Hotter temperatures, less clothing and the thought of purchasing your next pair of swim trunks or itty bitty bikini might be incentive enough to put the pedal to the metal in getting into our best shape for the summer months. But about when our bodies are hiding under five layers of clothing or we are knee deep in 36 inches of snow? It's equally, if not more important to continue to put into practice all of the best practices we created in preparation for those warmer months.
With colder temperatures, it's easier to fall back into undesirable habits – maybe we eat a little more during the holidays, exercise a little less with family in town, and before you know it, our summertime weight is yet a distant memory. When it's gotten to this point, most of us may say, "Oh what the heck, I'll wait until the New Year" potentially undoing all of your hard work.
If you've grown tired of the usual " wash, spin, rinse, repeat" let this be the year you maintain your ideal body all year long.
1). Eat Healthy and proportioned meals
What our tummy's are typically telling us to do when we are hungry is to eat until we are full. Which can actually be counter productive if we are trying to achieve weight loss goals or stick to an ideal weight. Eating a healthy, balanced diet is key to staying in shape year-round. You'll want to generally look for ingredients that are high in fiber and protein but low in fat. Think of fat as typically not being a good thing, especially animal fat, however there is a lot of good fat in natural oils. In addition to protein, also look to include a clean complex carb, think jasmine rice, sweet potatoes or white potatoes, leafy green vegetables or if you are not a fan of vegetables, you can also try smoothie greens which offers the same excellent benefits! When preparing your meals, you'll want to portion them correctly so that you’re getting just enough to satisfy your hunger. Eating too much or too little can affect your progress and make it difficult to maintain your summer body all year. Also, look to avoid fried and processed foods or food items that contain sugar as the top ingredient.
2). Get Enough Sleep
in 2023, the world seems to be moving a mile a minute and our schedules are busier than ever. However adequate sleep is essential in muscle recovery, brain functionality and keeping our bodies functioning properly. Look into maintaining at least 7-8 hours of sleep per night. Creating a daily night routine and setting a sleep alarm may prove to be beneficial in helping to create good sleeping habits early on.Creating a consistent sleep schedule, will help regulate your body’s hormone levels, improve muscle recovery and essentially help increase your physical performance. Not only will getting enough rest help to maintain your summer body all year, but will also help with overall well-being. When we don’t get enough sleep, our bodies produce more cortisol, known as the “stress hormone.” This can lead to weight gain, fatigue, and a host of other issues. So aim to get at least 7 good uninterrupted hours of sleep to ensure you're operating at your best self.
3) Exercise Regularly
This sounds like a no brainer, but it has to be said. Yes, our diet will absolutely help us to maintain our overall nutritional goals, however that is only one piece of the puzzle. Not only does exercise provide us with that toned look our summer bodies provide, yet it increases our overall cardiovascular health as well. Of course, we all have different preferences when it comes to working out. Some people prefer weight training, while others may prefer running or crossfit. No matter what type of exercise you choose, ensure that it’s something you can do consistently and most importantly maintain year round. Find a routine that works for you and stick to it—even if it’s only 30 minutes a day. Aim to exercise at least three times a week, and add more if you can. Just make sure to stay consistent.
4). Drink adequate water
Staying hydrated is probably one of the most important part of any health and fitness routine as our bodies are made up of about 60% of it and drinking the appropriate amount of it can aid in weight loss. Water helps to replenish lost electrolytes during workouts, as well as detoxify your body, and aid in digestion. The recommended amount of water we should be drinking is at least 8 glasses a day. Drinking water can also help keep you full and prevent you from overeating. Most of us mistake thirst for hunger and the first thing we do, is find ourselves standing in front of the refrigerator or pantry contemplating which of our favorite sweet snack we want pick up. So make sure to stay hydrated to keep your appetite in check.
5) Schedule your workouts
A quick tip to help busy professionals get their workouts in, is to schedule your workouts. Whether you like to keep everything digitally on your phone or tablet, or you use a physical calendar, at the beginning of the month, schedule your days of the week in which you will be working out, yes for the entire month. This is particularly helpful because it helps you keep track of your routine throughout the month so you always know what you have coming up and so that if and when you do need to miss a workout for any reason, you can always substitute or rearrange with no problem. This also takes the guesswork out of how you are going to have to maintain your workout schedule.
6) Take quality nutritional supplements
What you put into your body is equally as important as what you do to it on the outside, if not more. The key to maintaining your ideal physique is not only keeping up with a balanced diet, but supplying your body with the appropriate nutrients that not only enhanced your athletic performance, but optimizes overall health. To optimize your physical performance during workouts, look to incorporate Whey Protein to support growth and repair of muscle after exercise, a pre-workout to help increase energy, strength, and performance during workouts, and a BCAA for muscle recovery and growth.
Conclusion
Maintaining your ideal physique all year long doesn’t have to be difficult. With these recommendations, you’ll be well on your way to keeping yourself healthy and fit for the entire year. Eat healthy and proportioned meals, get enough sleep, exercise regularly, drinks lots of water, schedule your workouts and take quality nutritional supplements and let this be the last time you need to prepare your body for summer.