Coming out of winter… Spring clean!

Regardless of whether you’ve lost weight, maintained your weight over winter (good on you!) or gained, we tend to feel a bit sluggish and heavy from all the rich meals and indoor hibernation.

Not only that, our skin is paler, drier, and sometimes have even gained some cellulite! (ladies?)

Spring is coming, and with it warmer weather, fewer clothes and less ability to cover all the spots you cringe about. The end of August/start of September is the perfect time to give your body a ‘spring clean’ by cleaning up your body and diet! Especially if you’re doing the challenge…

Best tips?

1. Try a detox

It’s not for everyone, and there are varying opinions on detoxes, but you can do a detox suited to you. It aims to cleanse the body of toxins by eliminating certain foods. If you aren’t keen to do a full detox, the tips below will still suffice.

Read more about why we detox here and what to have and not to have on a detox here

2. Start your day with warm lemon water

Problems with sluggish digestion? Bloating? Low energy? Metabolism need a kick in the morning? Before you tuck into breakfast (which you should all be having!) Have a squeeze of lemon juice in warm water. It aids with digestion, cleanses the body, boosts immune system, helps clear skin, energises you and can even aid in weight loss. Enough reasons!?

3. Drink more water

Whether you do a detox or not, you must drink your recommended amount of water in a day. The exact amount will depend on your weight and level of activity, but is roughly 2litres. When your body is adequately hydrated it functions better in every way and your skin looks better!

4. Eat more healthy fats

Food sources such as avocado, fish, seeds and nuts all contain good fats which help hydrate your skin, inside out.

5. Cut back on, or eliminate alcohol & caffeine

While on the topic of hydration, these 2 things do the exact opposite. If you cut down on them, your body will be better hydrated, which also helps fight cellulite! I once read an interesting analogy that described hydration/dehydration of the skin to that of a grape. A plump smooth fresh grape is a hydrated one, getting correct nutrients, whereas one that doesn’t get enough hydration and nutrients becomes a sultana, dried up, lumpy, dull!

6. Cut back on refined sugars and carbohydrates

These 2 things contribute to cellulite forming! Refined and processed foods and generally higher GI, with more sugar, and when sugar isn’t burnt off, it’s stored as fat, which can become cellulite. It also leads you to feeling sluggish and experiencing energy drops.

7. Eat more raw, fresh and wholesome foods

The more natural you eat, the better you’ll feel and healthier you’ll be. Get back onto raw salads, veggie sticks, fruit, nuts and seeds. Eat legumes, eggs, fish and chicken, cutting down on red meats.

8. Do resistance training

Building muscle is what helps burn more calories in the long run. It improves your metabolic rate, strengthens bones and joints, firms up skin tone!

9. Exfoliate

Exfoliate when showering every day to remove dead skin cells on the skins surface.

Hard to do diligently in winter, as we generally want to jump straight into the shower! But also try dry body brushing a couple of times a week before showering to stimulate your body’s lymphatic system (assists in ridding cellulite!) and achieving a healthy skin glow.

10. Moisturise

Yes men, even you. Moisturising, particularly after exfoliation, hydrates, protects and heals the skin, making it more soft and healthy looking and feeling!

Do these things to kick start your summer body and get feeling fantastic again!

Kat Rotunno
Mobile Personal Training Specialist, 4 U Body Fitness