It seems like every year, summer sneaks up on you faster and faster. Before you know it you find yourself needing to be in great shape for the pool, beach, riverside or just kicking back scantily clad in the sunshine. In this article, we will present five easy steps that will help you get swimsuit ready in a month or so while in the comfort of your home.

Assess the Damage

Begin by digging out your favorite swimsuit from last year. Put it on to see how it fits. Look in the mirror and take note of the areas you want to improve and change.

Take some time to visualize the changes.

Increase Exercise Intensity

If you are already exercising regularly, adjust your routine and add exercises to focus on the areas you wish to improve. If not, begin with an appropriate level of exercise for your current fitness level.

Even if you are very out of shape, don’t take up a punishing workout routine in an attempt to get swimsuit ready fast. This is a recipe for failure and disappointment. Start out by getting at least 15 minutes a day of light to moderate exercise and gradually build up to half an hour a day as your strength and endurance improves.

Begin with light stretching and strength building exercises. Yoga is an excellent choice! Consider joining a program like Zoe Bray-Cotton’s Yoga Burn. Adding walking, cycling, dancing and other enjoyable exercise to your daily routine can also be very effective and rewarding.

Dial-in Your Diet

Take stock of your current diet and eliminate fast food, junk food and processed food. Reduce or eliminate sugar and simple carbohydrates from your diet.

Strive to consume a healthy, natural diet consisting mostly of fresh fruits and vegetables. Add complex carbohydrates such as those found in whole grains. Eat only lean, high quality protein sources. Ideally your diet should be about half fresh vegetables and fresh fruits and a quarter each of the other two types of nutrition.

Eliminate sodas and alcohol from your diet. Drink lots of pure, filtered water to help your body eliminate toxins and metabolize fats more quickly.

Don’t Fall Prey to Naysayers

If you have tried any kind of self-improvement in the past, you may have found that the people who should be supporting you actually seem to hold you back. There are lots of complicated psychological reasons for this. One is that people often need for you to stay the way you are in order for them to stay the way they are. Upsetting the status quo can be very challenging!

For this reason, you may want to keep your efforts on the down-low until you have made significant, observable progress. Keeping your goals and objectives private is a way of owning responsibility for yourself and your life.

Once you have positive results to show, those around you will be obliged to congratulate you on your progress. Remember that your own congratulations are the ones that count the most in attaining your own goals.

Chart Your Course

Keeping a record of your progress can be very helpful. Keeping a weight chart and taking progress photos can help keep you on-track, motivated and inspired.

Health and fitness goals are always challenging, but when you set yourself simple, understandable doable objectives and work steadily towards achieving them, you will surely succeed. If you’d like a full-blown workout program to get you ready for swimsuit season, checkout my review of Bikini Belly by Shawna Kaminski. Follow the tips presented here and you will soon find yourself swimsuit ready!