When summer rolls in I tend to loose my grip of a healthy lifestyle. “Why not? It’s summer!” seems to be my response when faced with pizza, pasta, cake and all other unhealthy things. It isn’t until the last week of summer that I realize that my jeans no longer fit. But this summer I am determined to be on top of my health. Since I am aware that I just love food too much and dieting during the summer is impossible, I have decided to take a different route. Instead, I have decided to stay active everyday to keep my body toned for the beach.
Personally, my problem area is my core. That being said, I have set aside a little time each day to work on my core. It began as 10 minutes a day and grows every couple weeks. Currently I am at 20 minutes of core work everyday. I space it out as follows: 45 seconds of work, 15 seconds of rest, 45 seconds of work, 15 seconds of rest…
The “work” isn’t set in stone each time. I like to change things up a little to make sure my core is always being challenged. However, each workout usually includes sit ups, planks and leg lifts as those are my favorite. Everyone once in a while I throw in a little leg or arm move just for fun.
Although it may not seem like a lot, after 3 weeks of doing it every single day, I can tell you it’s not easy. However, it isn’t hard either if you set your mind to it. It is just enough to feel accomplished but not take away from my relaxing time. Most days I do it right when I wake up to get it out of the way. Another perk is the ability to do it anywhere: in a hotel room, on the beach, it really doesn’t matter since it doesn’t require any equipment.
I encourage everyone to find something that they can commit even just 5 minutes a day to bettering themselves physically. It is a mental reward just as much as it is physical. Knowing that you have done something positive for your body amidst all the other poor choices made during summer vacation makes everything seem okay.
Here is a sample of some of the workouts I incorporate:
- Sit ups
- Crunches
- Toe touches
- Bicycles
- Leg lifts
- Pelvic thrusts
- Scissor kicks
- Russian twists
- Boat holds
- Superman
- Mountain Climbers
- Planks