With summer around the corner the frantic rush begins to gain the perfect bikini body or to fit back into those old jean shorts. Fortunately, there are faster and safer ways to achieve these goals that don't include sprinting for hours on a treadmill or starving for weeks. Try out some of these studied and arguably more efficient methods to shed those pesky pounds and get ready for beach days.
Hydration
It isn't news to hear that water will aid in the battle of weight loss, but just what does hydration do to cause this? Well, just about everything. Water hydrates cells and allows them to absorb nutrition, carrying vitamins throughout the body. It also keeps the metabolism functioning faster, as well as hydrates the lean muscle in the body to help burn more calories. Try drinking ice cold water throughout the day, as the body has to utilize energy to create heat to balance the drop of temperature, allowing for further calories to be burned just from drinking water!
Weigh lifting
There often tends to be an automatic aversion when it comes to weight lifting as people assume it will cause large, bulky muscle. This simply isn't the case. Weight lifting builds lean muscle and the benefits of this are incredible. Lifting weights allows for 40% more fat burn than any other conventional work-out. Not to mention, after lifting the muscles must then repair themselves and continues to burn calories for several hours after the work-out. This fires up metabolic rates as well. Weight lifting is one of the single most effective ways to lose weight.
Walking
While not as intense a work-out as running or biking, walking tends to create longer lasting effects. Walking for as little as 30 minutes a day will cause changes such as a better physical response to insulin, which decreases body fat around the mid section and increases problem solving skills and focus. Making it a daily occurrence also encourages routine, which makes it easier and more likely that the participant will take on–and commit to–other healthy habits.
Stretching
Stretching is very meditative and focus oriented and this is great for staying true to a work out routine. Muscles are naturally very pliant, but increasing range of motion allows for more intense physical activity and therefore further calorie burning. Be careful not to overstretch, however, as this causes tissue damage, a potentially long-term problem. Activities like yoga and pilates help to relieve stress related muscle tension. This will increase muscle repair time, all while burning more calories. Experts recommend that you hold a stretch for at least 60 seconds but remember; any pain translates to potential tissue damage!
Sleep
In this day and age, people are getting less and less sleep. When it comes to weight loss, it is very important to make the time for the seemingly impossible 8 hours each night! The entire body heals during the sleep cycle and prepares itself to function through the activities for the next day. This includes that work-out! Important muscle repair and brain energy transmission occur during sleep. If that isn't convincing enough, when sleep deprived, major hormones in the body become imbalanced, making you want to eat more. Of course this equates to weight gain. So make sure to catch those Zs!
With these methods in you arsenal, weight loss is guaranteed. Keeping the body optimized and properly nourished will lead to that desired physique. So keep drinking that water and stretching those muscles, and that beach body will be right around the corner!