeric or jus saffron and apply it n wash it off after 30 min

11)apply sandal wood powder in water and wash it off on drying..you feel fresh and cool

12)carrots,cucumbers,papayas--make them into paste by either squeezing them or by addin milk can be used as face packs

13)applyin red sandal wood powder mixed in either honey or milk or is a good facial.

14)tomato juice n honey mixed can be used as a good facial

15) soak fresh bread crumbs dat has just been baked in milk for bout 10min n use them to rub on your skin to get a brighter complexion n also make your skin glow

16) soak chappatti in milk or water overnight n apply it on face to get a brighter complexion..

17) rubbing your cheeks with beetroot can give them a natural blush..the enzymes in beetroot seeps into the skin and cleans it..

18) placing tea bags on blemishes reduces its redness and continuous application s really effective..

19) take 1 cup fresh pineapple,Half-a-cup fresh papaya,1 tablespoon honey.Puree fruit together. Add honey and mix into a smooth paste. Pineapple and papaya contain natural enzymes and alpha-hydroxy acids that remove dead skin cells. Leave mask on 15 to 20 minutes. Rinse completely.

20) if yo skin is very oily,go for egg white mask. take 2 large eggs,2 drops of leamon juice(optional) seperte the dgg whites n add 2 drops lemon juice into it.whip the egg white until frothy.after thoroughly cleansin yo face,gently apply whipped egg to face.leave on until mask dries.rinse with warm water. this will tighten your skin n soaks excess oil from your skin

21) rose water n oatmeal is very effective in removin blackheads n preventin future breakouts and closin the pores.apply oatmeal powder with rose water mixed into a paste n wash it off after 20-30 min using cold water.the cold water closes the newly cleaned pores, protecting against blackheads or breakouts in future

22) i ld suggest d use of st.ives apricot face scrub that siuts your skin for your face..Apricot kernels are rich in vitamin A, which is vital for healthy skin. Additionally it is perfect for rough spots, elbows, backs, heels and thicker skins. Note: Nutshells and fruit kernels can have jagged edges so they are not ideal for sensitive skin.don wash it wid soap or face scrubs more than twice a day as dis would again lead to excess oil production.also dun wash your face usin bath soaps or handwashes as they leave your skin too dry..dun rub yo face hard usin towel,instead use tissues..

ALL THESE HELP IMPROVE YOUR COMPLEXION AND MAKE YOUR SKIN GLOW!!

whatever u do, mak sure u don expose yo skin to direct sun..also make it a point u drink at least 2 glasses f water on wakin up daily n atleast 8 glasses f water daily...keep yourselves free from all tensions n also maintain a healthy diet,which includes lots of green veggies..

hope i helped u tc...god bless

Just drink atleast 2 to 3 litres of water regularly and add more fruits in your diet.Walk or jog daily. Steam your weekly once and apply neem+turmeric+besan+lemon juice paste leave it for 1/2 hr and wash it.Daily evening massage your face with ice cubes for 5 mts.

Use Pure Skin Shine Control Cream & Pure Skin Face Wash. Wash your face 2-3 times a day to feel fresh. I used to have black heads, marks and oily skin and this Product range has made it all past.Everyone have noticed a lot of change in my skin. My skin looks more bright, clear and oil free all day..

Use non oily facewash and if you can use homemade facewash that will work

You must join some yoga classes like Sri Sri Yoga and learn Pranayam or Sudarshan Kriya. This is the most natural way to get rid of whiteheads. If you practise Sudarshan Kriya daily then tour face will glow and you will remain fresh whole day.

