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Staying Summer Body Ready All Year Round
Words Victoria Deborah
Fitness Editor and entrepreneur Victoria Deborah has the key to your summer body 365 days of the year.
Here's a little known fact: great things take time. When it comes to making a lifestyle change, the fact is that there is no such thing as a quick cure. You'll have to be patient if you want actual results, but trust me when I say it'll be worth the wait.
The answer to maintaining a “summer body” all year is subjective. I would recommend old-fashioned strength training fuelled by a well-balanced diet rich in protein, vegetables, and fibre-rich carbs. Of course, there's always room for a treat, because a physique built via deprivation isn't sustainable, and it contradicts the purpose of this exercise!
After the current year, having everyone locked indoors, people have turned to crash diets, binge eating and the idea of going back into an exercise programme after a lengthy amount of time off can be slightly daunting.
TIME
A lot of people think you have to go out and kill yourself every day to get physically strong or healthy, but I don't always have time in the day to go put in a two- or three-hour exercise. This may be the same for those who work full time or run a business or have a family to take care of. Therefore I try to fit in a workout as much as possible throughout the day. If you can squeeze in a fifteen-minute workout here and there during the day. Especially on busy days where you know you won't be able to go to the gym, you can still manage to get between 30-40 minutes of exercise without taking yourself out of whatever you’re doing for too long. So first advice would be, find the time, make the time but don’t restrict your time. Set reasonable time and structure and consciously understand that you may need to change that structure often. We live busy lives and our health should be able to accommodate that lifestyle, not burden it.
NUTRITION
The ideal diet is one that you can stick to, just like the best workout is one that you like doing. It's probably not the one if it's unrealistic for your lifestyle, or if it requires you to consume foods you don't enjoy or avoid foods you like. People try to make drastic diet changes and realise very quickly that it doesn’t last. I always advise those new to “healthy eating” or lifestyle change that if you like to eat 5 biscuits next time just choose to eat 3 instead. Someone can eat healthy food but eat too much food so your problem may not be what you consume but how much you do. For those whose issues are what they eat my advice would be to avoid avoiding foods and do more adding, adding proteins, good fats, fruit and vegetables to meals that you already have. So make sure you eat! Because the ‘health’ journey is long.
TRAINING AND ACCOUNTABILITY
Keep an eye on things you’re not doing as much as the ones you are. You want your workouts to be fun, creative and customised to your goals. I go to the gym every day and see so many of what I like to call ‘Wanderer's' aimlessly walking around the gym, jumping on anything and not knowing what they’re doing. My advice would be to stop trying to plan your sessions based on what you’ve read online. Online says HIIT is the way but HIIT may not be the way for you at the moment. Getting a personal trainer is not the only option, online coaches are very useful as they can plan your sessions and meal plans and change intensity levels for you. This saves you time and helps with accountability as they usually do weekly check-ins that make sure you are on track. Alternatively get a training partner, a friend, family or a partner who will be able to push you in your sessions and when you don't feel up to it.
RECOVERY
Regeneration isn't only limited to sleep. Regular yoga (if you love it), foam rolling, and massage can help you avoid injury, which is often the result of going too far in terms of activity. So in all the lifestyle changes that you will be making, ensure that you take care of your body. I often misread pains and aches that turned into serious injuries so make sure you are taking the necessary steps in recovery after sessions. I have found that taking a week's break after working out continuously for months helped with plateaus and allowed my body to regenerate.
SPEAK AND THINK POSITIVELY
Finally, speak and think positively. I have urged clients to stop using the words I can’t or it’s too hard in sessions (unless they’re in pain and need to let me know they can’t go on) Always have a positive mindset even when you think you are not getting where you need to be. Negative thinking can demotivate you and lead to decreased intensity in your sessions. It’s also notable that everyone has “one of those days” the aim is to remain consistent.