When the temperature starts rising, and the days get longer, isn’t it suprising how you suddenly find yourself motivated to get fit and healthy for summer? Why don’t you have the same motivation over winter when more time is spent indoors? Going into virtual hibernation has a lot to answer for, and now you have the extra pounds that you gained over winter to shift! However, swapping the comfort food of winter for the BBQs, patio drinks and cocktails of summer won’t help; here’s how to stay fit this summer.
- Workout
With the lighter mornings, it is the perfect opportunity to get up earlier to fit in a workout. You may struggle to begin with, but it will soon become a habit if you persevere. Starting the day with endorphins produced by exercise pumping through your body means that you will feel fabulous all day long.
Balance your cardio workout with a rejuvenating yoga class that will develop your body’s flexibility and keep you mentally agile too. You can book local classes through HulaHub, so that even if you are away from home, you can keep your fitness regime going.
- Hydrate
You need to keep well hydrated over the summer months. It’s easy to grab an ice cold fizzy drink to quench your thirst, but they are laden with sugars and empty calories. If plain water doesn’t float your boat, try infusing your water with fruits and herbs to make it a bit more interesting.
- Grapefruit and thyme – vitamin C and antioxidant-rich, grapefruit has a refreshingly sweet, punchy and tangy flavour which is softened by the thyme.
- Lemon and strawberry – strawberries are lauded for their blood sugar and anti-inflammatory properties, the lemon injects a dose of vitamin C.
- Lime, ginger and blueberry – smash the blueberries to heighten the flavour that they add to your infusion, they are low on the glycemic index and the ginger aids gastrointestinal
These are just a few suggestions, but you can try different recipes until you find your favourite flavours. Infusions are a great drink to have at BBQs or in social environments where there is pressure to drink alcohol. Plus, people tend to nag less if you are holding onto an exciting looking drink!
- Bike
Now that the weather is improving, replace your local car journeys with a bike ride. Not only will your mood be boosted by the endorphins released into your body, but you will be burning more calories as you exercise in a fun and fabulous way, while doing a journey that you do anyway. Riding a bike brings you many benefits. These include improved:
- Cardiovascular fitness
- Muscle flexibility and strength
- Bone strength
- Posture
- Body fat levels
You don’t have to change your lifestyle dramatically to stay fit over summer; you just need to tweak it. The advantage of adapting your lifestyle, rather than just your diet alone, is that your weight loss will be healthy and maintained in a safe way. What feels like a chore right now, will soon just become second nature.