You have worked too hard to let your summer body fade going into the fall and winter. How do you maintain your summer body long after summer? I have 5 strategies to practice in order to stay focused and preserve your summer physique.
- Prioritize weight training with the goal of progressively getting stronger. Muscle is what creates the look of definition. Having more muscle will also make achieving and maintaining a leaner physique easier, as increased muscle mass allows you to burn more calories both in and out of the gym.
- Focus on a consistent diet. Read nutrition labels and be aware of what you are consuming. Energy balance is what determines weight gain/loss (calories in vs calories out). It is simply impossible to gain fat without consuming an excess of calories; new tissue cannot be created out of thin air.
We want our diet and fitness routines to mirror a lifestyle, not just a season.
- Stay active in ways you enjoy and can be consistent with. If you live in an area that gets colder or snowy, use that to your advantage. I love to snow ski and snowshoe. You work muscles and various cardio intervals, different from typical summer activities and outdoor cardio. One way to burn out is to be tied down to a cardio machine. Get creative and try something new.
- Stick with what you know works for your balanced diet. Stay away from fad diets, extreme practices, and “quick fixes.” Those are for people who want to avoid fitness and health as a lifestyle. We want our diet and fitness routines to mirror a lifestyle, not just a season.
- Be consistent! The number one secret to my fitness lifestyle is in my book. Remember, long-term consistency beats short-term perfection every time.
It’s the everyday small choices that create good, consistent daily habits that can change your life.
Photo By: Armando Adajar
