1. Love your body
Before you begin any exercise or getting-into-shape routine, the first and most important step is to love the way you look. As summer is quickly approaching, it becomes easier to get wrapped up in trying to achieve the “perfect” body. DO NOT, however, compare yourself to anyone else. People have different body types and are at different levels in terms of their fitness routine, so take it slow and do what feels right for you. Your goal in working out should be to attain a healthy and fit lifestyle, so please try not to get obsessed with reaching goals that may be unattainable. If you are exercising and feeding your body nutritious things, your body will start to mold itself.
2. Drink a lot of water
Are you staying hydrated? Try to stay away from soda and other carbonated drinks that are full of sugar. Swap those out with ice cold water instead to accompany every meal. You should aim to drink eight 8-oz cups of water throughout the day. The key word here is throughout. Your body won’t be able to digest the water properly if you try to drink all those ounces in one sitting. If you enjoy flavored water, try a belly slimming detox water recipe consisting of cucumber, lemon, orange slices, and mint leaves. It’s one of my personal favorites! Watch this video for further instruction.
3. Tone your physique
You can do sit-ups, crunches, and push-ups in daily consistent amounts, but it is important to tone your entire body. My favorite toning exercises involve Pilates routines. Pilates offers total body workouts that target your whole body and help you build upon your strength. I highly recommend that you check out Blogilates to find free workouts depicting which routines you should do every day. If you’re a beginner, check out the beginner’s calendar! You should aim for a 50-minute workout every day, with cardio included.
4. Don’t forget about cardio
Cardio is important to melt away the excess calories and show off the toned muscles you have been working so hard for. Without cardio, your toned abs and muscles will not be visible. Now that the weather is getting warmer, I would suggest going for an early morning run around your neighborhood to give you the energy you need to start your day. If you’re not an outdoor kind of person, there are other routines you can try at home. Running is not the only cardio exercise. Try doing 100 jumping jacks a day, or if you’re feeling brave enough, try the 100 burpee challenge. It won’t be easy, but I guarantee that it’ll be rewarding.
5. Eat clean
Your physique is determined 80% by what you eat and 20% by genetics and how you work out, so it is important for you to feed your body good things. Eat nutritious foods in consistent amounts throughout the day because cutting back on food will actually cause your body to store more fat and will prevent you from losing weight. Stay away from processed foods and try to incorporate more fresh and organic ingredients. Eat lots of fruits, whole grains, vegetables like broccoli, and healthy proteins like black beans. Visit Blogilates to check out different meal plans and learn useful tips on how to eat clean.
6. Try some healthy snacks
If you get hungry in between meals, have healthy snacks ready to feed your appetite and help you last through the next meal. Slice some apples and dip them in peanut butter. Try low-fat Greek yogurt and add raspberries and honey. Almonds and walnuts are also great snacks that will help settle your appetite. Do you like smoothies? (Who doesn’t?) It is very difficult to mess up a smoothie. Mix your favorite fruits with low-fat yogurt and use orange juice as a base. My current favorite smoothie is mango pineapple.
7. Get plenty of sleep
When you aren’t getting enough sleep, your body will think that it is stressed. When your body is stressed, it tends to store fat in places that are considered a problem area –for many women in particular– such as the lower belly. Refrain from pulling all-nighters and staying up late while on Netflix and opt to get eight hours of sleep instead. Your body will feel much happier and healthier, and that’s what really matters.