bikini planIt was a long, cold winter, but summertime is just around the corner! And, it’s no secret that many of us will soon feel a bit hesitant about wearing a swimsuit at the beach or pool. For some, this time of year brings anxiety as we seek out the perfect new gym workout routine, count up calories, and worry over shedding winter’s extra weight. This summer swimsuit plan will have you feeling confident when you slip into that new bathing suit and head to the beach.

Set up Realistic Goals
When it comes to setting goals as you start your routine, don’t set the bar too high. Keep your goals real or you will immediately set yourself up for failure. Build a solid foundation by creating a progressive set of fitness goals, and gradually build from there. This approach will not only help you build confidence, it will also help avoid injury.

Start out by writing down two to three goals you’d like to achieve. Remember, you have to be able to identify and distinguish the difference between realistic and unrealistic goals.

• Realistic – I’m going to work out at the gym 4 times per week for an hour.
• Unrealistic – I’m going to work out seven days a week for two hours.

Get Motivated!
Do whatever it takes to get yourself inspired? Take out your glue and scissors and create a inspirational collage of your favorite bathing suits, new workouts, healthy recipes, and inspirational sayings. The ability to visualize your goals can often give you the strength to finish your workout and make healthy choices when you eat.

Start Moving
If you’ve been keeping up with fitness trends on the “latest workout,” your head is probably spinning. While there is value to many of these fitness strategies, it’s important to keep it simple, especially if you are exercising without a personal trainer. Follow a routine that combines strength training and cardio, as the two work with each other.

It’s an easy formula: one part strength training + one part cardio equals swimsuit in no time. Women in particular seem to be attracted to running or other cardio exercises as their only means of getting in shape. This is a mistake. Strength training helps build lean muscle, allowing you to use up more calories throughout the day. In short, include strength and cardio exercises in your routine to reach your fitness goals faster. The same formula goes for men, too.

Simple Diet Plan
Your diet is by far one of the most challenging parts of your fitness tune-up. As with exercise advice, figuring out what to put in your body can become extremely frustrating as you navigate through the overabundance of diets and nutrition opinions out there. One of the common reasons people get off task with their nutrition is diet plans can be complicated.

Here are is a simple approach to help you eat right and stay on track:

• Stick to the 80/20 rule: simply means 80% of your plate should have greens and veggies and 20% should have protein and good fats like lean meats, fish, avocados, and nuts.

Healthy tip: read food labels. Stay away from unfavorable ingredients such as hydrogenated oils and high fructose corn syrup,

Remember, Keep it Simple
So you might have noticed this fitness plan didn’t contain any innovative ideas. That’s because these are the tried and true basics to help you get fast results and build a foundation for the future. Remember, all four components work together, so keep it simple, but do all parts together. Happy swimsuit season!