How to Stay on Track with Summer Fitness

Summer is here! This means it is time not just for warmer temperatures but also for holidays by the pool, vacationing by the beach relishing your choice of chilled drinks and lots more. And this also means your chance to wear those shorts that have been tucked away in your closet or the strappy top you love the most! For this, you need to get your summer body ready!

Now, the fact is that fitness isn’t just for a particular season or to fit into a certain dress. It involves a year-long commitment to being mindful and making lifestyle changes. But let’s face it, we all want to look smarter and fitter and feel more confident about our bodies, especially during summer. Staying on track involves keeping a series of tips and tricks in mind. Here is a list of a few things to keep in mind

Don’t attempt ‘Short Term Goals”

Scrap away all articles that say ‘How to lose 10kgs in 10 days’ or any such unrealistic goals that end up creating havoc with your health and leave you disappointed. Fitness is a year-long goal, but maintaining a balance is crucial.

Summer bodies cannot be achieved by starving oneself, or exercising for long hours. It also does not mean only relaxation and no exercise. But hoping to get fit overnight is surely not possible. Set goals with a comfortable time frame to ensure you don’t stress your body and have enough time to actually achieve your goals.

Create a Plan

Impulsive diets and binges are the worst! Take the help of a professional and create a workable plan that suits your needs and lifestyle. You can include whole foods like eggs, chicken, tofu, soya chunks or other such sources of proteins that help to increase your lean mass, especially during exercise.

You can also try quick breakfast options like muesli, instant oats and a wide range of breakfast items to stay full and satiated for a long time.

Stay hydrated

Summers come along with excessive sweating that may lead to dehydration. Always drink at least 2 litres of water every day. You can swap water with other healthy alternatives like spiced buttermilk, health juices etc. Try to steer away from other tempting sugar-loaded drinks that provide temporary satisfaction and long-term problems.

Swap your snacks

All those quick bites and snacks you grab are often the main culprit. When you crave something sweet, choose a date or dried figs instead of chocolate. If you like munching while working or while watching a movie you must leave your chips and fried snacks and opt for a crunchy cucumber, roasted peanuts or chana. These keep you feeling full and give you the satisfaction of eating something without reversing your fitness goals.

Stay active whenever possible

Sneaking in steps and jumps at every chance you get is a cool and easy way to stay fit. Avoid the temptation of staying cooped in an air-conditioned room, but take the stairs instead of the lift, carry your luggage yourself, walk the short distance instead of the car and increase your daily step count at every chance you get.

Involve in quick workouts

Summer aids your joints and muscles to become more flexible, so you can involve in short-timed high-intensity workouts that save time and are great for your fitness goals

Join a fitness class or a gym

When you involve in a group fitness activity, with friends or make new friends there. They help you stay on track. Simply because the fitness activity becomes fun along with a workout.

You can team up with a gym buddy, so both of you can stay on track and motivate each other. Enrol in some fun activity of your choice, whether it is a Yoga class, Zumba, Dance class or anything else that interests you. These group activities are an ideal way to stay fit and active and maintain your fitness goal.

Keep those summer clothes handy

If you have summer clothes you don’t fit into anymore, it is time to bring them out. Try the summer clothes every time to check how much fitter you need to get to fit back into them. These clothes and the will to fit back into them will motivate you to stay on track and keep your goals in constant check.

Play with kids

Summers are also times for holidays at school, this is a perfect time to involve in some active play with children. Whether they are your own children, children in your family or even if they are children from your neighbourhood. Involve in actively playing with them, you can be running around, skip the rope with them, jump on the trampoline or simply play catch. These activities are a fun way to stay active and spend some time with children and bond with them and even awaken the little child in you.

Stay Positive

This is the last and most crucial point. Fitness goals are important but what is equally important if not more is for you to stay positive. Achieving your fitness goals and maintaining them requires a lot of hard work and dedication. You need to be mentally prepared to give up on certain indulgences, to get out of bed and sweat it out and go that extra mile in order to stay on track.

Also, fitness goals are long-term plans. There will be times when you may face some setbacks or fall behind schedule. Often fitness goals take longer to reach and often don’t feel proportionate to the amount of effort you have put in. But not losing hope and staying positive and continuing to work towards your goal is what is needed.

Yet another point is to burden yourself with guilt for occasional weakness and indulgence. You need not get overly stressed or punish yourself for such times. We are human after all, we all deserve an occasional treat. Train your mind to move on and get back on track.

Summers can be fun when the right balance between enjoyment and exercise is achieved.