How to get in shape for the summer

27 March 2017

As summer comes around again, a lot of people start to get serious about getting in shape for their beach holidays. These tips will help you get going and keep up the commitment so that you can look and feel great not only this summer but the next.

Eat the right foods

The word diet is dreaded by most of us, but getting in shape doesn’t have to mean you need to struggle to stick to set rules. Finding the right balance between eating healthy and treating yourself is the best way to see results while not feeling as though you’re starving. If you want to see a long-lasting, healthy and positive change, start by improving your relationship with food. Learn about what different foods can offer your body, and you’ll start to feel more at ease about eating the right things. Good foods to help with slimming are leafy greens, oats, raw nuts, oily fish such as salmon, eggs, and berries.

Be more active

Regular exercise not only helps physical wellness but mental wellness too. If you’re serious about getting in shape, then you’ll need to be committed to exercising most days of the week. Aim for 35-40 minutes of cardio exercise five to six days per week if you want to improve your fitness. This may seem like a lot, but by varying your training between low, moderate and high impact intensities, you’ll find it easier to keep it up. If you’re unable to motivate yourself, find a team of people that you can work with who will support you in your fitness journey. Bootcamps are a great way to establish a network of people that are all working toward the same goal.

Set realistic goals

Don’t overwork yourself with goals that are unreasonable and unrealistic. If you do this, eventually you’ll wear yourself out, and it’s more likely that you’ll give up. Work out how many days you want to work out and stick to this. Choose goals that you’re able to be committed to depending on your schedule whether this is regarding how many days you want to go to the gym or how much weight you want to lose by a certain date. The good thing about setting your own goals is that you can tailor them to the person that you are. After all, no one knows you better than you know yourself.

Reward yourself

If you are going to be committed to eating cleaner, working out and losing weight then at one point you will need to reward yourself for all of your hard work. This doesn’t mean you have to give up on your healthy diet, though. A reward could come in the form of a massage, a spa day or a new item of clothing once you’ve reached your weight goal. This creates a good balance between hard work and rest and gives you something to motivate yourself toward. When you’re struggling with that extra mile on your jog, power yourself forward by thinking about your reward at the end of the week or month.