Back to Archives 1. Three great moves that will get your body ready for the beach in no-time: Three sets of 15 push-ups, three sets of 15 lat pull downs, and three sets of 15 squats. Do one of each exercise without breaks in between (ie. don't do all the push-ups back-to-back). Repeat this full-body routine three times a week and you;ll see a difference within a month! 2. If you need to shed some pounds for that trip to the Hamptons and find yourself cramped for time, buy a jump rope and jump 100 revolutions (jumps), walk in place for 30 secs., do another 100 revolutions, walk in place for 30 secs. Repeat these intervals ten times every morning before going to work. 3. An easy way to get rid of three pounds before your vacation is to substitute all alcoholic drinks, juices, and sodas for two weeks and only drink water. Bonus: Two weeks without even the slightest hangover... 4. Nothing will get you quicker into shape for the summer as doing something your body is completely unfamiliar with. This is because your body gets used to whatever athletic activity you put it through after about a month and won't burn as many calories while doing it. In other words, if you've been running on the treadmill for the last three months, start swimming or spinning for extra burn power. 5. Two sets of 20 daily multi-directional lunges will not only get your legs and buttocks bikini-ready but they will also prepare you for all the lunging required to win all those volleyball games on the beach! 6. If you're determined to flaunt flat abs on the beach this summer, do these three things: a) Always engage your abs while exercising (draw bellybutton in toward spine), b) use the 90-10 principle, 90% of your exercise time devoted to cardio vs. 10% to crunches, c) cut down on your calorie intake! 7. Hire a personal trainer for one session so that you can change your routine. Ask as many questions as you can about changing up your routine and take notes! 8. Perfect your skills playing your favorite summer sport and get into shape for warmer weather: sign up for indoor tennis or other racket ball classes during spring. Or how about becoming a really good swimmer? There are plenty of qualified swimming instructors around. 9. Buy a pedometer (little electronic gadget you put on your belt that count each step you take) and promise yourself to walk at least 10,000 steps per day. A great and relatively painfree way to lose a couple of pounds. 10. If you have only a couple of days left before you need to get into that revealing bathing suit, buy a really good self tanner (I recommend Jergens) and apply a few times. Even though you might not be as slim and fit as you might have wished on the beach, with a healthy tan, you'll still look great! |