It’s that time of the year

 

 

 

It’s that time of the year.

 

The sun comes out, and the short shorts and sports bras come out for all the joggers who look more like they

belong on a Victoria’s Secret runway than next to you on the canal.

 

That’s right. The two words representing many people’s biggest love-hate relationship: bikini season.

 

But with a few weeks to go still, not all hope is lost to get a little more trimmed and toned.

 

Michelle McCormick, fitness manager for Goodlife Bridlewood, said 80 per cent of the battle is proper nutrition.

Getting enough water and making sure to eat fresh fruits and vegetables can make a big difference, she said.

 

Carbohydrates are not all evil, but stay away from “bad carbs,” things like white bread and macaroni and cheese. Carbohydrates with more fibre, like whole grain bread and oatmeal, are better for you and also keep you feeling full for longer.

 

Along with proper nutrition, don’t scrimp on your exercise.

 

“Keep up with your routine, make sure you do three to four workouts a week,” McCormick said. “Ramp it up a little.”

 

It is important to intensify your workout to keep challenging and improving your body.

 

“It’s hard to put a percentage on it, but you can definitely see an increase in weight you can lift after several weeks,” said Ashley Duhaime, a personal trainer.

 

It is also important to work out all muscle groups, said Duhaime.

 

Many people ignore key muscle groups. Just working out abdominal muscles but not back muscles can create a muscle imbalance. The same goes for other muscle groups.

 

If you don’t have a lot of time to work on your muscles, McCormick recommended three moves: pushups, walking lunges and the plank.

 

Pushups work both your arms and your core, giving a full-body work out. Slow walking lunges work your butt and legs.

 

The plank, which consists of the pushup position lowered to rest on your forearms gives you some extra work on your core and shoulders, “since those are always exposed in a bathing suit,” she said.

 

Adding muscle is beneficial because it burns more calories and increases your metabolic speed.

 

Often, aiming for increasing cardio numbers and more weight lifted makes for a better goal than weight loss.

 

Since muscle is heavy, you may not lose any pounds, but still be shedding inches and toning up.

 

“Muscle gained and inches versus weight is often a better judge,” said Duhaime.

 

Duhaime and McCormick both stressed the importance of getting enough water. Not only is water filling, but your “water weight” will lessen if you drink water consistently.

 

If, despite your best intentions, you seem to find yourself in the majority that vows up and down to work out six days a week and eat a perfect diet and it never quite happens, there’s always looking for a new bathing suit.

 

“Bathing suits usually fit a size small,” said Erin Koestner, a worker at Bikini Village. “So you shouldn’t be discouraged if you fit a size larger than usual. Try lots of sizes on.”

 

 

 

This year is about the bright bikini, said Koestner, so feel free to have fun with neon colours, animal prints in crazy colours and patterns. Take the attention away from your body and towards your suit with embellishments.

 

And next time you see that model-esque girl jogging along beside you, take a sip of water, think of that great bathing suit in your closet, keep on jogging and smile.