Watch what you eat also chocolate chips & generally greasy or fatty foods, show on our skin, we are what we eat as they say & drink lots of water. Good Luck

Throughout the day you can use oil blotting papers. If you can, I would recommend going to a dermatologist. They specialize in treating skin and can help you find products just for you and your skin. Don't be afraid to also talk to your parents, they might have had the same skin (genetics) and so they might have tips and tricks you can use.

you need two go two the dermatologist they special in skin care stuff and they will tell you what skin care stuff two buy and use in order two clear the skin and you have two do it every day and night you cant miss a day when you want your skin perfect and you have two do face mask for oily skin every two weeks and a face scrub for dryer skin every twoo weeks. so ask your family two bring you two a dermatologist all so when your doing your skin care look for oil free skin care products that will help you all so pick up some oil blotting sheets.

o 0You could use face wipes, wipe you face every 3-5 hours or so (: . Wash your face with cold hot water nad then cold (every night and morning) to try and clear the oil up. Hope I helped (:

Most of women at age 14 to 15 or more they start to have pimples on they face especially on they forehead, I was one of them. When i was 14 i started to have pimples on my forehead and now am 17 i do not have them, i do have like one or two on my face which is normal.

So don't worry if they are not coming off because they will one day, but make sure that you wash your face everyday and if you wear your hair down, make sure your hair is clean because sometimes you can get pimples on your face or forehead if you wear your hair down and if they are not clean.

First, nourish your skin internally by: drinking lots and lots of water intense exercise till you are sweating profusely sleeping well for 7-9 hours eating nutritious food comprising of lots of fruits and green leafy veggies, almonds and nuts and flax seeds which keep your skin nourished from inside

Next, you can improve your skin suppleness by washing it with milk. Nothing keeps your skin more supple and fresh than milk. The best thing about milk is that it does all 3 jobs: Cleansing, Exfoliation and Moisturizing. And, it clears your tan and brings out your skin tone nicely. Milk balances the oil production in the skin. http://perfectskincareforyou.blogspot.co... This is something which you can do without spending time and money. And, do not forget sunscreen whenever you are going out in the sun. It is very important. And, regarding pimples, you should apply apple face mask. Blend quarter of an apple with a table spoon of milk and apply it on your face. Keep it on for 15-30 minutes and wash off. That should help your pimples.

or dry skin: Avocado, which contains vitamin E, as well as other natural oils, is a great moisturizer for dry skin. Place a ripe avocado, peeled and seeded, in a blender or food processor with four tablespoons of plain yogurt. Blend until smooth. Apply the mixture to your face, avoiding the eye area. Leave on for ten to fifteen minutes, and then rinse your face with warm water.

The yogurt will not only hydrate and soften your dry skin, it will also exfoliate your skin, removing dead skin cells.Peel one banana. Place half of it in a bowl. (You can eat the other half.) Mash the banana with a fork. Add four tablespoons of plain yogurt to the banana, and stir the mixture until smooth. Apply to your face and leave on for ten to fifteen, then rinse off with warm water.

While honey is a natural astringent, it will also moisturize your dry skin.Separate the yolk from one egg. (You can use the rest for a light, egg white omelet.) Mix the egg yolk with 1 tablespoon of honey, and stir the mixture until smooth. Leave on for ten to fifteen minutes, then rinse off with warm water.

For oily skin:

For an oily nature oatmeal face pack is well and good. Oats helps skin to become soft. To make this face mask you need half cup cooked oat meal. Mash half apple and mix with oatmeal to get a paste. Add 2 tsp. lemon juice also. After cleansing your face with water apply the mask on face. Wait for 10 min. and rinse.

Tomato juice is a good natural astringent and it is very good for oily acne prone skin. Take half tomato and mash it well. Add a small grated cucumber and make a paste. Then add 2tsp. lemon juice. Mix all the ingredients well. This face pack is suitable for oily skin that have a tendency to get acne, pimples. Wash your face with water. Apply this face mask on the face. Wait for 10-15 min. then wash it off.

You can also use a facial SCRUB for smoother skin. Then best ones include sand in the cream to scrub away dead skin cells and get really smooth skin. all natural. i recommend St. Ives. You can make your own facial scrub by mashing a banana with some milk till creamy. Then when you're done, add white sugar (not powder sugar) and scrub face with it. The banana nourishes skin, the milk adds a healthy glow, and the sugar scrubs.

