How to maintain your summer body!
So you’ve worked tirelessly since January to achieve a body you’re proud of this summer, but how long is it going to last? You want to enjoy your holidays, perhaps a festival or the odd barbeque and not fear jeopardising your hard earnt progress. So what’s the best way to get the balance right and achieve this?
Drinking choices
For many of us this is the big trip up! It’s to be expected there will be plenty of alcohol flowing through the summer months, but there are choices you can make to provide some damage limitation. Try to avoid any form of beer, cider or wine and opt for clear spirits instead. Combine with low sugar mixers like lime and soda in order to save a shed load of calories
BBQ hacks
There’s no reason you can’t make barbeques work for you instead of against you. Avoid the sausages, burgers and buns; the combination of poor quality processed meats and refined carbohydrates will do nothing positive for your health. Instead opt for chicken or beef skewers with a colourful salad and grilled veggies instead. These food types will not only provide quality nutrients but also taste awesome on the BBQ!
Holiday health
Odds are you’re in a beautiful part of the world so get out and experience it! Explore the local town, take strolls down the beach, take regular dips in the sea and sample the local cuisine. We don’t get many chances in our overly hectic lives to take a step back and feel completely relaxed, but it’s important we do this to help combat elevated stress levels which present a whole host of potential health hazards. Relax, get out and about but take it easy!
Early workouts
Take advantage of the early sunrises and get your training done first thing. You no longer have the excuse of cold dark mornings so get out and jump start the day. The idea of getting a training session done mid-afternoon in a hot sticky gym or having to go back to your work desk hot and flustered from a lunchtime spin class is far less appealing, so get in action early!
Good habits
This is what it all boils down to; habits shape lasting change. Hopefully you have carved a physique you’re proud of by making gradual changes to your daily routine and overall lifestyle rather than resorting to crash dieting/quick-fix strategies. If so, you will have set yourself up well to carry on your new healthy way of life and this in itself will have paved the way perfectly with regards to maintenance.