By now, you will have likely read a number of articles on how to get your “best bikini body,” or your “best beach bod,” or something of that nature. It’s spring, which means bikini season in glossy magazines and on fashion and beauty blogs. Our personal trainers and kinesiologists can help you with that, of course, but we’d like to offer some different advice here: how to get ready — physically, emotionally, and logistically — for summer.
- Start drinking more water. The best place to store water is in your body. Proper hydration can stop heat stroke in its tracks, and can also stave off acne, headaches, and bloating. Drinking water is always important, but it’s doubly important during the summer months.
- Bring out your fans, air conditioners, de-humidifiers, and air filters…And test and clean them. You don’t want to wait until the mercury hits 30C to discover that your summer salvations are broken or dirty. Check them soon, so you’ll know if you need to start shopping.
- Buy your sunscreen now, before your favourite brands are gone. It can be hard enough to wear a bathing suit with confidence — you don’t need to add blistered, peeling skin into the mix. If you buy a sunscreen you actually like, you’re more likely to apply it and reap the benefits. So go now, before you’re stuck searching the empty shelves like a survivor of the zombie apocalypse. Do the same with your facial moisturizer and makeup, if you wear any — make sure your products are all rated SPF 15 or higher.
- If you have kids, figure out what they’re doing while school is out.This will do wonders for your emotional health over the summer. Summer means a disruption in routines, and those are always stressful. So beat the stress now, by getting prepared. Even if you can’t afford camps or classes, you can still structure some of your kids’ activities with regular play-dates, trips to (or with) grandparents, or projects at home. (Maybe this will be the summer your daughter learns how to change a tire by herself!)
- Rejuvenate your fitness routine by spending some of it outdoors. There are a very few people out there who enjoy running in the winter weather. The rest of us wait until the sun can shine down on our efforts. Try to walk or run or bike to your local gym, or to take after-dinner walks with your family. (This is also an effective method of disrupting the dinner –> dessert routine.) There will probably be some sunlight, and you might even stumble upon some local festivals or other celebrations.
