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Education, Featured, Wellness

Beach Bound? Get in Ship Shape by Memorial Day

Remember your New Year’s resolution? Well, Hiyoooo! It’s almost Memorial Day! Summer and beach weather are around the corner. Have a chocolate Easter egg or two—just don’t eat the entire basket. These nutrition tips and exercises will help you get happily reacquainted with your swimsuit. Any size body is a beach body. What’s important is to feel your healthiest and best, inside and out.

According to a study based on Gold’s Gym check-in data, March is the so-called “fitness cliff,” the month when people abandon their New Year’s resolutions to get in shape and new gym member attendance falls off a whopping 50%.

The trick is to make working out mandatory—not just an option. “You need to show up every single day and do what you’re supposed to do, whether you want to or not,” says popular trainer Melissa Alcantara (@fitgurlmel), creator of #8WeekBodySculptor. “I promise you that motivation will be 100,000% stronger when you are also consistent about showing up.”

Alcantara has shaped the physiques of celebrities including Kim Kardashian. “If you want to have nice tight arms, a round butt, and good posture, then you must lift weights and eat real food,” she says.

“Our bodies are designed to draw energy from carbs, but carbs from quinoa vs. carbs from donuts are dramatically different,” says Alcantara. “So, most people need a moderate ratio of carbs to protein—something like 40% of your daily intake coming from protein and 40% from carbs, the remaining 20% from healthy fats.”

 

Tighten up in 60 Days

Cardio can include running, HIIT exercises, dancing—anything that helps you feel good, gets your heart pumping and endorphins flowing. Barre and Pilates are low-impact options. There are free videos online, and you can sign up for Alcantara’s on-demand classes at Fitgurlmel.com. The Tone It Up team based in Southern California, for example, has to Get Your Beach Bod videos posted for free. You can also sign up for a paid upgrade and access to more videos on the site and app. Head to the Tone It Up website to try these exercises for quick results:

Sculpt your booty, triceps, and shoulders with the Deadlift + Upright Row + Arm Extension: This exercise starts with standing with feet hip-width apart while holding a dumbbell in each hand. You’ll slowly roll your hands down your legs while maintaining a neutral spine and slightly bent legs. Do 10 reps.

Strengthen your triceps, back, and shoulders with Single Arm Row + Raise: Start in a lunge position with your right leg bent and left leg straight. During the exercise, you’ll pull the dumbbell up toward your chest and lift the dumbbell into the air straight above your head. Do 20 reps.

Sculpt your booty, shoulders, triceps, chest, and core with Down Dog Leg Lift + Ab Twist: This exercise starts in downward dog. You’ll be moving into plank position and doing leg and knee movements while keeping your core engaged. Do eight reps.

● Sculpt your thighs and triceps via Reverse Plank Tricep Dip + Leg Lift: You’ll start in a reverse plank position with your hands directly below your shoulders and hips pushed up. Bend at the elbows as you drop your “booty” toward the ground and lift one leg in the air. Do 20 reps.

Sculpt your legs with Bridge + Leg Lift: Begin in a bridge position, hips up to the sky and hands by your sides with palms down. Lift your right leg straight up to the sky and keep it there as you lift your hips up. Do 10 reps.

There’s also the whopping Beachbody on Demand that streams more than 700 workouts. Whether you’re doing squats or mountain climbers (as seen on Oprah.com) or any of the other options, keep in mind your fitness level and any advice you may need from a physician about your workout level. You’ve got all summer to make a splash.

 

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