It may seem a bit early to talk about summer bodies when we’ve not long said goodbye to the season, but it is the exercise we do now, not a month before our summer holiday, that determines how we look on the beach.
Every year, gyms across the country see an influx of new members in January and May. January can be because many want to get rid of the excess weight put on at Christmas, and others make getting in shape their New Year’s resolution. In May, this is because there’s a pre-summer rush to get that beach body.
By this time, many have left it too late and are nowhere near ready to getting the summer body they want. They trudge through extreme exercise regimes promoted by attractive fitness instructors who, by the way, did not get those washboard abs in six weeks. The problem with these get-fit-quick routines is that they are extremely demanding, so for someone going from doing no exercise at all to attempting drills the SAS would be proud of, it makes it a horrible experience that ends up having the opposite effect - and puts them off exercise and healthy eating altogether. This is why the long term approach is far more effective, and less arduous.
The benefits of starting your routine in the winter truly outweigh the short term approach. First, you don’t have to be extreme in anything you do, so the nutrition and exercise will feel less of a chore and the whole process easier to sustain. You will also be less susceptible to injuries, because you are not overtraining your body like you would in a short term exercise plan.
Furthermore, small changes can be made to your diet and routine, rather than last minute drastic shifts in behaviour. It is also more likely to keep you in shape all year round, and not just in the warmer months. Going for a run when it is cold, dark and gloomy outside may not sound appealing, but the work you put in now will certainly turn heads in the summer.
