Perfect shape? Here's how it's done

Mediterranean diet and jogging to pass the costume test

Article on an "interview with our personal trainer Mirko Cantone published on April 5, 2007 in the best-selling newspaper in Sardinia (" L "Unione Sarda")

The secret to losing weight? "Eat five times a day: you keep your metabolism high and you get less hungry for the next meal."

It goes without saying that the five meals must be measured and healthy at the same time, and one must keep an eye on calories and fat. Otherwise, the opposite effect is inexorably obtained.

This is explained by Mirko Cantone, thirty-eight, from Cagliari, a personal trainer profession. One who goes to the wedding with the nightmare of the costume fitting (that of the others, of course). "In the pre-summer period I work a lot, mostly men contact me, he admits. D" other, in the year in which even the Michelin man has decided to lose weight ("being overweight does not sell" explained the administrators of the tire brand) it is time to run for cover. Men to eliminate handles and pump up the pecs, women to fight with oversized thighs and buttocks.

Small tricks

Like? In the traditional way: Physical activity and Mediterranean diet. But it is good that some small precautions are followed: useful recommendations for those who remember being a sportsman only a few months before the summer. tears and strains to the muscles ”is the recommendation of Cantone.

The race

If you focus on running to burn fat quickly, you need to clarify some aspects.

«The best surface to run on is always the athletics track: that's what it is made for. Soil and asphalt are fine too, but it depends on the person: I do not recommend the earth for older and less trained people, because the risk of retorts or injuries is high. The asphalt is hard, but at least it is regular. Instead I would completely exclude the sand ».

How long does it take to get results? "You can start with twenty minutes and then gradually increase."

Heart rate monitor

A heart rate monitor can be useful for jogging and losing weight

In addition to jogging, a bike ride or a swim is also good, while the very popular five-a-side football hides some risks: "I've seen more people get injured by soccer than boxing," says Cantone. Which also recommends the purchase of a heart rate monitor to keep the heart rate under control. “So you can get the best results. By keeping your heart rate at a constant rate, which varies for each age, you burn more fat.

75 the magic number

The magic number? 75% of the result obtained by subtracting one's age from 220. For a forty-year-old 135 beats per minute (75% of 220 minus 40). By keeping your heart rate at this speed for half an hour, running or cycling, you quickly reach fitness. And what about nutrition?

Mediterranean diet

«The Mediterranean diet is always the best. I recommend having 5 small meals to keep your metabolism high. Our body is like an oven: keeping it running constantly burns even more fat. Obviously you have to keep the quantities and calories under control. The diet that gives the fastest results is the dissociated one: carbohydrates (pasta, rice, potatoes) should be eaten in the morning, when the metabolism is highest. Proteins (meat, fish, legumes) in the evening. Wine or beer? «Better water» Cantone replies. Not only during meals, but also when doing sports. «Water is the best supplement. The ideal is to drink in moderate quantities, but repeatedly. For women it is even more important as hydration helps fight cellulite. Any water or one in particular? «They are advertising phenomena, all waters are fine. And if you really want a glass of wine a day, you can drink it ».

Michele Ruffi