Exercise can increase the efficacy of a detox and cleanse diet. Programs, such as Jillian Michael’s “Detox and Cleanse,” are designed to reduce body waste buildup and belly bloat while preparing the body for weight loss. If you plan to jump-start your weight-reduction efforts with a week-long detox, supplement the regimen with different modes of exercise, advises Travis Steffen, fitness expert and founder of WorkoutBOX. Exercises – ranging from weight-bearing cardio to yoga – boost the effectiveness of a body-cleanse. Check with your doctor before beginning any weight loss or exercise program, especially if you have health problems.
Weight-Bearing Cardio
When your goal is weight loss, cardio is king. Maintain an elevated heart rate for an extended period of time through intense, calorie-burning exercise, advises Steffen. Combined with the right diet, cardiovascular exercise creates a negative energy balance. When you detox and cleanse, engage in moderate amounts of regular, weight-bearing cardio, such as walking, jogging or using the elliptical. This allows your body to make subtle adaptations, so you can ease into a long-term fitness program.
Total-Body Resistance
Resistance exercise promotes a constant, elevated heart, rate which is important during a body cleanse. Steffen advises workouts that target the whole body. They advance fat loss by increasing basal metabolic rate. A simple set of dumbbells pairs well with exercises, such as the squat press. With a dumbbell in each hand, position one hand next to each ear. Place feet shoulder-width apart and point toes outward. Bend the knees, dropping to a full squat. Once you have gone down as far as flexibility allows, fire your quads and glutes to extend the knees and push your body out of the squat.
Yogic Breathing
Daily pranayama breathing lowers free fatty acid levels, cholesterol and triglycerides in the bloodstream, according to David Magone, founder of PranaVayu Yoga. Since high lipid levels increase the risk for heart disease, he advises detoxing the body with daily breathing practices as an integral part of a cleansing program. Engage in breathing exercises of equal duration, once in the morning and once in the evening. Find a comfortable position, sit up tall and close your eyes. Slowly begin to modulate the overall length of your breath by inhaling to a slow count of four. Fill your lungs completely, and then exhale to a count of four, emptying the lungs.
Sun Salutations
Slow repetitions of the yoga sun salutation with deep breathing – surya namaskar – improve lung function and lower systolic blood pressure, according to Magone. Click here to see A-B-C of Yoga.com’s demonstration of a sun salutation. Since proper respiration and balanced systolic blood pressure play an important role in delivering essential nutrients to your body and eliminating waste matter from your bloodstream, Magone advises implementing daily repetitions of the sun salutation into your detox program. For best effect, repeat this set of motions a minimum of five times.
Twisting
Engage in abdomen-twisting exercises first thing in the morning to encourage waste and bowel elimination, suggests Laurel House, lifestyle expert and founder of food, fitness and lifestyle website QuickieChick. Try a seated twist, a twisting lunge or a twisting downward facing dog. Slip in at least two daily twists – 100 seconds or 100 repetitions – each. This pumps the metabolism, tones abs and puts you in a “de-puffed” state, according to House.
Rebounding
Rebounding exercises involve jumping up and down. They increase G-force in the body, creating a surge of healthy, nutrient-rich fluid, increasing the flow of sluggish lymph fluid, according to House. When you use a body cleanse, House recommends skipping and jumping rope as your rebounding exercises.
January, 2012, Interview Sources:
Travis Steffen, Certified Fitness Expert, MA, CSCS; Founder, WorkoutBox
David Magone, Founder; PranaVayu Yoga
Laurel House, Lifestyle Expert; QuickieChick