Toning Your Arms the Healthy Way

So you've made the decision to start toning your arms. You're buying exercise DVDs, comparing hand weights and deciding whether or not to splurge on stylish sportswear online, but do you know what it truly means to get in shape? Do you understand the physiology of fitness when it comes to resistance exercises and weight training?
 Don't fret. Whether you're an eager beginner or just a fitness buff looking for new tricks, here are four tips that should be applied to all arm-toning endeavours.
 Start Small
 Many women jump into new exercise regimes with too much enthusiasm and too little planning. It's okay to be excited, but it's equally important to take baby steps, especially if you've been out of shape for awhile. Start with light weights and easy reps. Learn to recognize the difference between a satisfied burn and genuine pain. Make sure to stretch before and after exercise of any kind.
 Get the Right Gear
 Not all fitness equipment is created equal. For one thing, you'll need quality women's sportswear to ensure freedom of movement during exercise. You should also look into comfortable, easy-to-grip weights that are appropriate for both your size and your fitness goals. What are you trying to accomplish with your toning exercises? Are you trying to get stronger for work or more flexible for yoga? Should you buy dumbbells or fitness ropes? Both?
 Add Weight, Not Repetition
 A little-known fitness fact is that exercise loses its effectiveness over time. As your body becomes used to a routine, you expend less energy to reach your goals, burning fewer calories and building less muscle.
 The trick to avoiding this "slump" is to keep challenging yourself and changing your routine, ideally by increasing the poundage on your weights. Repetition itself is only useful for building your strength and gradually increasing your tolerance for heavier burdens. It won't increase your tone, only your endurance. To actually see a difference in your arms, increase the size and heft of your gear, not the number of repetitions you complete with them.
 Increase Overall Fitness
 All the toning in the world isn't going to make a difference if your overall body weight is obscuring the results of your hard work. Muscle lies under fat, so you can actually have the world's strongest arms under a layer of flab!
 A good routine will combine fat-burning cardio with an equal amount of resistance training to build muscle. Work up a sweat, burn some calories, then focus on your arms. The goal should be strength and weight loss in equal measure.
 Follow these tips and you're sure to have sleek, toned arms in no time. Good luck!
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Aubrey Reeves is a freelance blogger who specializes on green and healthy living. Stay tuned for her healthy natural tips and guides about Women's Activewear by visiting <a href="http://www.lornajane.com/">http://www.lornajane.com/</,a> .