Swimming blog - Building a summer body: where to start?

The summer is calling on us. While we have been cozy and indulged a bit too much, it’s time to get back into shape. With the rise of the temperatures and plenty of activities being outdoors, making some changes to your diet and fitness is a necessity. Not sure where to start? Swimming is an excellent first step, it works the full body and helps enormously in building a healthy and fit body. However there is more, with our top five tips you will be ready for the summer.

 

Get back into swimming
It’s easier said than done but regular physical activity is a necessity to get back into shape. To make sure you train regularly, you plan ahead: decide on what day of the week you're going to swim and book it into your agenda. To make it fun, challenging and motivational, pursue a goal and work with a program to get towards it. Don’t worry, you do not have to write your own program. Luckily we have created multiple programs, for you to crush your goals: lose 10 pounds in 10 weeks, build strength and your physique and build your endurance.

Eat your fruits and vegetables
Build your plate around colorful fruits and vegetables, they are full of micronutrients such as minerals and vitamins which are essential for a fit, healthy and energetic body. The deeper the colors, the more variety, the better. Aim for at least 300 grams of vegetables and two pieces of fruit daily. Use two to three vegetables per meal to get as much variety as possible, and make it a challenge to eat all the colors of the rainbow weekly. 

Sleep
Getting adequate amounts of sleep every night is extremely crucial. Sleep deprivation leads to increased appetite (only six hours of sleep instead of eight, increases your appetite by 20%) , diminished feelings of fullness and causes metabolic dysregulation. Plus, when you’re tired, your brain rewards centers are stimulated. You will be looking for comfort foods, you’ll be skipping training, and be way less productive during the day. So make sure you make sleep a priority, jump into bed one hour before you usually do and notice how it influences your mood, hunger, focus and energy during your swim sessions. 

Hydrate
We can’t emphasize it enough, the importance of drinking enough water throughout the day. Water is important for transport of nutrients and toxins in the body, for regulating body temperature and hunger and for healthy looking skin. All the processes in the body are dependent on enough hydration. Foods contain water, especially fruits and vegetables but we mostly get our water through drinking. Make sure you drink at least eight to ten glasses of water daily if you want to keep your body healthy and fit. 

Create accountability 
Accountability plays a huge role in sticking to the four steps mentioned above. When you’re starting to build your health, fitness and shape, the biggest factor to success is consistency. To keep yourself accountable, plan your workouts in with a friend, ask your partner if he wants  to support you with having more vegetables and fruits laying around in the house, put a time cap on your phone for you to be less tempted to scroll through you phone instead of going to bed, or invest in an (online) personal trainer. Whatever you choose to do make sure you surround yourself with the environment and relationships that keep you accountable on the days you don’t feel like it, so you can have the healthiest, fittest and most energetic summer!