Hi friends, today I’m talking about seasonal workouts. Starting my Bikini Body Workout Plan and hearing everyone talking about getting bikini ready got me thinking about something: Why does everyone want to drastically change their bodies this time of year? Why weren’t we doing something about it before? I know the feeling of getting bikini body ready all too well.
Here is a bit of background for you: Growing up, I used to play sports every season, danced throughout the year and was always active. I didn’t have to worry about keeping in shape or actually “working out” because it was built into my life and activities. However, in college I learned that I had to actually make an effort to stay fit and healthy and it was definitely a learning experience. I started running outside, which was great, but seven or eight months out of the year (in Ohio) I didn’t workout because I hate running in the cold and (as I said last week) I hate running on treadmills. This led to me being super active only half the year and extremely lazy the other half. It was so hard to go from opposite ends of the spectrum throughout each year. Hence, having to work really hard to get back into my bikini body.
Why we shouldn’t do seasonal workouts.
There are so many benefits to working out all year and avoiding the seasonal workouts:
- Laws of physics. In high school I learned the laws of physics and one in particular stuck with me. An object at rest will stay at rest and an object in motion will stay in motion unless acted upon by an unbalanced force. If you stop working out, it is so hard to get going again. Even if you take only a month off, you lose so much muscle and have to start all over. It takes as little as two weeks to lose some cardiovascular fitness and muscle mass. However, if you keep up the momentum you build it into a routine and keep it up. You stay in motion.
- Progress. Each spring, I found myself at the same starting point and never getting stronger or faster because I lost all of the progress I had made while it was cold outside. In order to make progress you have to keep progressing.
- It stays interesting. Adding new workouts means you might get stronger faster. I figured out that I had to find things to do other than running when it was cold out to keep fit. As it turns out this was good for many reasons. I’ve heard of so many people who only run or are training for a big race who actually gain weight because their bodies fall too far into a routine and they plateau. By mixing up your workouts, you’re sure to surprise your body and build more muscle faster.
- Eating better. When I stay active, I eat less junk food. When I eat less, I crave less. That’s a win all around, because it keeps me fit and I’ll reach for an apple rather than a cookie when I need a snack.
It’s not hard to stay active, you just have to stay motivated. Try new workouts keep things interesting, and above all else, don’t give up!
