By Linda Ripoll
Summer is upon us and The Sports Club LA/SF Fitness Manager Angie Kalousek knows that people want ideas and fast tools to find their summer bodies. Here are her top picks:
1. Keep a Food Journal ““ If you record what you eat, you are accountable for your food intake. It’s amazing which foods you will start to avoid if you have to put them down in writing!
2. Cross Train – Perform the same cardio workout day after day and your body gets used to exercising the same group of muscles, therefore your workout loses its efficiency and burns fewer calories. According to Forbes.com as reported in a recent IHRSA Report, once your body is no longer feeling challenged, it is time to change the workout.
3. Use Interval Training to Break Plateaus – Intervals take you out of your comfort zone and can significantly increase your calorie burn rate. This is also a great workout for your heart.
4. Build Core Strength While Developing Great Abs – Crunches and sit-ups not only lead to toned abdominals. Core strength is important for stabilizing the spine and protecting your body from injury.
5. The Buddy System – Working out alone can become dull. It’s more motivating when you find a partner who holds you accountable and makes that workout more fun.
6. Wear a Heart Rate Monitor – You’ll no longer have to guess how intense your workout is. With the use of a HRM, you can monitor your heart rate, plus your calorie burn rate.
7. Step Up the Cardio – The only way to burn more calories is to work out harder or longer. Simply increase your intensity and/or lengthen the duration of your workout.
8. Circuit Train – Use several muscle groups at once and move quickly through exercises to get biggest bang for your buck as you burn more calories.
9. Drink Plenty of Water – Perspiration can lead to dehydration if you don’t take in enough water. Replacing your body’s water content is the key to recovery and muscle repair which can decrease soreness, among other things.
10. Seek Professional Help – There’s nothing like having a professional perspective on what you and your body need. Certified and Advantage Trainers at The Sports Club/LA-San Francisco can help you take the guess work out of exercise and may be just what you need to break the barrier!
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