To make your skin fair and glowing you need to have natural skin care. For this i can tell you two home remedies. first take a big piece of papaya and mash it. now massage it on whole face, leave for 5-10 minutes and wash.

Second take some gram flour, add some turmeric and milk with it. mix it properly and then massage on face for 10-15 minutes and then leave for dry. after that you can wash. this will give you very glowing and fair skin and also it will provide smoothness on face. http://skincaretipsblogs.blogspot.com/

Rub natural Aloe Vera cream on your face every night. Buy a face powder in a shade lighter than your own. If you wear foundation, switch to a lighter shade. For freshness, use Neutrogena's Fresh Foaming Cleanser, Alcohol-Free Toner, and Oil-Free Fresh moisture. Prevent acne with a mild salicylic acid-containing zit cream. Wear a peachy blush and no bronzer, ever. Darker lip and eye color helps contrast, paling your skin in comparison. Well, good luck and I hope you get a fresh, white face!

Source:Make Up (All Maybelline)

For skin care, you can use honey. Honey has been one of the best humectants used in many skin care products. Honey mixed with milk is a very good skin moisturizer *** cleanser. Mix one tablespoon honey to cold milk. Soak cotton wool in the solution and apply to face neck and arm. Leave it for 2 minutes. Apply again and then rinse off. You will get an instant glowing skin. Honey when applied with olive oil and lemon juice acts as a good skin moisturizer *** toner. Homemade beauty care for skin is best as you can only have glowing skin through natural ingredients and not the harmful chemicals ones.

If you have pimples you can use sandalwood paste every night before going to bed. Apply the paste on the affected area and leave it overnight. Within a few days pimples will disappear. For scars and blemished skin, coconut water acts wonderfully. Turmeric is also used as a common homemade beauty care product. Grind rice in your blender and mix well with water to make a paste. Apply the paste generously all over your face and neck. Leave it to dry and then rinse off well. The pack acts great as a homemade scrubber. In the summer months you can apply rosewater on your face to avoid tanned and burnt skin problem.

You can also use various face packs like neem pack, multani mitti pack and sandalwood pack for a beautiful skin. Milk cream also acts as a skin moisturizer. Apply milk cream all over your face, hands and neck and leave it till the pack becomes dry. Rinse off then. You can apply it everyday before going to bed. Regular use of milk cream will give you a baby soft glowing skin. You can look after your face, skin and hair through fast homemade beauty care solutions for best results.

Homemade Beauty Care Tips

Instead of spending a bomb at the salons and parlors try out the homemade beauty care for glowing and soft skin. But very few people know the process of homemade beauty secrets. But you can get very effective results when you are using products which are made from natural ingredients. Some Homemade beauty care tips are as follows: Use cornmeal for skin exfoliation. Don't scrub your face too hard as that might damage your skin. Drink Lots of water to keep your body system hydrated. To make your skin form you can rub egg whites over your body let it dry and then wash it off with lukewarm water.Drink fruit juices the good effects will show on your skin. Don't forget to use sunscreen lotions. A daily skin care routine of cleaning toning and moisturizing should be followed.

To get rid of pimple marks you can apply tomato pulp and wash it after one hour. To treat anti-wrinkle a mixture of cucumber, egg white and lemon juice along with vodka is an excellent treatment. Apply for 10 minutes and then wash off. To obtain glowing skins naturally make a mixture of almond, rose water, lemon juice and glycerin. Wash it off in the morning with cold water.

First and foremost, get a good nights sleep. If you dont sleep well, your eyes could look drowsy and face looks dull.

If you believe in natural remedies, then trust me, this works. Mix some besan with a pinch of turmeric and water, make it like a paste and apply it on your face. You can do this everyday till saturday. Keep the paste till it dries off (abt 10-15 mnts) and then wash off with plain water. Dont use soap.

On the function day, apply minimum make-up. Dont put too much of make-up since its summer plus you say that you sweat a lot. Keep a small compact powder box in your purse and keep re-applying on your face and neck whenever you get a chance. Apply dark lipstick. If possible, no mascara/eyeliner or liquid proof mascara/eyeliner. You dont want the black stuff coming out from your eyes. Try to wear a cotton dress if you are going to be in the sun (without AC). Keep jewellery to minimum. Lot of jewellery will make u sweat more.

