Last week I got a little serious, talking about the bikini body myth. How it inspires extreme diets and unsustainable habits. How it’s almost always a bad idea to fall for diets that promise the earth in a tiny timeframe. This time I want to focus on the sunnier side of summer fitness. After all, it’s a great time to get out and get active. The key is to make small sustainable changes that can be part of your lifestyle forever, not just until you can get into your favourite bikini. So, get up and get active. The sun is shining!
I’ve brought together my favourite ways to kick-start summer fitness, below.
Get Committed and Set Goals
Fitness is as much a mental challenge as it is a physical one. And if you are beginning a healthy regime for the first time or returning to fitness after a long break, you need to make sure your head is in the game. Otherwise, it’s all too easy to get bored, intimidated or simply tired after just a few days. Think about the reasons you want to get fit. What are the real changes it will make in your life? Write them down and set small milestone goals to move towards. Even an hour spent really thinking about the changes you want to make can dramatically increase your chances of success.
Think Portion Control
If your health goals focus on weight, then eating is going to be one of the biggest hurdles you have to overcome. Although exercise is amazing for overall fitness and building lean muscle, eating is the area that really impacts the number on the scales. One of the biggest changes you can implement is reducing portion size. We all have a tendency to pile our plates high and simply reducing this amount by a quarter or a third can make a big difference. It’s about small steps, not dramatically changing your diet overnight. Once you have a handle on portion control you can start to implement more veggies and lean protein sources.
Get Active Every Day
As the sun shines down there is no reason not to get active. Take the bike to work rather than hopping in the car or take a quick stroll around the park on your lunch break. You’ll start to enjoy the feeling you get from the extra activity and crave even more. Group fitness classes, gym sessions, and even working out at home can all help to boost your activity levels. If you need a little extra help to get started, then FitFusion PT are here to provide all the support and motivation you need. Find a personal fitness coach or a friendly group workout class at our boutique gym.
Embrace Your Body
We spend far too much time hating on our body. Comparing it to other people’s, standing in front of the mirror and picking out our flaws. It’s a really fast way to deflate your motivation and see you sat on the couch with a pint of your favourite ice-cream. Embrace who you are at every stage of your journey! Your beauty doesn’t come from how many abs you can see, it’s about who you are. So, strive to be fit and healthy this summer, but also learn to love yourself. You can do this!
I hope you are looking forward to getting active this summer. I know I am enjoying the long warm days and being able to take my workout outdoors. Next week, I want to inspire you to do the same with exercises perfect for the park, beach or even your back garden. Until then, keep being awesome!
