With summer here, most of us are thinking about the sandy beaches, the warm sun and how we’re going to look in our swimsuits.
Is the thought of other people seeing your thighs or belly a little scary? Well here are some quick and easy ways to get your body ready for swimsuit season this year.
1. Start a regular exercise program. This isn’t a revolutionary idea, but you can target the problem areas by doing exercises specifically for your belly, thighs, upper arms and love handles:
* Crunches for your abs
* Arm rolls and pushups for your upper arms
* Leg lifts and squats for your thighs
* Bending at the side while standing for love handles
Those are just a few suggestions of exercises you can do at home that target those specific areas. Other exercises you can do to get your body in swimsuit shape are:
* Swimming at your local community center or public pool
* Jogging
* Walking around your neighborhood with a friend or relative
* Biking
* Hiking on trails or in other naturally scenic areas
* Inline skating at a local arena or in your neighborhood
* Nintendo Wii fitness games
2. Start eating smarter and healthier. Choosing the proper foods is not only important for your looks, but it also affects how you feel. To burn fat off healthily and easily, begin eating a diet of plenty of green leafy vegetables, wholesome fruits, lean meats, and whole grain breads. A well-balanced diet helps your body function properly and helps you feel full and satisfied throughout the day.
3. Reduce your portions and eat less. Portion control, or lack thereof, is probably the biggest factor in weight gain in today’s society. For some reason the majority of the population has come to think that we’re supposed to eat enormous amounts of food in order to feel satisfied, but the opposite is true.
* When you reduce the amount of food you eat in one sitting and wait a few minutes, you’ll notice you more full than you think. This is because it takes your body 20 minutes to tell your brain that you’re full.
