[PRESENTED BY LIFE TIME FITNESS]

What does summer mean to most Canadians? For many, it’s the warm and relaxing days of fun spent with family and friends at the beach, on the shore or by the pool between Victoria Day and Labour Day. As we approach those glorious months, now’s the time to take action so you can fully enjoy a summer’s worth of fun and activities with confidence. Aaron Gal, Personal Training Manager at Life Time Athletic Mississauga offers these tips to make Summer 2016 one to remember.

Set a goal and stick to it

Whatever your health objective, athletic aspiration or fitness goal, you need to commit to setting a goal with a deadline. Whether it’s to feel better in your swimsuit, lower your body fat percentage or participate in an athletic event, find something that motivates you to stay on track when life gets busy and you lose focus. The key to sticking to it is by measuring your weekly progress and sharing the good news with family, friends, your trainer or a workout partner.

Get tested

One of the most overlooked aspects of improving fitness or getting into shape is understanding how to properly use your metabolism as a tool and not a barrier. At Life Time, you can do an assessment to accurately show you how your metabolism works at rest and during exercise. Using those results will help you to work smarter, not harder and eliminate frustrating guesswork.

Eat to live and not live to eat

When it comes to your "summer prep plan" you must grapple with the most difficult exercise there is—exercising discipline with your nutrition. The four ways to master this are to eliminate processed foods from your house, prepare healthy meals ahead of time, look at menus in advance and eat meals that properly fuel your body for daily activity and exercise. Once you get started, it gets easier.

Consistency is key

To achieve results, you must be more active throughout the week than inactive. This doesn’t mean you have to go overboard with two-a-day workouts or wind sprints, but it does mean dedication to spending more days sweating and keeping your body in motion compared to sedentary. We always recommend working out 4-5 days a week for best results and to reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases or other health complications.

Sign up for a Challenge

Weight loss and body transformations abound these days and if you can find a reputable one with real tools and support, you’ll find much greater success. Life Time is kicking off its first-ever 60-Day Challenge with prizes like $10,000 and trips to Hawaii. Motivated yet?

Have a mantra that resonates with you

Positive self-talk has been shown to improve performance while training for long durations by decreasing anxiety and increasing self-confidence. This will allow you to stick with the program and also get back on track if you happen to fall off. There are plenty of online tools to help you create one for yourself.

Book a trip

More often than not, when you book a vacation that includes lots of sun and little need for too much clothing, it’s easy to find some extra motivation to get yourself beach body ready. However, booking the trip won’t guarantee results. Follow the other tips above and you’ll have earned the trip and your confidence.