Are you ready for your bikini?
Summer is on its way. Although we can’t wait, the realisation that we will soon be flaunting our bikini bodies on the beach can often cause sleepless nights.
This season, forget the last-minute diets and dull work outs and take advice from a pro-fitness expert at The Chelsea Club, Neil Johnson.
The ‘face of FAME’, Neil is a personal trainer to the stars and has previously worked with Take That, East 17 and Boyzone. If he’s good enough for them, he’s good enough for us, so get that notebook and pen at the ready because you deserve star treatment!
#1: Adjust your body temperature
You may do this after your workout already but try having a cold shower before your workout! This slows the heart rate down and reports have shown that a pre-exercise cool down can improve people’s stamina and performance in the heat. If you don’t fancy a head-to-toe cool down, you could try soaking a hand towel in cold water, keeping it rolled up in the fridge and then dabbing on your head or neck.
#2: Water Weights
We should be drinking two litres of water a day and in the heat we are recommended to drink even more. Kill two birds with one stone and use your two one-litre bottles as weights! They are easy to hold and a number of weight positions for the arms can be achieved.
#3: Pick & Mix
No, not the sweets! In order to achieve maximum results you need to be sure to add variety to your routine. Summer is the perfect time to participate in all sorts of exercise from swimming to cycling. If you stick with the same routine, the body adjusts and gets comfortable; therefore we can’t achieve maximum results. Changing just one routine that you do each week can help keep your body on its toes, ensuring that you are constantly challenged. Outdoor boot camps have sprung up all over the country and now ‘trim trails’ are following suit. Grab a friend, find a local group or even make up your own route, there is something for everyone and all levels of fitness.
#4: Cool down with essential oils
Peppermint oil can be great for cooling the body down and clearing the sinuses. Place a couple of drops on the back on the neck or inhale before your workout for easier breathing and better performance.
#5: The Great Outdoors
Not only does exercising outdoors give us the physical benefits of fitness but during the summer months it means we can also reap the benefits of Vitamin D. Be sure to avoid mid-day heat but morning sunrise is perfect.
#6: The Grown Up Playground
Invest in a hula-hoop! And you thought exercise wasn’t fun? Hula-hooping is a great, enjoyable exercise to incorporate into your routine! It can actually burn up to 600 calories per hour and what’s more, you can do it in your living room!
#7: Bikini Dreams
Everyone wants a flat stomach for a bikini body but there are better ways to achieve this than just doing sit-ups. It’s really important to work your whole body with a variety of different types of exercise to keep your metabolism up, from cardio to weights.