Do you dream of returning to campus in the Fall and stunning everyone with your brand new super fit body and awesome confidence? For many of us, summer feels like the perfect opportunity to pick up some new healthy habits and finally stick to a workout plan. But it can also be way too easy to wind up eating ice-cream for every meal and lounging around on your beach towel all day. So here are some simple tricks and tips for making the most out of your vacation and reaching your fitness goals.
1. Soak Up Some Sun
Sunlight is proven to make you feel happier and less stressed. So, enjoy those extra long summer days by staying outside and getting some fresh air and vitamin D.
2. Go on an Adventure
Summer is a time for making memories. So plan a hike with friends or tryout a rock climbing class to get your adrenaline pumping!
3. Focus on Fruit
Take advantage of so many delicious fruits being in season and try out some fresh, locally grown produce. Not only is it tasty and healthy, but you’ll also be supporting small farmers and helping the environment.
4. Stay Hydrated
Exercising in hot summer temperatures can be dangerous if you overdo it, so make sure to keep refreshed with plenty of water throughout the day.
5. Wake Up Early
Obviously you’re going to want to take advantage of sleeping in on your days off, but sometimes sleeping till 1pm makes it way too easy to end up doing nothing for the rest of the day.
6. Ditch the Car
If you’re retuning home to a small town from a city campus you might not even realize how much walking you were doing everyday at school. Try to walk everywhere you can especially when doing quick errands and you’ll save gas money as well as improving your health.
7. Eat Real Meals
Without a designated breakfast, lunch, or dinnertime it’s so easy to find yourself mindlessly snacking all day long, so try and remember to set aside time during the day for eating well balanced meals rather than just grabbing a handful of chips every couple hours.
8. Dive in
Swimming is one of the best exercises for working your whole body, and it’s also a ton a fun so don’t be shy about making waves at the pool or beach this summer!
9. Stick to a Schedule
Sometimes summer vacation days just blend into one another and you wake up not knowing if it’s Tuesday or Sunday. Fight the urge to lounge around and make the most of your time by making a list of small fitness goals to accomplish every week in order to have some structure.
10. Find a Fitness Buddy
Enlist the help of your BFF to help you stick to your goals or set a weekly gym date so that you both can chat on side-by-side ellipticals.
11. Work Out While You Binge-Watch
If you’re looking forward to break so that you can catch up on hours of Netflix, challenge yourself to do crunches, lunges, or yoga while you watch in order to keep yourself from getting bored with exercise.
12. Don’t Confuse Boredom With Hunger
Having so much free time away from schoolwork is bound to lead to some lazy days where you just don’t know what to do with yourself. Don’t give into the temptation to turn to snacking just for something to do. Instead try picking up a new skill like knitting or playing an instrument.
13. Use Health and Fitness Apps
One great way to make working out fun is by downloading a few exciting fitness apps like Zombies, Run! which turns running into an apocalypse survival game or Plant Nanny which creates a game out of drinking eight glasses of water a day.
14. Buy Some Cute Gear
Summer sales provide the perfect opportunity to stock up on some stylish shorts, tanks, and sport bras. If you look good you’ll feel more confident and way more motivated to stick to your goals.
15. Blend Up Some Smoothies
There’s nothing more relaxing than lounging in a pool chair, reading a magazine, and sipping on a delicious, fresh smoothie. Experiment with a few uber healthy recipes that combine fruits, veggies, and healthy fats from almonds, seeds, and avocados.
Mix-and-match which tips work for you and in no time you'll be feeling great and rocking that swimsuit!