Keep drinking lots of cold water and juices to keep yourself cool.

Your Jeans Fit Using Weight Loss Science

FITNESS LIFESTYLE BY W. LEE WARREN

Frustrated by the endless number of confusing messages about weight loss and fitness?

The Internet and TV are full of programs, diets, and infomercials telling us how to work out,

lose weight, and what not to eat. The problem is, some of the information seems

contradictory — one guy says to do X and another expert says X will kill you!

What do we do if we really want to succeed in becoming healthier and looking great? The

answer lies in biochemistry. You don’t have to be a science geek to lose weight, but since

food companies use biochemistry to make you want to eat things that can make it

impossible to button up your favorite pair of jeans, you need to know enough to understand

how your body handles the fuel you give it.

Weight loss isn’t brain surgery. But it is science. Here are the five facts that will set you free

from your ‘fat jeans’ forever.

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1. The 500 Calorie Secret

No matter who you are, how you’re shaped, or which genes your folks gave you, you can’t

gain weight if you consume fewer calories per day than you burn. It takes 3500 calories to

make a pound, and that means that plus or minus 500 calories a day, every day for a week,

will add or subtract one pound of weight to your body. Think about that: one pound of weight

on or off of you happens in 500-calorie-per-day increments. Knowing what you’re eating and

drinking helps you understand these numbers. Losing thirty pounds might sound hard at

first, but losing a pound a week is easy if you remember the 500-calorie secret. Here’s a

great article from the Mayo clinic about this secret.

2. The Wheat-is-the-Devil Secret

Wheat is your enemy. It is biochemically engineered to add fat to your organs and pounds

to your body. Whole grains are marketed as being healthier than processed grains, but

that’s sort of like saying it’s healthier to smoke filtered cigarettes instead of unfiltered ones.

They’re both terrible for you. Cut bread out of your diet, and the pounds will start coming off

much more easily.

Watch this awesome video from the experts at RealDose for more information about the

Wheat Secret. And here’s a link to the bestselling book, Wheat Belly . It’s worth your time to

read it.

3. The Sugar Secret

Sugar is, in almost every case, one of the worst things you can eat if you want to lose

weight. Your liver stores some sugar in the form of glycogen, which it uses to give you quick

energy when your body needs it. But when it has plenty of glycogen stored (and most of us

have more than enough), every sugar molecule you eat gets turned into fat. And extra

dietary sugar has many other harmful effects on your body — like promoting insulin

resistance, diabetes, several types of cancer, and can even negatively influence your brain

function.

If you reduce your sugar intake and try to eat foods that have more natural sugars than

chemically manufactured ones (like choosing fruit instead of ice cream, for example), you’ll

soon have less trouble with that top button.Here is a powerful article from AuthorityNutrition

about the Sugar Secret.

4. The Kitchen Secret

Not all of us are chefs, but if you really want to control your body weight, you need to eat at

home. The problem with eating out is that you have no idea what’s going into what you eat.

Even if you think you’re choosing a healthy option on someone else’s menu, you don’t know

how it was prepared or even if it’s actually what you think you’re ordering.

Getting into the kitchen helps you know what you’re eating and control your

calories. WebMD has a great post about how eating at home helps you lose weight.

5. The Exercise Secret

You might assume that exercise alone is enough to help you lose weight. We all know that

increasing our activity will make us healthier, and there is no doubt that exercise is good for

you in terms of reducing pain, improving cardiovascular health, mental clarity, and endless

other benefits. But it is incorrect to think that as long as you hit the gym you can eat

whatever you want.

Multiple studies have shown that as we lose weight, our metabolism actually slows down.

When this happens exercise produces less caloric burn that it does when we’re heavier.

Combine that with the thought that you can eat more as long as you’re exercising some,

and you’ll understand why you know some people who work out a lot and are still

overweight.

