Adopting bad habits in the winter is a bad habit in itself. It can begin to feel as though neglecting your skincare, skipping yoga, and waking up late is your new standard routine. While spring welcomes those longer and warmer days, it also highlights how lazy your behaviour has come. Adopting a healthier attitude towards your body and mind, however, affords you the opportunity to get your act together and prepare for the summer. Here are some tips on how to do just that.
Diet
One of the best foods to eat to get your body ready for summer is avocado. It can be integrated into everything from breakfast smoothies to eggs on toast, and even desserts. However, using its oil to cook is also becoming a popular alternative to olive oil. The oil is rich in monounsaturated fats and vitamins A, D, and E, antioxidants, magnesium, and oleic acid, which helps to reduce blood pressure, improve cell function, and help with arthritis.
Exercise
Summer bodies are often made before the sunny season begins so now is a great time to get moving. One of the currently recommended routes to fitness is high-intensity interval training (HIIT), as it burns more calories than cycling or running, while requiring just half the time. You’ll be putting in as much effort as you can for a short burst of intense exercise before resting, and then repeating the process. It keeps your heart rate high and enables the body to more quickly burn fat. Mix up your workouts and include such exercises as skipping, running on the spot, mountain climbers, and burpees.
Yoga
Yoga encourages mindfulness. When you become more aware of your body, you take better care of it, as opposed to simply taking reactive measures whenever a problem occurs. By paying adequate attention to early signs of injury or sickness, you can prevent it from progressing into a full-blown situation. Yoga should be part of an all-round exercise routine, which includes cardiovascular and resistance training, in order to achieve a more agile, flexible, and stronger body.
Eye health
You’ll want to invest in a decent pair of sunglasses. Most importantly, ensure that they provide 100% UV protection. UV-resistant coating on your eyeglasses can also provide protection for enhanced visual health. Buying lenses online makes it easy enough to get that extra layer of protection, such as some sold on Vision Direct perhaps.
As with each of these tips, integrating eye health into a wider health programme, such as drinking more water in the mornings and a daily stretching routine, can provide some wonderful benefits for the summer.
Skincare
Your skin is challenged during the winter to summer transition. So, bear in mind that it isn’t only your wardrobe that needs updating but your skincare regime, too. Opt for water-based formulas or lightweight hyaluronic acid over heavy moisturisers, as they won’t leave oiliness, while still hydrating the skin. Exfoliating regularly is also important when it comes to maintaining your soft and supple skin when the season changes.
Rather than making wholesale changes to a routine that’s almost certain to be abandoned when it becomes too difficult, setting simple goals will seem more achievable when your 6am alarm sounds. Even the smallest changes can have a notable effect on your frame of mind, such as changing your moisturiser. So, think of these tips as the beginning of a positive transformation that you can adopt, not only in the summer, but beyond.
