It’s crunch time: T- four weeks until Spring Break. Yes, mentally we all are ready, but how about physically? Don’t worry, four weeks is much longer than you may think, and it is not too late to get out there in better shape! Remember, fitness is fun and should never feel like a hassle. Create an awesome playlist on your iPod and get to the gym already!
Firstly, for the next four weeks (and hopefully after), try and take out one or two guilty pleasure foods from your diet. One of the best ways of approaching eating healthy is to have the mind set, “you are what you eat.” Let us think about it…what you put into our body will be a direct correlation of what you will get out of it. Having a healthy diet not only is great for you, but also will improve your workouts. If you decide to eat a Spa quesadilla and then a couple of Dana cookies, then the next time you go to run, that is what will be slowing you down. The more you bog your body down, the more the level of difficulty increases in getting a great workout. Why invest so much time in exercising when you plan to eliminate your hard work with junk food? If you are experiencing difficulty eating healthier, create your own food journal, and keep track of what you are consuming. At the end of the day you can reassess and rethink your approach for the next day. Each day gets better and better.
Lemon water is a great metabolism booster, so start your day nice and early with a big glass. In addition, HYDRATE constantly. Not only is it good for your body to recover from your workouts, but also is great for glowing skin!
Self Magazine shows some insight on healthy foods that lead to stronger abs:
Change 1: Put into your body what you want to see in results of your body.
Not a marathon runner? You don’t need to be one. One common misconception people have is that you need to run for miles on miles. Instead, stick with what you are comfortable with. Start at a two/three miles a day and increase in miles until midweek and then decrease back down. I personally would start at 3 Monday and by Wednesday/Thursday get up to 6 or 7 miles and then decelerate to the weekend. Take Sundays off, you deserve at least one day to rest!
However, do you find running for 45 minutes straight to be boring? Well then here you go, run a mile, walk for five minutes, and then continue that cycle. The beauty of this is that your heart beat is accelerating and then going down to a rest period and then accelerating again. In short, working out in intervals is a GREAT way for fatburn= LOSING WEIGHT!!!
Set a goal for yourself to run/walk 1 mile a day. Only 1 mile can range from about 6- 10 minutes, which is barely any time that would severely damage your day. Also, once you are out there, exercise becomes contagious, and you may find it hard to stop after one mile!
Change 2: Make it your mission to do cardio at least 4 of 7 days, but the more the better!
We are never too old for the buddy system. No matter what you do, you always feel more secure and confident with your friends. Conquer the fitness world with a buddy; no need to feel like you are in this alone. Also, a little friendly competition never hurt anyone. Push each other to go the extra mile or the extra 45 seconds of abs.
Trim time: abs and lunges. In addition to cardio, 2-3 days of abs for 6-8 minutes and 2-3 days of lunges can do wonders. I suggest doing these exercises on days that you are not going for your long run. This way your bodies has more energy to efficiently and affectively complete them.
Self Magazine has some great exercises; you will love them:
Flat abs like Jennifer Aniston and Flat abs fast
Finally, at the end of each week reward yourself—you deserve it!
Week 1: Indulge in a latte at Starbucks
Week 2: Treat yourself to a Selah Tea dessert
Week 3: Online shop a little and get that yellow polka dot bikini for spring
break!
Week 4: Mani/Pedi time! Look good feel good.
Change 3: Love to exercise, make it fun, and reward yourself for your hard work!
Voila! These are only three changes to your lifestyle that will create a healthier environment. College Spring Break only comes around four times in your life, so why not work hard in these next four weeks? You now have the encouragement and exercises, so get off the computer and take the reigns! Right now is a better time than ever!
For fun: Self Magazine gives us the perfect Gym Hair