With summer fast approaching, basically every girl is scrambling to find last minute ways to perfect her bikini body. But with swimsuit season only a couple weeks away, months of hard-core dieting and tons of trips to the gym are off the table. Instead, take advantage of these easy meal tips and quick exercises that will get you into prime bikini shape by the summer.
Whether you’re trying to shed a couple of pounds that piled on during winter, or are just trying to perfect those hard to tone areas, these exercises can be done in synch with your daily routine. Because they are limited to only five moves, you can squeeze them in after you shower, before you go to bed, or during some down time.
To tone all parts of the body, do two or three sets of each of these exercises.
- 15 tricep dips to get rid of underarm fat: Squat in front of a chair or level surface and plant your hands on the edge so that your arms are supporting your weight. Slowly lower your body until your arm forms a 90-degree angle.
- 15 side planks to trim the sides of your stomach: Start in a standard plank with your forearm (wrist to elbow) resting on the ground and your toes planted behind you. Make sure your torso is parallel to the ground, then extend your right arm up, so that your stomach is perpendicular to the ground. Return to rest position. Repeat 15 times on each side.
- 15 scissor kicks to blast belly fat: Lie on your back with arms flat on the ground beside you. Lift your legs to about a 45-degree angle and then kick each leg back and forth 15 times.
- 20 basic lunges to tone thighs: Extend right leg forward, then dip back knee to the ground, making sure to create a 90-degree angle each time. Repeat 20 times for each leg.
- 25 basic calf raises to sculpt calves: Stand straight and lift heels off the ground to stand on your “tippy-toes.” Add hand weights for additional resistance if you want to make it tougher.
Almost all women can agree that getting rid of cellulite is one of the hardest parts of getting ready for summer. According to cellulitecentral.com, five easy ways to decrease the amount of cellulite you have in a couple of weeks are:
- Eat smaller meals more often: Ideally, try to eat every three hours rather than depriving yourself and binging on sugary and fatty foods later.
- Do not eat late, and make the last meal you eat the smallest: Rather than letting large amounts of calories sit in your stomach without any exercise for hours, eat earlier to help your metabolism adjust for the night.
- Try not to eat carbs during your last meal: Eliminating carbs at this time can possibly increase growth hormones, which burn fat.
- Lay off the caffeine: If you need energy, drink green tea, which is loaded with antioxidants.
- Reduce how much fruit you eat (believe it or not): Instead, eat more vegetables, which contain less sugar and water.