Exercise is important, and one of the secrets to a healthy and happy life. But it’s not going

to get you into those jeans if you don’t control your calories as well. This New York Times

article explains the exercise secret. It’s a great read.

If you want to fit into your favorite ‘skinny jeans,’ you have to understand the science of

weight loss. Control the calories, kill the wheat, cut out the sugar, get in the kitchen and

move your body, and you’ll be out of those ‘fat jeans’ forever.

6 Ways High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) Can Significantly Boost Weight Loss Results

FITNESS LIFESTYLE BY ALENA CHEINA

We all want a quick fix, we don’t want to spend hours at the gym or scrutinizing every meal

we eat just to find out we have only lost a pound after a month’s work. Though there is no

magic pill that we can take to lose the extra weight overnight, there is an effective fat loss

method that will keep burning fat up to 48 hours after a workout, and it’s called High

Intensity Interval Training or HIIT for short.

HIIT is not universally known amongst the non-gym rats, as it is a method used by fitness

models and endurance athletes to increase their metabolisms and to melt the fat away

faster before any competition. It is a form of interval training, performed in short anaerobic

bursts with fewer and briefer rest periods. It is considered to be the most effective cardio

exercise that can be performed under 30 minutes almost anywhere.

If you want to stop sacrificing your sacred time on the treadmill, read below to learn how

HIIT can help you achieve your desired lean body.

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What is HIIT?

High Intensity Interval Training means performing a short number of bursts of intense

exercise, such as biking, sprinting, swimming, skipping rope, knee highs, followed by short

recovery periods, such as walking. The purpose of the short recovery period is to bring your

heart rate back to normal before performing the next anaerobic burst.

This is different than regular endurance exercise as the routine never allows your body to

adjust to one intensity level, giving your body the shock it needs to start using the fat as

fuel for your workout. Regular cardiovascular exercise, such as running on the treadmill

for a consistent time at a consistent speed, causes muscle catabolism , the breakdown of

muscle tissue, creating the ‘skinny fat’ look that many wish to stay away from. Muscle

catabolism can even last up to 7 days after the steady-state cardio took place.

How Do You Perform HIIT?

The beauty of HIIT is that you can customize it to your body type and needs and still get

results. I don’t recommend jumping right into HIIT as it can take a toll on those who have

heart conditions or early signs of arthritis, so please consult your doctor first to see if this is

right for you.

If you decide that you want to try HIIT, first figure out the type of cardiovascular exercise that

you like best. Here is a list of some common exercises that are used for HIIT training:

• Running

• Swimming

• Jumping Rope

• Running up Stairs

• Lunges

• Push-ups

• Burpees

• Knee-ups

• Jumping Jacks

HIIT can also be performed with kettle bells, yoga balls, and various other equipment, but

this is for the advanced folk.

Jim Stoppanl, Ph.D. from BodyBuilding.com has the best beginner’s plan for HIIT training:

Now onto the HIIT benefits!

1. Burns Fat Faster & Longer

A 2001 study from East Tennessee State University concluded that subjects who followed

an 8-week HIIT program, dropped 2% in body fat compared to the 0% that was dropped by

subjects that underwent a continuous steady-state program. The same study also stated

that the subject who followed the above program burned almost 100 more calories per day

during the 24-hours after each exercise.

Regular steady-state cardiovascular exercise helps you burn calories during your workout,

but with HIIT, you can burn calories just by sitting or sleeping after you have finished a

workout! It is no wonder that so many athletes and fitness fanatics are using HIIT to their

advantage and shedding off the last pounds of weight before any competition. However, you

don’t need to be a participant of a competition to have a reason to start HIIT training – think

of bathing suit season, the next big birthday party, a wedding or just your health.

2. Saves You Time

You can find them at almost any gym, on a treadmill or elliptical, running at the same speed

four to five times a week hoping to reach their weight loss goals. They look miserable, tired

and mentally exhausted from performing the same thing over and over again with very little

result. Then you step up on the said treadmill and press the big green button to initiate the

repetitive routine you call exercise. The term that is generally associated with people who

cannot seem to cut the cord from the aerobic machines is cardio bunny. If you are sweating

your life away on any cardio machine, four to five times a week, 30-60 minutes per day –

please STOP. You are only damaging yourself and wasting your time.

