Healthy Tips to Get in Shape for Next Summer!
It’s that time again. Fall season has arrived and there’s no time better than right now to take care of that amazing body your momma gave you and get ready for next summer. Glitter Magazine has asked several experts what their tips are to get that healthy bikini body prepped for summer.
To stay healthy and active during this season, Shanna Israel, holistic health expert and founder of Vertical Wellness (www.verticalwellness.com), said to be sure to include foods like coconut oil, avocado, cinnamon, green tea into your diet. And, expert, Dr. John Salerno MD, Director of The Salerno Center in NYC (www.salernocenter.com), said to make sure you’re eating healthy throughout the year! Not only will you stay slim, but you’ll also remain healthy and have a lot of energy to get through the day. When choosing foods, Dr. Salerno said to make sure your meals are organic as possible. According to Dr. Salerno, the best foods to have on-hand during the summer are organic eggs, vegetables, meats, cheeses, and fresh fish. All of these can help with metabolism and weight loss and taste great! And if you really want that healthy body, John Rowley, Certified Personal Trainer, Best Selling Author and ISSA Director of Wellness, suggests that you make sure to put a focus on strength training. Don’t be afraid to familiarize yourself with weights.
In addition to our experts’ advice, make sure to follow our foolproof tips and you’ll have a bikini body by the time next summer rolls around.
1. Make sure to kick start your routine. Our bodies aren’t meant to do the same routine over and over again. Once our body is conditioned to certain routines it becomes content and that’s how we tend to get stuck in what’s called a plateau. By jump starting your routine and changing it up both with the way you eat and exercise your body will start losing that stubborn weight that refuses to come off.
2. It’s all about strength training. Make sure to also throw in some strength training to help tone and define those muscles. Start out using 5 or 8 pound weights and do some bicep curls and tricep kickbacks to tone and define that stubborn arm area. According to Rowley, muscles are what gives your body shape and also burn calories. Do cardio after weight training NOT before. Gylcogen (blood sugar) is used for energy so use it up while lifting weights. Glycogen must be gone before the body will burn fat so use it up weight training then when you do cardio your body will burn fat for energy.
3. Nothing’s worse than a great looking flat belly and saggy bottom so tone that butt up. Start out with butt raises and then move into butt marching. Butt raises: Make sure to lie on your back with your knees bent and feet completely flat on the floor. Lift your hips off the floor so that your body forms a straight line from the shoulders to your knees, keeping the hips parallel with the ground. Lift your hips up and down without touching the ground. Start out with ten on each leg and work your way up. For flat abs, make sure to do plank. Nothing is better for an all-over workout especially for the abs than plank. Plank: Lying on the floor or yoga mat, make sure to start out in pushup position. That’s the easiest way to get into plank. Lower both your forearms to the ground so that both your elbows and fists are flat to the ground. Your palms should be balled up, and directly underneath your shoulders. Curl your toes under and engage your abs by tilting your pelvis and pulling your belly button toward your spine. Straighten your body but keep the rest of your body neutral. Imagine that you’re a plank of wood, and that you’re straight as an arrow. Flex your abdominals and squeeze your butt. Keep your eyes on the floor in front of you and butt down. You should have a straight line from your heels to the back of your head. Hold for 30 seconds to start, then a minute and work your way up to two minutes.
4. Drink extra water. Your body can become dehydrated especially leading up to the summer months so make sure to drink lots of water. Water also helps us get rid of the excess water weight which bloats the body so drink up.
5. Cut back on carbs! I know what you’re thinking, but I love snacking on chips and salsa and love my PB&J sandwiches as a treat, but did you know that carbs actually cause bloating in the body? If you’re gassy some of that bloating could be coming from eating too much carbs and starchy foods so switch out those chips and crackers for some healthy alternatives like strawberries and carrots. Not only are they good for you, carrots are rich in vitamin D and strawberries contain fiber, antioxidants and vitamin C so eat away.
6. Stand taller. Suck that gut in and stand tall. Think about it as if you were going to be punched. You’d suck in your stomach muscles in an instant. Keep those muscles pulled in tightly and you’ll look thinner even if you haven’t lost all that weight yet.
7. Don’t give up. Rome wasn’t built in a day and neither is a better, more improved you, but if you stick with it we promise not only will you have that perfect bikini body your whole outlook will change so shine on Glitter girls. Shine on and keep plugging away!
