Can you guess what New Year’s Resolution is on everyone’s list every year? That’s right! It’s to be healthier; to be skinnier or sexier; to be able to have a great beach body when summer comes around. If you don’t believe me, just observe the gym attendance every January to March.
Gyms see a noticeable increase in memberships and walk-ins during the early part of the year. This is to be expected since most people probably chose to forget about their diets during the buffet season of December. With this being said, it is best to get a head start and get fit sooner rather than later.
Slowly but surely breaking out of the habits you got over the holidays is a great way to start. However, from time to time, it might be a bit challenging. Extreme and unsafe diets promising to make you fit fast may sound tempting to follow, but feeling tired or deprived should not be a side effect you need to deal with.
Everyone can look good and feel good at the same time. This is achievable with the right amount of discipline and commitment on your part.
Get the beach body you’ll be proud of! Here are some tips to get you started:
#1 Have a Strong Will for a Stronger Body
You cannot commit to something fully if you don’t fix your mindset first. Being patient and consistent takes a strong will and unwavering dedication to see your plans through to the end. If you want to see an improvement, you must let yourself realize that everything you are doing is effective. It is easy to give up and give in when it comes to going on a diet or staying faithful to your gym appointments. However, if you are psyched and motivated enough to realize your true goal – to be fit and fab again – you will strengthen your will.
#2 Go Hiking or on Other Leisure Activities
Getting fit doesn’t have to be boring or stressful. To achieve your fitness goals without it feeling like a chore, you can incorporate exercise to your leisure activities. One great example of this is by going on hiking trips with your loved ones. Make sure to research nearby hiking trails on the web and plan your hiking trip with friends. Not only will you fulfill your quota for exercise and strenuous activity to help tone your leg muscles, you can also spend more quality time with the people who matter the most to you.
#3 Get Moving During your Free Time
If you’re starting your fitness journey in the second quarter of the year, you only have 3-4 months to realize your goal! With this kind of time limitation, it might cause some distress on your part, especially if you have a tight daily schedule. If you don’t have spare time to visit your neighborhood gym, you can always start your own crossfit home gym. This way, you can invest in your health in a concrete way. Nothing beats visual cues to motivate you to move forward with your fitness goals!
If you’re a very busy person, you can always do a few minutes of workout in between doing your usual routine. The Internet is a great resource for all things at-home nowadays. You can even be your own health and wellness coach with the amount of resources available at your fingertips. Even on social media, you can find a lot of real-life health and gym coaches on their exercise Instagram accounts where they impart their knowledge to their followers.
Working Out or Body Building? What’s the Difference?
This is one of the most common misconceptions when it comes to attending gyms. Working out to tone your body is different from body building, and here’s why:
Body building involves a sort of body modification where the body builder does intensive muscle hypertrophy training. Bodybuilders usually take supplements that contain anti-inflammatory ingredients and protein to achieve their desired toned abs and ripped muscles.
Working out to get a beach body only entails having a flat stomach and toned limbs. This can be achieved through lighter training than what a body builder does. Working out is primarily about lowering the percentage of body fat and having plenty of muscle tone. Doing cardio and some strength training will get your body bikini-ready in no time!
#4 Make Small, Manageable Tweaks to Your Normal Diet
Getting a fit and toned body doesn’t involve only cutting food intake and shedding pounds, but it is an integral part of the process. A diet that only involves cutting out portions of food won’t do though. Achieving your desired summer physique involves having a nutritionally balanced diet. Increasing your consumption of protein rich food, monitoring the number of calories daily, and incorporating a lot of vegetables, fruits, and beneficial fats is a good way to do this. But, of course, you should not dive into this kind of diet immediately.
Here are some tips to start tweaking your diet:
Before you start, take note of your normal eating habits – what you eat in a day, what you crave for, and what your must-haves are.
Then, you can break them down into more specific food items.
After this, you can start checking each item so you can replace it with a healthier option. For example, if you find that you snack on chocolate too much in a week, you can find a healthier option like cacao nibs, organic dark chocolate, or even fruits.
If your cravings for sweets act up, you can always reach for berries and fruits (the antioxidants in them are bonuses, too).
Conclusion
Of course, none of these tips will work if you lack one ingredient – discipline. It takes a certain degree of dedication and strength of will to get to your beach body goal. Make sure you stick to your plan and take it seriously. However, try not to stress too much about the possible obstacles coming your way – overthinking will only deter you from the bigger picture. Do things in moderation and at a steady pace. The beach is calling so get your body ready!