The general excuse of not having enough time for exercise goes out the window as HIIT

can be tailored to your time limit while burning fat every single time you perform the

routine. This means that you do not have to spend hours on the elliptical, instead

performing HIIT three times a week maximum for about 14-25 minutes is enough to give

you results while drastically improving your general well-being.

3. Location Does NOT Matter

Have a track next to your house? How about a swimming pool or a stadium? Do you have

some extra space in your living room, or how about your basement? High Intensity

Interval Training can be performed absolutely anywhere!

If there’s a deadly snow storm outside and you don’t want to make the trip to the gym – no

problem! Simply put on some comfortable working-out clothes and start doing HIIT right at

home. You do you not need that treadmill or elliptical that’s covered in dust in your garage

or any fancy workout equipment, just use your body to perform the HIIT exercises and you’ll

be sweating in no time.

Also, since there are no limits in terms of gear, you can switch up your routine every two

weeks to ensure that you will NOT be bored. After all, boredom and repetition are a major

reason why many of us stop going to the gym in the first place.

4. Endurance

Though there is a vast amount of skeptical research out there, for the most part, athletes,

competitors and trainers vouch for HIIT as a great way to quickly increase endurance.

Endurance is particularly important if you’re planning on running in a long race, training for

obstacle races or if you’re tired of being tired after going up a flight of stairs. This is a great

way to make your body use to short bursts of energy that occur after a sedative state. For

example, catching up with a bus that you’ve almost missed, playing with kids, chasing your

dog down the street after it spotted a cat. If you are experiencing a shortness of breath,

dizziness and muscle cramps as soon as you start doing something active, then slowly

incorporating HIIT into your regular schedule is something for you.

5. Preserves Muscle Mass

If you want a lean body that has some definition, then doing continuous steady-state cardio

is not going to give you the results you want. HIIT decreases the chances that your body will

use your muscles as fuel, therefore preserves your lean mass, something that does not

happen if you engage in regular cardio sessions. By conserving your muscles, you will

maintain your strength while improving your endurance.

In fact, a Laval University study concluded that in addition to a decrease in body fat after a

HIIT training program, the subjects’ muscle fibers had substantial higher markers for fat

burning than those in the steady-state exercise group. So remember, being a cardio bunny

will help you burn calories but you will always be disappointed at the results as a dip in the

scale will mean a decrease in muscle mass not body fat.

6. Faster Results Than Traditional Cardio

When comparing steady-state cardio to high intensity interval training, I like to use the

following example. Imagine you’re in traffic and you’re moving inch by inch, always revving

that engine in frustration, sometimes even fully turning off the engine and back on out of

sheer boredom. What happens to the gas? You use up way more than a car that is driving

at a steady state from point A to point B. This is the same idea with HIIT. Since you are

constantly stopping and going and pushing yourself to the maximum, you are using way

more energy than someone who is running at 5 miles an hour for 30 minutes, therefore

speeding up your metabolism. HIIT stimulates the production of your human growth

hormone by 450 percent during the 24 hours after you complete your workout. Hence, you

burn more calories, shredding the fat much faster and more effectively than traditional

cardio.

However, if you think that you can get the results you want without changing your diet, think

again. HIIT is most effective when paired with a healthy diet consisting of vegetables, lean

meat and enriched carbohydrates. Eating a burger a day will certainly diminish any results

achieved with a proper HIIT program. For faster results, incorporate weight training 3 times

a week along with 2-3 HIIT work-outs.

Conclusion

Following the latest fad diet or mindlessly moving on that treadmill that we all so love to hate

will not get you the body that you desire. High Intensity Interval Training is a great way to

increase your performance, shred that unwanted body weight and save you time and

patience. We all have it in us to achieve the things that we desire — our health should

not be an exception.