Top Ten Summer Fitness Tips
From our new “Fitness Partner” in Scotland- 
It’s that time of year and if you want this to be the summer that really makes a difference then tuck into our top ten summer tips for reaching your goals with exercise and nutrition!
Set a goal
This is the most essential stage in achieving your goal. To say you want to get fitter won’t cut it. You need to be specific, it has to be measurable and it has to be achievable. Get to a local gym and get a fitness assessment, that way you can see any improvements that you make and won’t get disheartened.
Do it early
The longer we leave it the less chance there is of us actually doing it. As the day ticks past motivation dwindles and we think where did the day go? Getting up early and exercising kick starts your fat burning metabolism, gives you energy to tackle the rest of the day and helps you get great nights sleep.
Get organised
Making sure you are organised is important for nutrition and exercise. If we are not organised then the easy option becomes more and more appealing. The microwave meal or take-away, sitting in front of the TV. Pack your gym stuff. If it’s ready and in the car you’ve no excuses, make a packed lunch, so you can snack on fruit, nuts and other healthy snacks, avoiding the pull of the vending machine!
Utilise the time you have
If you’ve got kids then there’s a high chance you will be the summer taxi! Yes you might need to take the kids to clubs, but what about training while the kids are in the club? Is there a gym nearby? A grass area? When there is a will there is a way. If it’s not kids it’s probably the massive list of D.I.Y you have accumulated over the year! Make a list and do it. The mind will be D.I.Y stress free and you’ll get exercise doing it.
Go to the park
There is always something going on at the park. Kids are without doubt fit and a big reason for this is because they have the most fun gyms in the world… play parks! Just about every single toy is a calorie burner, working strength, core stability, heart and lung function and for those of us who play hard endurance. Have fun!
Get some new toys
Feed your inner child. Everybody loves getting a new toy and no matter what it is we can’t wait to get it out of the box and play with it. Whether it’s D.I.Y equipment, water pistols for the family, Frisbees or my personal favourite at the moment a trampoline, it will give you the extra incentive to get started.
Stay hydrated
Granted we are in Scotland and hydration isn’t usually a problem, but if you are used to training in air-conditioned gyms or never train then you can see quite a considerable drop in hydration levels when exercising outside. Take water, or go somewhere, where water is accessible.
Good fats
Yes fat can be good! There are three types of fats, saturated fat, unsaturated fat and Trans fats. Trans fats are added to preserve food such as microwave meals and are not legally required to appear on nutritional labels. These have been described as killer fats. Saturated fats are the ones that block arteries and cause heart attacks, but thankfully unsaturated fats actually clear saturated fats, leaving more spacious arteries that allow greater blood flow, improved performance and less heart attacks! If your diet doesn’t contain enough unsaturated fats then get an omega-3 fish oil supplements taking around 1,000 mg at breakfast, lunch and dinner. There can be some side effects to supplementing fish oils, including thinning the blood, so for anybody with diabetes, heart conditions etc should consult their GP regarding dosage. The American Heart Association (AHA) generally recommends 1-4 grams of DHA or EPA daily. 1 gram = 1,000mg.
Try something new
The body is incredible and will adapt to almost anything you throw at it. This is why you have to keep things fresh. As you continue to train you need to keep challenging the body or that routine which was difficult in the beginning will become easy and results will slow and even stop. Try new training methods like supersets, pyramid training, tabata training, interval training and or circuits.
Speak to a professional
If you were going to build a house then you would need an architect to design it, materials to build a house that will last and a schedule to make sure deadlines are met. It is the same when you build a body! You need the programme design to match your goals, nutritional building blocks to fit the design and someone who is there to map it out, keep you on task and get things done. We have studied for years so you don’t have to, so don’t think like the rest… think Personal Best!
If you’ve been inspired by the above and you live in the Central Belt then we are happy to announce that Personal Best; Health, Fitness & Wellbeing are offering a 10% discount on their services to our blog readers. Simply call Michael and have a chat with him. Be sure to mention cushion the impact.
If you’re based in England give us a call and we’ll find you the best service to suit your needs wherever you happen to be.
