A strong body is important to us year round, but the long, cold winter has also brought its fair share of neglect and though it’s true that summer bodies are made in the winter, we must also remember that healthy bodies are made through consistency. That means hard work every day…with a cheat day here and there.
We’ve compiled a few of our favourite tips to start incorporating now to meet your goals before summer.
Go Outside
It turns out cold weather encourages your body’s fat burning ability to kick into gear. Even a brisk 18 degrees can produce significant fat-burning so exercising outside in winter can help your fat-burning goals more than in warm weather.
Hold your Weight(s)
If you want to change your body, start lifting weights a few times a week. It’s not just about building muscle, and according to Red Bull athlete and high-intensity functional training champ, Colleen Fotsch “gaining muscle does not happen by accident especially for females. You will only “bulk” or gain a lot of muscle if that is your goal.”
Weight training is the original HIIT workout and torches calories while sculpting your body and keeping it safe. It will also help to prepare your body for all those activities you love to do in the warmer weather, such as cycling and running.
Go Raw
Replace the amount of cooked food with raw food. Some nutrients, for example, water-soluble vitamins B and C, are reduced or destroyed by cooking, so eating food raw ensures a better supply of these. Substitute your cereal, oats or toast with fresh, seasonal fruit for breakfast, have a smoothie or more fruit at lunchtime instead of a sandwich or chips and replacing your cooked dinner at night with a large green salad some veggies and cherry tomatoes. Raw food dieters maintain that a person on the diet will experience more energy, weight loss, better digestion as well as clearer skin.
Boost your Workout
Nothing delivers a bigger kick in the pants before a workout than caffeine. Coffee and energy drinks such as Red Bull are favourite among bodybuilders, athletes, and gym-goers.
Study after study has shown that caffeine can increase alertness, sharpen focus, improve mood, boost pain tolerance and help you do more work for longer periods in the gym and in sport.
Qualified dietician and IRONMAN 70.3 Durban winner, Mariella Dierks agrees with using caffeine to boost your workout: “I have found caffeine-containing drinks help me in my training by increasing my mental alertness and also masking that fatigue effect which means I can push harder and get a lot more out of my sessions.
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