Start working on your 2020 hot girl summer body

SUMMER 2019 was declared a hot girl summer by Houston rapper Megan Thee Stallion. But unfortunately, while it was on many of our New Year’s resolution lists, the desire to achieve a much-coveted hot girl summer body didn’t quite materialise, even with all the work put in. But even though you may have missed it this year, personal trainer and fitness expert Gisel Harrow says that finding, and committing to the ideal routine for you will have you ready for summer 2020.

“There are many different ways to kick-start your fitness journey, and if a hot girl summer body is your inspiration, then take advantage of it, find or make a nice music playlist, get some nice trendy and comfortable workout gear, and get ready to sculpt your body and get fit,” Harrow advised.

She said other things that you may want to consider just before jumping in is deciding and setting aside the amount of time you want to put into your workout routine, locating a place (home, gym or outdoors) where you’re going to work out, and looking for a programme online or having a certified trainer write a programme that suits your fitness goal.

To achieve your hot girl summer body in time for summer 2020, Harrow provides a guideline to what a good programme/routine consists of:

Warm-up

Whether you are going to walk, jog, ride, use a jump rope or cardio machine, these exercises and other cardio-intensive exercises will help you to burn calories as well as speed up your metabolism. She said you should aim to complete these three to five days each week for at least 30 minutes before your work out.

Weight training/conditioning

Weight training and/or conditioning exercises such as squats, deadlifts, lunges, weight machines and dumbbell exercises are an important part of your routine for several reasons. “These exercises target multiple muscle groups, builds lean muscle, as well as increases strength,” Harrow advised.

Abdominal exercises

Abdominal exercises are ideal for anyone who is working to achieve a hot girl summer body. As such you want to include exercises such as sit-ups, planks, leg raises and oblique crunches, for example, because these will blast fat in the midsection.

The midsection is crucial to how your bikini or whatever other swimwear you decide on will fit. Harrow said that if you realise that this is one of your problem areas, then you must give special attention to this area and spend more time on these exercises in your routine.

Stretches

Stretching is underrated but it is a very important part of your fitness journey. “Stretching helps you to relax, helps with flexibility, reduces injury and soreness,” Harrow said. She explains that when muscles are constantly being worked, especially if they are being overused and overworked which happens in many instances when we exercise, it can lead to the aches, pain and injuries which can derail your fitness journey.

“It is best to stretch before you start your work out, then again after you have finished. You also want to make sure that whatever stretches you decide to incorporate in your workout target the muscles that you use most,” she advised.

Low-intensity cardio

To finish your workout, consider low-intensity cardio – these are exercises that do not raise your heart rate very high, such as walking, yoga, swimming or riding a bike. These activities also help you to burn calories and do not put pressure on your joints.

Look into your dietary pattern

You should aim to support your body nutritionally while you get fit and prepare to sculpt it. The first thing you want to do is reduce your calorie intake and this includes cutting back on foods such as fried and/or fast foods. Instead you should eat lean protein such as chicken, fish and turkey, and reduce your empty carbs intake. Harrow said that you will also want to increase the number of antioxidants in your diet as these will help to remove toxins from the body and cause your skin to glow. Importantly, you want to remain hydrated always, the preferred choice being water.

Rest

An important part of the workout that many people forget is to rest. Rest is necessary because it facilitates the body’s recovery process. So aim to get the recommended eight hours sleep each night.