Six Tips To Help Women Shape Up For Summer

Summer is fast approaching, and with less clothing and more skin showing, most women are looking for get fit tips. To achieve this, I suggest a results-oriented system that focuses on weight training, nutrition, cardio and accountability. No matter what your fitness goals are this summer, you can lose weight, gain strength and confidence, and get ready to hit the beach. Here are some tips to help you get “bikini ready” and stay in shape long after the sunscreen gets packed away:

1. Add interval cardio to your day

Interval cardio can burn excess fat and boost metabolism. Interval cardio exercises like walking, jogging, or the elliptical can burn upwards of 10 calories every minute, so by finding 30 minutes a day to dedicate to cardio, it is possible to lose inches and feel more comfortable in a bathing suit.

2. Fight osteoporosis and fat with weight training

Weight training is a key component in transforming bodies, preventing injuries and overall health and wellbeing. Each day of weight training burns about 200 calories, and weight training gives a metabolic boost for bodies to use later: for every 5 pounds of muscle built, the body will burn an additional 200 calories each day just to sustain the muscle—that’s 1,400 calories per week.

3. Practice mindful eating

That can of soda is 200 calories and that apple with peanut butter is 200 calories. Which one is a better use of calories? When making meal and snack choices, choose the one that will most benefit your body’s needs. If you’re not sure what foods you should be eating, ask a trainer at your gym.

4. Keep track of portion size

Eat six small meals throughout the day (about fist-sized) and only eat when you’re actually hungry. Stave off boredom-inspired hunger with a glass of water or a trip to burn the calories that you would have consumed.

5. Rest between workouts 

When you’re in a time crunch to get into a bathing suit, it can be tempting to work out every day thinking you will reach your goal faster, but doing so will put your body at a much higher risk of injury. A trainer can help you set healthy, realistic exercise goals for your bikini deadline.

6. Drink lots of water

Drinking water during and after exercising helps keep bodies hydrated as toxin-carrying water leaves as sweat. Drinking water can also help cut pounds for the summer: to drop pounds, replace soda and alcoholic beverages with water to cut calories throughout the day; drink a glass of water before eating to suppress appetite; and get better skin, less headaches and better digestion with more water consumption.