The rising temperatures don’t lie; summer is almost here, a fact that is both exciting and terrifying for many women. With summer comes happy anticipation for barbeques, lazy days at the beach, and cute summer outfits, but unfortunately summer also often brings a feeling of dread surrounding some of women’s most feared things. Things like bikinis, tank tops, and short dresses. Many of us may not feel quite ready yet to don those skimpy bikinis and cute summer outfits, but with a few simple tweaks to your daily diet and fitness routine you can feel much more energized to take on those longer summer days and much more confident to show off your healthy beautiful self in those fun summer outfits:
1) Add 10 minutes of cardio to your day. Finding an extra 10 minutes to add to your fitness routine is a very doable, small tweak that can reap a big benefit. Try adding 10 more minutes onto your daily workout, it doesn’t even have to be an extra 10 minutes consecutive to your workout, it can be a quick extra 10 minutes of cardio on your lunch hour or after you put the kids to sleep.
2) Start a push up or a squat challenge. Your arms and legs are two areas that you’ll likely be showing off a lot in summer dresses and bikinis. By working out these areas more you’ll not only increase your strength, you’ll up your confidence. Try doing 3 sets of 10 push-ups and squats every other day and when that is no longer challenging, up it to 3 sets of 15 and so on. You’ll be rocking those short shorts and tank tops in no time.
3) Stay Hydrated. This is such a simple tip that will make a huge difference in your life and the way you feel. The more water you drink, the better your skin will look, the more energy you’ll have, and the less unnecessary snacking you’ll do. If you have a hard time remembering to drink water try buying a refillable water bottle and carrying it with you everywhere. You can even add fun natural flavors to your water by putting frozen blueberries, strawberries, or mint in it.
4) Shake up your fitness routine. It’s easy to get stuck in a workout rut but you have to make change to create change. Shake up your fitness routine by trying a new class or workout you’ve always wanted to do like yoga, barre, spin, zumba or anything else that appeals to you. Sometimes it takes challenging your body in new ways to see change.
5) Embrace summer produce. One of the best parts of summer is all the delicious seasonal fruits and vegetables available. Try hitting up your local farmers market for some fresh produce to add to your salads, snacks and meals. The nutrients will make your skin glow and the fiber will help your stomach stay flat by keeping your digestive system healthy.
6) Avoid gum, soda, and artificial sweeteners. Gum, soda and artificial sweeteners are known bringers of the dreaded belly bloat. To feel and look your best in your swimsuit don’t consume soda, gum or anything with artificial sweeteners on days you plan on hitting the beach. Even better, try cutting them out of your diet completely to feel and look your best year round.
7) Get out there and enjoy the summer weather. Add more activity to your day by enjoying the gorgeous weather on daily walks or hikes with your spouse, dogs and/or children. You’ll be so busy enjoying the sun, bonding time and warmer weather that it may not even feel like you’re working out but adding more low impact exercise to your day will make you look and feel better.
A few simple tweaks to your daily diet and small changes to your exercise routine can reap huge results and leave you feeling and looking both healthier and fitter this summer. Most importantly though, don’t let self doubt or negativity hold you back from enjoying the beautiful weather with your family. The best change you can make to your healthy routine is to have a healthy mindset and rock those summer clothes on your beautiful body with confidence.
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