The "Summer Body" Myth

Photo by Brianne Mapson

With summer around the corner (YAY), with it will come a lot of gyms and companies trying to market to you through the classic “Get beach body ready!” slogan that comes around every year. I’m here to debunk this myth because focussing on getting a “bikini body” is not an effective way to stay motivated, and will ultimately lead to disappointment, body image issues, and self-sabotage. Instead I’ve got 5 tricks that I use to stay motivated that lead to making fitness a sustainable lifestyle that will last well beyond the summer. 

1. JUST DO IT - So cliche but I actually use Nike’s slogan to keep me motivated all the time. To me, ‘Just Do It’ means stop thinking about it and DO IT. No matter what. For example, if I plan to go to the gym or for a run first thing in the morning, if I let myself think about whether I actually feel like doing it I risk deciding that I’m too hungry, or too tired, or convincing myself that I don’t need to go. When I catch myself trying to talk myself out of going, I think to myself “JUST DO IT”. I tell my mind to shut up, put on my running shoes and head out the door without giving it a second thought. This is made easier when I prep the night before by laying out my clothes and shoes; the less time I have between waking up and getting out the door the easier it is to go! Also, this includes not thinking about the actual workout itself. I focus on the act of getting out the door and do not dare to imagine the workout I’m about to do.
2. Gratitude: If you catch yourself dreading a workout, instead think about how lucky you are to have the time and ability to move your body. What if you get injured tomorrow? Or will be stuck in the office all day? Better give it your all now and treat every workout like its your last! 
3. Compare how hard and tiring a workout is to how awful it feels to be sedentary, lethargic and lazy. For me, the latter is waayyyy way worse. 
4. Do not focus on the physical results. This is equivalent to the saying “a watched pot never boils”. Instead, focus on the effect your workouts have on your mood. You will not see physical results right away but you will see the mental ones, so focus on those! You are working towards those endorphins that will fuel the rest of your day, boosting your mood and energy levels. That’s what I’m chasing during every workout. 
5. Add some “mental health” workouts to your routine. These are workouts that you are doing PURELY for the mental benefit, therefore by simply to be doing the exercise you have achieved the goal. For me, I think of my Fit Factory bootcamps (3x per week) as my workouts that will get me the physical results I want, and every extra workout I do is simply for the joy of it. Running is my mental health workout of choice; I don’t care about how far or fast I go, the act of running in and of itself is so therapeutic and invigorating. It’s my coffee for the day (I love real coffee too though!). 

BONUS HACK for my fellow dancers: When I start dying during a workout I like to imagine I'm on tour with Beyoncé and this is the choreography. You bet I wouldn't stop then so why would I stop now?? Kind of funny to imagine doing burpees and squats on stage in front of thousands of fans but hey it works! 

Fitness is not about how you look, it's about how you feel. This shift in mentality will help you turn exercise into a lifestyle rather than a “quick fix” to get in shape for summer. Once you learn to enjoy it, you won’t need much help to stay motivated ;)