Here are 10 ways you can get fit for summer, stress-free:
- Drink water. Not just with meals - in-between meals, in transit (safely), waiting in line, chatting with friends, at meetings, everywhere. Always have a cuppa (or bottla) H20 in front of you. Keep score - tally up those glasses. Glug glug glug! Heads up - plan to pee. A lot.
- Log your meals. Write it all down - it can be in a planner, online document, mobile app, graffiti on the bathroom stall. You ate a buttery, rich macadamia nut cookie? Write it down. You ate a legit, vitamin-packed kale and swiss chard salad? Write it down. At the end of each day, check your diary. How'd you do? Think about how you can improve the next day.
- Fun-ify your fitness. For many people, the gym is a snooze-fest. Too much hassle to get there, no incentive to return again. Play frisbee, check out YouTube fitness videos, try a dance or martial arts class.
- Set goals. Numbers are tangible, however, they're also discouraging. Try to keep your goals off-the-scale. How do you look in the mirror? Are you happy with how your body feels?
- Buddy up. If you're competitive - find a fitness rival. If you're not - partner up with a friend and make fitness an outing. Are you an introvert? Join an online community and find a virtual buddy.
- Incentivize. You did four workouts this week aaand you skipped out on ice cream last night on Sundae Sunday? Brill-o! You deserve a nice <insert thing that makes you smile here>. How about a massage? (Ask about student massage clinics at your local massage school, bargain-hunters). Allocate time to do something you wanna do. Preferably not downing-a-Ben-&-Jerry's tub. Let's not be counter-productive, people.
- Slow down. Jumping into a boot camp program after two months of solid Friends reruns isn't going to net you a trim summer bod. It's going to make you give up. Think about it, burning thighs, aching arms - you're not going to put yourself through that again! Hell no! Take small steps - go for a short walk before signing yourself for a 5 mile jog. Lift a filled water bottle before hitting those slick dumbbells.
- Carry on. If adding fitness into your life is a big deal, you're doing it wrong. This should be a teensy little commitment to yourself that you gradually build up into a part of your regular routine. If you don't have a routine, I strongly suggest you start one - at least for fitness.
- Find drive. Hang up a picture of a favorite celebrity above your dresser. Write a motivational line on your running shoes in Sharpie. Whatever you gotta do to get 'er done. Taking "progress" snapshots of yourself might do it. Or reserving your fav music tracks for when you're gettin' your sweat on.
- Overcome. Some days - it's not going to work out. You just don't feel the drive. You inhaled that Turtle Pecan cheesecake before you could say "deliciousness". You can't seem to make it out the door. Take it easy, tiger - tomorrow will come. Simply jump back on the bandwagon and don't let your inner doggie downer get you down.
"Come at me, summer! I'm ready to rumble!!" -- suggested mantra.
