10 Hot Tips for a Sizzlin' Summer
"I have never been especially impressed by the heroics of people convinced that they are about to change the world; I am more awed by those who struggle to make one small difference after another."
- Ellen Goodman, Journalist

Swim suit weather is quickly approaching (we hope!) and it’s time to get moving. Enough of the jumpers and fleeces that hide a multiple of sins. And enough of the uncomfortable feeling you have about your body and your body image. C’mon, enough already!

It’s April and there’s no reason why you can’t lose 15-20 pounds of fat from your body by late June or early July. If you even lose one and a half pounds per week, you’ll hit the mark.

If you’ve been reading my articles you know that I consistently send one very important message: you can’t accomplish your goal without a plan. Your plan must incorporate smart nutrition that places you in a slight caloric deficit (less than maintenance) combined with consistent exercise three to five days per week.

Don’t feel tense and anxious about losing this fat. One of the things about the spring and summer months is that it elevates our mood and makes us want to be outdoors. I’ve designed a list of 10 tips to get you moving and having fun. Simply take the few that sound like fun to you and go for it! Take action and start today in your quest for a leaner and tighter body.

Here’s my top 10 list for a simply sizzlin’ summer:
1. To lose fat and get trim try alternating exercise activity during the week. For many, exercising can be boring so we have to look for ways to make it interesting and diverse. The summer gives us this opportunity. Instead of doing the same activity every day, try the following:
Monday: bike ride after work
Tuesday: jogging
Wednesday: weight training
Thursday: yoga
Friday: aerobics class or video tape and weight training
The daily change will invigorate you and keep you motivated.

2. We’re all pressed for time, but the longer days and sunshine has a way of getting us extra motivated. If you’re pressed for time and are a super busy person, try three 10-minute workouts spread through the day. This is just as effective as one 30-minute session. Try to do three 10-minute bursts of activity such as 10 minutes of cycling outdoors in the morning before work, a 10-minute walk at lunch and a 10 minute jog in the evening.

3. Take yourself off the beaten track. Go to a park or head to the hills and hike at the weekends. You can alternate this with your regular strength training and cardio that you include during the week. The sustained activity of hiking and climbing burns a lot of calories and actually helps to boost the metabolism.

4. People attain great success when they have a goal. Find a 5k road race or bike race and sign up for it. As you train for the race and improve your eating habits, you’ll be amazed at how you begin to get leaner. The objective is not to win the race, but to set a goal and exercise the discipline to complete it. It will be almost impossible to not lose fat and get leaner.

5. Really want a fit body for the summer? Perform weight training two to three days per week for 30 brisk minutes to stimulate the metabolism, perform cardiovascular exercise three to five days per week for 30 moderate minutes and slightly reduce calories. It might not be an exciting tip, but quite likely the most effective one.

6. Time for boot camp! Prior to the summer months, many gyms and health clubs institute a “boot camp” programme. The basis of the programme is generally combining calisthenics, cardiovascular exercise and running obstacle courses to improve fitness and lose fat. As the name implies, it’s run in military boot camp style but is a lot of fun. Just two days per week of this activity will strip fat from your body. You don’t have to be in shape to participate and you’re encouraged to go at your own pace.

7. Don’t be afraid to try something new outdoors. There may be an activity out there that you’ll fall in love with and burn fat while having a great time. Rollerblading falls perfectly into this category. It may take you a few weeks to feel comfortable, but I guarantee you’ll enjoy rollerblading in the sunshine and listening to great music on your head phones.

8. Motivation is one of the keys to creating a bathing suit-ready body. The absolute first thing one should do is actually purchase the size bathing suit you wish to be wearing for summer. I realize it probably doesn’t fit - but that’s the whole point. Make fitting into the suit a realistic goal and leave the suit somewhere in your kitchen so it’s always visible. Let the future enticement of fitting perfectly into the suit be your motivation. This isn’t psychological mumbo jumbo - this really works.

9. Many parks have exercise paths that describe exercises to perform at various stations. For example, you might power walk for 20 yards and then find a sign that tells you to perform 10 pushups, then you might be instructed to jog to the next sign where you perform lunges, etc. Most of the courses only take 20 minutes to complete and can be repeated to extend exercise time.

10. One of the keys to getting a leaner body is stimulating the metabolism. One of the best ways to accomplish this is to work out in the morning. When you work out in the morning, you decrease your appetite and burn calories all day long. Try to power walk, jog, do an exercise video or swim as a start to your day and don’t forget to include strength training to further stimulate your fat burning progress.
Don’t put it off another day. Decide to lose 20 pounds by July and make this the greatest summer of your life!