Denise's Daily Dozen (2 page)

WHAT YOU’LL NEED FOR YOUR DAILY DOZEN PLAN

  A pair of supportive sneakers.

  Two sets of weights—ideally one light and one heavy set.

  A mat or towel for floor exercises.

SHAKE THOSE SHIN SPLINTS

Arch muscles in our feet tend to deteriorate with age, making us more prone to shin splints. If you experience that tender pain along the shinbone when you walk or if you have a falling arch or flat feet, you can tone up your arches and calves with this towel-pull exercise. While in bare feet, sit in a chair and place a rolled-up towel just in front of your toes. Grab the towel between your toes and forefeet. Unroll it, flexing the arches of your feet as you do so. This prevents shin pain by developing your tibialis, arch, and shin muscles. Try it for a few minutes every other day for stronger, healthier legs and feet.

My goal with the Daily Dozen and the minimum requirement of twelve minutes a day is to help you make exercise a daily habit. Just like brushing your teeth, I want exercise to become a natural, non-negotiable part of your life. I want it to be something that you pencil in your calendar daily and make a priority the way you would a doctor’s appointment or business meeting. That’s exactly what I do, and it works. When it’s written in my calendar, it stays there and it gets done. I know you deserve to take at least twelve minutes a day for yourself to look and feel your best. I know you are worth it. My goal with these twelve minutes is to get you on track to a healthier life and to feeling better about yourself. Next month, you can work up to fifteen minutes a day, and eventually to thirty minutes, which is what I do. (Though on my busiest days I at
least
get my Daily Dozen in.) Try my Daily Dozen for twenty-one straight days and you’ll be amazed at the changes you’ll see and feel.

Benjamin Franklin said it takes twenty-one consecutive days of doing something to form a new habit. So why not form a healthy one? You can do it! It won’t even take twenty-one days to see results. In fact, you’ll see positive changes within the first week, whether it’s looser clothes, more energy, or a better mood. And once you start, you’ll see that this is a regimented, simple-to-follow plan that is guaranteed to help you lose weight. By the end of the first two weeks, you can lose up to twelve pounds.

In part 2, you’ll see that each chapter corresponds to one day of the week. Simply open that chapter and you’ve got your exercise—and eating plan, which we’ll get to in the next section—laid out for you in detail. It’s that simple. You don’t have to spend money for a gym membership or find someone to watch your kids. I don’t want that stress in my life and don’t want you to have to deal with it, either. I want to make exercise easy for you. This program can be done in the comfort of your own home on
your
schedule. It’s also a plan that anyone can do. Don’t be intimidated if it’s been years since you’ve exercised. It doesn’t matter whether you’re a beginner or an expert. If you’re trying to get back to your old weight or you’re working to discover an all-new shapely body, you can do it! I can show you how! Exercise doesn’t have to be difficult or monotonous. It can be fun.

Each day you’ll do a twelve-minute workout that’s very different from the day before.

  Monday: Cardio Fat Blast

  Tuesday: Lower-Body and Ab Workout

  Wednesday: Cardio Kickbox Workout

  Thursday: Upper-Body and Ab Workout

  Friday: Body Boot Camp Workout

  Saturday: Athletic Kettlebell-Inspired Workout

  Sunday: Yoga Stretch Workout

You’ll also find a bonus workout just for your abs, a ballet-inspired barre routine, a few ways to tame tension at your desk at work, and exercises you can fit into the spare moments in your day that I call fidget-cisers.

They say that variety is the spice of life. It’s true. Variety is also the key to why this plan works. It’s why I know you’ll get in the best shape of your life. By training this way—say, doing the Cardio Fat Blast one day, Lower-Body Workout another, and the Athletic Kettlebell-Inspired Workout the next—you’re surprising your muscles and targeting them from different angles. You’re also getting your heart rate up in new ways. This element of surprise and challenge is crucial in order for your body to change. Otherwise, if you work your body the same way every day, you hit a plateau and your body—and the scale—just won’t budge.

PROTECT YOUR LOWER BACK

Did you know that you can protect your back during any type of abdominal crunch by keeping your lower back pressed down to the floor and bringing your navel toward your spine? It’s true and it’s easy. Try it today!

The other easy aspect of the Daily Dozen is that it doesn’t require lots of fancy, heavy equipment. All you need is two sets of weights (though many moves simply use your own body weight), a pair of supportive sneakers, and a mat or towel to do floor work on. That’s it.

Speaking of weights, how do you decide which ones to choose? I suggest that you pay attention to your body’s reaction to the repetitions you do for each exercise. I use five-pound and eight-pound dumbbells for most of the moves, but if you haven’t been exercising for long, you can start at a lower weight and work up. Your body will tell you what you can lift. For example, when you’re doing twelve repetitions of an exercise, the final two reps should feel tough. If they don’t, the weight is too light—so add a couple of pounds. On the other hand, if you start to struggle long before the tenth repetition, it’s too heavy. You’ll need something a little lighter. Be sure to adjust the weights to accommodate your different muscles. Bigger muscles, such as those in your back, typically require heavier weights than smaller muscles like your triceps. It may take a little experimenting to see what works for you.

Though weights are important, what’s
really
critical is that you maintain proper form and execute each exercise correctly. It’s quality not quantity that is going to get you the fabulous results you want. You can do all the repetitions in the world, but if your form isn’t correct you’re not going to target the right muscles. Focus on good body alignment, on good technique, and on doing your very best. Give it all you’ve got for those twelve minutes! Make every second work for you. Take note of the special comments about form in each exercise, look at the photos, and aim to do each repetition as effectively as you can. Also, I want you to always improve, progress, and try harder to get to the next level. Thus some exercises offer a “challenge” option—an advanced way to do the move once you’ve mastered the basics. See which ones you can do—you may be surprised what your body can do if you just try. Remember, I am cheering you on! Success is within reach!