Achieving that bikini body

As summer draws closer so do the summer holidays...sun, sea and sand. If like us you’ve been hibernating during winter and stocking up on one or two many chocolate cakes then you’ll agree with us when we say it’s time to start shifting it and re-creating that beach body. Exercise can be boring and hard to fit into our already jam-packed days so we’ve had some thoughts on simple ways to add exercise to your day and to make it fun..

1.    Make it your daily routine

Exercise can sometimes seem a drag; however incorporating it into your daily routine will help you stick to it. Now the clocks have gone forward, we’ve got brighter (and hopefully warmer) mornings. This gives you the ideal opportunity to wake up an hour earlier and walk/ride to work. Ditch the car and get your trainers on, you’re bound to feel more awake when you get to work.

Work out a good route with www.geodistance.com

2.    Put your best foot forward ... and get on your bike!

The weather improvement has also allowed for venturing outdoors meaning you no longer have to be cooped up in the gym. It’s that time of year when we all begin to dig deep the back of the garage and get the bikes out.
Did you know.. an hour’s cycling at 15mph burns 349 calories! And if you increase your speed to 20/25mph you can increase the calories burnt to between 742 and 1374 – much more than an hour at the gym. Not only that, it’s a lot more fun too, so drag your family/friends out and make a day of it. Maybe even sign yourself up for a local sponsored bike ride to give yourself something to work towards.

Running clubs are around in most towns/cities and are a good way to exercise in a group. Most are suitable for all ages and abilities with different length routes to choose from. Running clubs are a great way to meet exercise with people in your local area. Find a running club near you here.

3.    Make it child’s play

Re-live your childhood by purchasing a hula hoop and hula your way to that bikini body! The best thing about it is it can be done anywhere, at anytime, wearing whatever’s comfortable. Thirty minutes gentle hooping will burn 200 calories, but it’s easy to step up the pace. Smaller hoops are harder to control therefore you have to work harder to achieve this and weighted hoops will make it even harder.   Hula-ing concentrates efforts on your waist and lats – just think of that hourglass figure. 

Skip to it...... Skipping is another activity that’s having a revival.  Skipping ropes are no longer confined to the school playground and many athletes use skipping as part of their training. In just a 10minute skipping session you can burn between 70-110 calories depending on your weight and speed. Skipping is not just great for weight loss it also improves; co-ordination, general fitness and heart & lungs.

And once you’ve done all of that exercise and worked yourself up a good sweat, you’ll need to cool down with a nice reinvigorating shower or relax those muscles with a long soak in the bath.