10 Tips to Getting Into Tip-Top Summer Shape!

Summer has arrived. You may still be lugging around a winter or spring "coat," but fear not: there's still time to get into shape! Here are 10 fresh, action-oriented strategies to put into play over the next 30 days. Choose two or three that resonate with you and run with them. In shifting to a healthier lifestyle, it's all about gathering valuable advice and information and choosing what fits your lifestyle and disposition best.

Remember, above all else: focus on the process. This is not about reaching a "goal weight." This is about living a better life. That way, the destination of a healthier you will come -- and the journey will have been enjoyed.

Commit
Making an iron-clad commitment to follow a program is far and away the most important step you can make to achieve your short-, and long-, term health and fitness goals. When you make a heartfelt decision to stick to an exercise program, you are infused with fresh motivation and resolute determination. Here’s something that can help: sign a “contract” with others. It may seem trite but it works. Write up a "fitness agreement" with 3-5 close friends, including days you will exercise together, and sign it. This sounds corny and trite, but it works. Make the commitment with people you care about -- and lock it in.

Get Your Vitals, Stat
It helps to know where you are, so that you can see how far you can go over the next 10 weeks. Measure the elements that matter most to you now. For example, if weight loss is your primary goal, record your weight, waist circumference and body composition (a hydrostatic weighing is best; but a skilled physician can get close with calipers). Living your best life isn’t just about the outside; it’s what’s going on inside that really matters. Regular medical checkups and screening tests are also an important part of the equation. Here’s a rundown of some of the most important health exams and how often to get them:

• BLOOD PRESSURE TEST: At least every two years
• BONE MINERAL DENSITY TEST: Get one at age 65, then repeat as directed by a physician
• CHOLESTEROL TEST: Start at age 20, then every 5 years thereafter
• DIABETES/BLOOD SUGAR TEST: Start at age 45, then every 3 years thereafter
• THYROID TEST: Start at age 35, then every 5 years thereafter

For additional information on when to get various check-ups, preventive screening tests and immunizations, visit www.4woman.gov/screeningcharts (which provides links to informational charts for both women and men).

Make Your Goal the Action, Not the Outcome
Wanting to look better, feel better, perform better, achieve optimum health – these are all worthwhile and highly motivating pursuits, and are absolutely going to be the end result when you kick your training into high gear. But these things are also more difficult to track from one day and workout to the next. So, I suggest that in addition to these outcome-oriented goals, you pinpoint the steps that you’ll take to achieve those things, and make those your shorter-term goals. There are plenty of specifics you can shoot for, from a target number of exercises or sets or reps or weight in a particular strength training workout to a specific duration or intensity for your cardio workouts to longer-term actions like running a marathon.

Start a Log
Once you embark on this program, record the basic information for each workout, including time, intensity and most importantly: mental and physical lessons learned. A workout and diet log can teach you more about your fitness and health than any book you could buy…because this log is essentially a book written by you, for you! And in fitness, it’s the small, measurable steps that matter. Making progress in your exercise and diet—and tracking that on paper—motivates and inspires you with confidence to keep going! Here are a couple nice online resources: FitDay -- and for more serious fitnesss enthusiasts, Workout Log.

Plan Ahead
Staying well hydrated and well fueled prior to exercise will ensure you perform at your peak during your workouts – but timing is everything on both counts. Two hours before you exercise, try to drink 16-24 ounces of water. At least one hour prior to working out, have a light snack that’s a good balance of protein, fat and carbohydrates – such as a turkey or peanut butter sandwich and a glass of milk (This will stabilize your insulin levels and provide you with longer-lasting energy.) Have another 16 ounces of water 10-15 minutes before you exercise, and continue to hydrate yourself as needed throughout your workout session. (For more on nutrition, see chapter seven.)

Do the (Strength) Work
No form of exercise will tone your body more than strength work; it literally “forges” a stronger, sleeker you. Three 20-30 minute strength sessions a week, with free weights, will reshape your body in ways you cannot imagine -- in addition to providing a host of other health benefits. New studies show that strength work not only improves muscle tone, but burns fat as well. Therefore, you must join a gym, or buy dumbbells for your home. Strength training is an investment in your body that pays huge dividends. 

Listen to your body
After warming up for your workout – but prior to launching into your full session – take a few moments to assess how your body is feeling. This is what’s known as the listening phase of your exercise, and it’s crucial. If your body is feeling warm, energized and ready to go, you might even consider doing a more challenging workout than you’d originally planned (for example, perhaps you were going to do the “energize” program but now realize you’re more up for the “challenge” one than you’d anticipated). However, if your body is feeling sluggish – even sore – and your breathing isn’t coming easily, you may need to go for a less challenging workout or even skip it altogether. Paying attention to the cues from your body in this manner will ensure that you stay motivated and injury-free. Just make sure you’re listening to the messages coming from your body and not the messages that may be lingering in your mind about things you’d rather be doing back home (like curling up with a book and a box of chocolates).

Address Your Energy Crisis
Research shows that exercise can help to combat chronic fatigue syndrome – but if you’re tired all the time and find that activity still leaves you exhausted, see your doctor to rule out any underlying medical conditions such as thyroid disease or anemia. Also, make sure you’re eating enough (calories are energy and if you’re crash-dieting you’re going to crash, that you’re getting an adequate amount of sleep (7-9 hours a night, per the National Sleep Foundation) and that you’re doing whatever you can to minimize stress in your life. Taking certain vitamins, like an iron supplement or a B complex that includes B6 may also help.

Fuel down.
Yes, exercise is supposed to energize you – but if you feel a little spent after your workouts, it’s probably because your blood sugar levels have dropped. This is due to the fact that when you exercise, your muscles use carbohydrate fuel called glycogen. What can you do? Replace that lost fuel with 30-50 grams of carbohydrates (try two bananas, a bagel or an energy bar), along with about 16 ounces of water, as soon after your workout as possible. This will ensure that your exercise leaves you feeling as pumped up as it should.

Stick with it
No matter how many workouts you miss, stick with this program! Take it one day at a time and give your best effort each day. Some days, your best effort may be running up a mountain for an hour and following an exemplary meal plan. Other days, you might only be able to muster a trip to the couch for a half-pint of Ben & Jerry’s. That’s okay! Living a healthier life is a process and it should be fun. No guilt. Just commit to doing your authentic best each day.

Remember, above all else: focus on the process. That way, the destination of a healthier you will come -- and the journey will have been enjoyed.