With summer quickly approaching, now’s the time to start getting in shape, and get rid of those extra pounds you may have put on this winter. Here’s some tips for getting fit for summer.
It’s great to have a desire to look and feel good by the time summer arrives, but remember that getting a fit body for the pool is about more than weight – it’s about strength, endurance, and good health as well. You want to have energy to enjoy the outdoors this summer, and getting into shape will help you make the most of the warm season.
Set a goal that goes beyond weight loss – Your scale is not your friend! Keep in mind that pound per pound, fat takes up more space than lean muscle does. Your goal should be more about getting fit, getting trim, and loosing inches, than it should be about pure weight loss. As you add muscle, that muscle becomes your fat burning machine. So, if you replace fat with muscle, your weight may not change much, but your body will!
Also, it’s common to have plateaus with weight loss. Setting a longer term goal that’s activity based, rather than an immediate one around weight loss, can help you maintain motivation. Setting a goal to successfully hike a trail that always exhausted you is a far better goal than just weight loss.
Focus on both cardio and weight training – Cardio is great for increasing endurance, and is great for burning fat quickly. Strength training also helps you build muscle for increased endurance, and ups your metabolism for more fat burning.
Mix up your workouts – One of the biggest motivation killers for your workouts – is boredom. For example, if you do cardio three days a week, and every cardio session is running on a treadmill, you’ll find yourself quickly dreading your next cardio workout. If you do a long hike for one cardio session, and running the next session, and maybe work out on a rowing machine for your third weekly cardio workout, you’ll find yourself looking forward to your next workout session.
Keep a food journal – Half the battle for getting in shape is your workouts. The other half is what you eat. Maintaining a healthy diet is important for loosing fat, as well as getting the appropriate amount of protein for building muscle. Keeping a food journal is a great way to see what you’re eating, and where you might want to make changes in your diet to keep your progress moving forward.
At Fitness 4 Home Superstore, we carry top exercise equipment brands, both for cardio and strength training equipment. Stop into any of our three Phoenix area stores to learn more!
