If you read part one of my SPRING into Health and Fitness Guide, you may have mastered a healthy diet plan by now. It’s been said that diet accounts for 80% of weight loss in fitness endeavors. What about the other 20% to achieve 100% amazing results? EXERCISE! The next course of action necessary to take in order to achieve the toned bikini bod you so desire is getting up and active! Working out does not have to be a painful or miserable experience, especially with some lovely spring weather. Make your exercise regimen fun by keeping your workouts creative and interesting.
1. Interval running is a great way to make time go by faster while on the treadmill. You can use speed intervals, incline intervals, or if you are really feeling it, combine the two. Thirty minutes of interval training 4-5 times a week is enough to burn fat and start noticing a more toned look to your legs and booty.
2. Outdoor jogging and hiking are my personal favorite forms of cardio. The wind in your hair and the sun shining on your face make it seem like you are barely working out! The weather situation in ‘Cuse tends to make this choice of cardio difficult and, at times, dangerous (I learned this the hard way), but soon enough, the warmth of spring will make this a viable workout option again!
3. Yoga is another wonderful workout, and stretching is important in any fitness journey. If you are going to use yoga as your only means of exercise, try to take a Vinyasa Flow, Hot Yoga, or Power Yoga class to kick it up a notch. You will not only feel physically relieved of the bodily tension that has built up over the course of the semester, but also mentally relieved and ready to unwind on the beach! O Yoga and Lotus Life Yoga Center are my favorite local studios that offer classes daily. Don’t want to pay for a class? There are hundreds of yoga videos on YouTube. Grab your laptop, some towels, and your roommate for an outdoor yoga session on a sunny spring afternoon!
4. Strength training is the most underrated form of exercise for females. Not only does it burn fat faster than cardio, but studies have also shown that it may help promote positive attitude and fight depression! Starting with heavier weight and lower reps will build muscle, alternating with lower weight and higher reps will give that lean & “cut” look that looks so wonderful in a teeny bikini. Completing at least 3 different strength exercises (in sets of 3) after cardio will rev up your metabolism and help your body to continue burning fat for hours after your workout!
5. Circuit training provides a generally more time efficient way to combine strength and cardio into one awesome workout. Set up several “stations” that work different parts of the body and work your way through each station for a set time interval. For example, come up with three stations (jump rope/jogging, leg exercises, core exercises), spend ten minutes at each one, and go through the full circuit twice. When you are done, you will have completed a full hour of exercise.
5. Abdominal exercises are great for cooling down after a tough cardio session. Maybe this is just me, but I when I feel bloated, doing abs always makes me feel better and more confident about my tummy. There are so many different moves to work your abs that you could do them everyday without ever repeating the exact same workout. Consider each rep as “one” and see if you can do at least 250 moves. Sets of 25 reps of each workout make this super easy and quick to accomplish!
If this information isn’t “breaking news” for you, then get moving! If you are new to working out, don’t be nervous, everyone who is an expert now started as a beginner!