10 Ways to Get Summer-Body Ready

Summer is not that far ahead and as much as we think we have time to get back into shape, we might want to consider working on our summer body now!

Whether we are fit or never were, acquiring a toned and firm body does not only revolve around workouts. We need to look at our lifestyle to harmoniously sync muscle growth and fat burning. Here are 10 ways to get summer-body ready, ordered chronologically.

 

Focus on the process, not the goal

By taking a pen and paper out, we make it official that we are not just dreaming our goals but really committing to it. The objective is not going to be what is most important. Rather, the process will prevail as it will keep us motivated throughout the period of time we plan on training. If we write as a goal to get a firm body, the process could be to find an achievable and enjoyable gym routine together with a food plan which we can maintain even after the goal is reached.

 

Vegetables and water

If we have been hibernating the entire winter we probably have been living off of complex carbs and stayed away from green leafy vegetables.
During colder weather we are also tempted to drink less because we don’t feel as warm. We therefore drink the bare minimum. Vegetables add fibers to our routine which flushes out waste and prevents constipation. Water intake participates to the cleansing of toxins, and helps muscles recover better – which is what we are going to need later in our training programme. The aim is to reintroduce veggies and water in our current diet, not substituting other foods from our diet.

 

Meal prep

It makes our lives easier when it comes to eating healthier. When we are looking for a snack and don’t have anything handy that is when we can add up an insane amount of hidden fats without even realising it. Meal prepping prevents us from choosing the wrong foods that will wreck our diet. Unless it is a conscious decision to eat something naughty, we shouldn’t derail from our plan because of bad planning.

 

Get into probiotics

Feeling good within our own skin starts by taking care of what resides deep inside our bodies.
Probiotics contain healthy bacteria which amongst other things regulate gut health, improve IBS symptoms and the immune system. They are found naturally in fermented foods such as kimchi, yogurts, miso soup, and pickles. Taking live supplements (delivered fresh and stored in the fridge) increases our chances to restore the good bacteria/bad bacteria balance and get rid of bloating and gas.

 

Sleep and recovery

It will come in handy once we begin our quest for a summer toned body. If are not active on keeping an eye on recovery, we won’t be able to grow muscle and burn fat effectively. Also, when are well rested we feel less the need to snack incessantly throughout the day. Cravings are due to the release of stress hormone production called cortisol which increases appetite. Read 5 Ways to recover faster from workouts.

 

Introduce workouts gradually

We want to remain in the programme as long as possible. Quitting after 3 weeks is not an option. That might happen if we schedule too much too early on. In order to prevent this to happen, we might want to consider introducing workouts one at a time gradually, starting by one per week.

 

Swap social media time for a workout each day

Do we know how much time we could spare if weren’t looking at our phones aimlessly? This may sound unpleasing to hear but the amount of time spent scrolling could be spent exercising. Just a 30 minute workout could be more beneficial than that same amount of time staring at our screens.

 

Multi-training

We want to train several times a week so we have opted for training on our own by using an app or following an online programme. That sounds terrific! But it requires a ton of motivation which even the most experienced athletes lack sometimes. To keep us motivated, we should plan on attending a class at least once a week. It is also recommended to look at different types of training so that we don’t get bored and don’t let our bodies become complacent with only one type of exercise.

 

Never skip a strength session

No matter what we do, strength training is the one hour we should systematically never skip. From there, we can build endurance and increase resting metabolism. Strength training comes in the form of resistance training and HIIT. It doesn’t have to involve weights and is not only reserved to imposing people at the gym. Bodyweight exercises such as push-ups, sit-ups, tricep dips, and lunges are part of strength training.

 

Body awareness

Relaxation is what we are aiming for but body awareness is the target here.
Rather than tracking our weight on the scales (which we should also do), discovering how our body is shaped, and what we like about it can help us set realistic goals for ourselves. At the end of the day, we want to nurture a healthy relationship with our body before we can parade it at the beach!