The summer months are suddenly upon us and so are bikinis and swimming. The warm months are finally upon us. Here are five steps you can take to confidently wear a swimsuit in front of your friends and family.
Quick-fix body toning
Toning exercises are a great way to stay healthy and feel more confident in a bathing suit. Pilates is a wonderful toning and strength training method that is good for people of all fitness levels and abilities. With the number of Pilates classes and home workout videos available, it's relatively easy to get started on a routine. If you do Pilates several times a week, you're bound to see results within a couple of months.
Dry knees and elbows
Post winter elbows and knees can be smoothed into submission by exfoliating during shower or bath time using a loofah or a body scrub followed by a decent helping of any thick, moisturiser.
Exercise
Exercise is important if you want to re-shape your body and be healthy at the same time. Commit to a full-body strength-training program at least three times a week to burn calories during the workout, boost your metabolism, and develop lean muscles that look and feel better than flab. Perform exercises that use more than one muscle group such as squats, pushups, rows, and lunges in a circuit to make your workouts most efficient. Tip: Try working out in the morning to get your metabolism revved up for the rest of the day.
Drink extra water
Skimping on water can reduce the effectiveness of your workouts because even mild dehydration can affect your performance and fat-burning potential. Also, the best way to rid yourself of excess water weight is to flush your body with water.
Cut back on processed, starchy carbohydrates
White breads, pastas, bagels, cookies, and crackers are all highly processed foods. Instead, opt for a serving of one of the many fresh fruits and veggies now in season, with lean protein and fish to keep you satisfied.
Originally published on Dec 29, 2017
