6 Tips to Stay FIT During Summer

Tank tops, bikinis, sun, sweat, and more...whatever your summer consists of, follow my 6 tips to stay FIT throughout these warmer months!

1. WORKOUT IN THE A.M. Can you tell that I value the importance of a good sweat yet? Workout in the morning while it is still cool out. If you are exercising outdoors you are more at risk for injury, dehydration, and heat strokes when it reaches higher temps in the day. Nothing better than the birds chirping, dew on the grass, and the beauty of the outdoors in the early morning! Get a good playlist for a morning run, or better yet, just enjoy the SILENCE and sounds of nature! Cheesy, but true, try it out and you might be surprised.

2. PLAY! If homeboy @Benjamin_Franklin had a twitter I would give him a RT. Take advantage of the outdoors and all the fun things that come with summer. MOVE like a KID! If you are a lucky college kid who scored an (overpaid underworked yet best job ever) job as a nanny then you are especially blessed. Play games outdoors with the kids. My favorite involves doing flips and tumbling and stunting on the trampoline (don't tell mom!) or score brownie points by taking them to SKY ZONE for some bouncy fun! *if you don't know what I'm talking about you must click here NOW and attend a bounce world near you* Go explore the trails in your neighborhood, swim at the pool or lake, play games on the beach, heck try rollerblading! You know you wish you could remember the last time you went rollerblading!! [except you Paulina ;)]

3. STAY THIRSTY. Hydrate, hydrate, and hydrate some more. It doesn't have to be in the liquid form, you can also consume water-rich foods like watermelon, grapefruit, broccoli, yogurt, and lettuce to stay hydrated (EatRight.org). If you don't like plain water, try adding cucumber, mint, frozen berries, or lemon to zest it up. The 21 Day Fix Clean Eating book also has tons of fancy water recipes which I LOVE! Or iced coffee (DUH) minus all the cream and sugary bleh.

4. EXERCISE...YOUR BRAIN! Yes, I know, you graduated, school is out, your brain is fried, blah, blah, blah!! But guess what? Knowledge gives you the EDGE! The internet is a beautiful thing my friends. SO much information about SO many topics is literally at your fingertips, beyond the wisdom of hakeology ;) Remember the library? Believe it or not, those still exist too! Get yourself a new library card (they even make key fobs now and online E books to rent for your iPad!!!) and get lost in a good book. Use your extra free time to read, pick up a new hobby, skill, or just try something new you have always wanted to do.

5. REUNITE WITH YOUR LONG LOST FRIEND, MR.SLEEP. Get back in touch with your REM and catch up on those ZzZz's that seemed to get lost during finals and senior week. Some people can run on 5-6 hours (bless your caffeinated hearts) but 7-9 is wonderful if your body will allow! Slow down with a big mug of sleepy time tea or a good book, NOT a screen. A man named Marty Green once told me that when you look at your iPhone or computer before bed [insert crazy science about light and retinas and eyes and research here] it takes your body ~45 minutes to slow back down and get to sleep! Crazy right?! It also takes ~4 days to get back on a normal sleeping schedule. If you want to learn more about your sleep invest in a FitBit or Jawbone (future post to come) to track your patterns.

6. BE A SCIENTIST & EXPERIMENT. Now is the perfect time to test out that new healthy recipe or paleo DIY froyo. Spice things up and try a new workout, activity, or food. Make dinner based on new foods you find at your local farmers market. Try a new outdoor Bootcamp at your local gym or my upcoming summer challenge from home (EEK! Spoiler alert, deetz to come!!). Get creative and fearless. Those roasted brussels sprouts you have been avoiding aren't so scary I promise!