Motivation 101: Beat the heat.
By: Ian Andracchio
It seems like the cold weather is finally over! Today is May 27th and for the next three and a half months we will be trying to beat the heat. Some people will go away every weekend and some people will stay in town. But we all have one thing in common: we want to look good in a bathing suit. This is my guide to staying in shape in the summertime. If you follow these simple rules, you look great and feel great this summer!
1. Extra hydration in the summertime: It is very important to stay hydrated when the weather is warm. Between your body temperature being much higher and losing a lot of liquid through sweating, you need more water in the summer time! When your muscles have less water that means it is easier to injure yourself by pulling a muscle. I see it every summer, people have nagging injuries that come up just because they don't adapt to the change in climate.
2. Be smart:Remember over-training is just as bad as under-training. This statement is never more true than in the summertime. It is so tempting to want to take that jog outside but is it the best thing for you? Heat exhaustion, heat cramps, and sunstroke can all happen to people who are over-training on a sweltering day in July. The problem is that your body overheats in hot weather, causing your body to fatigue faster which can lead to pushing it too far. Note: All of our classes at the RowZone are indoors and cold! But if you insist of exercising outdoors this summer, use this guide:
| 80–90 °F | 27–32 °C | Caution — fatigue is possible with prolonged exposure and activity |
| 90–105 °F | 32–41 °C | Extreme caution — sunstroke, heat cramps, and heat exhaustion are possible |
| 105–130 °F | 41–54 °C | Danger — sunstroke, heat cramps, and heat exhaustion are likely; heat stroke is possible |
3. Vanity rules: Let's face it, we all want to look good. More heat leads to less clothes which in turn leads to MORE EXPOSED BODY PARTS. People always ask me how they can get rid of this piece of fat or tighten another area up. Remember that everyone holds their body fat in different areas!!! If you have love handles popping out of your shirt you can do all of the side bends that you want, but the key is to lose body fat! The healthiest way to do that is though a sensible diet and workout routine. Note: We will be putting an extra emphasis on problem areas in our RowZone classes over the next few weeks! Our goal here is to get everyone to understand their body and get the best possible result this summer!
4. Posture watcher:You are going to the beach this morning. You wake up @ 7am. You pack your beach bag. Sunscreen, check. Towel, check. Sunglasses, check. You are all ready to walk out the door and then you take one final look in the mirror. You have been working out hardcore for the last three weeks, trying to get your beach body ready. You still don't have the body that you want. You are bummed. You go with the one piece instead of the two piece or you where your shirt until the last possible minute.
A lot of times when your posture is poor, your body will never quite be where you want it to be. If your shoulders are rounded in that means that the front of your body will be too compact and the back of your body will be a flat wall of flesh with no muscle tone. See below:
By fixing your posture, you can get the body that you never had before. Note: Not only does rowing help your posture by strengthening your upper back muscles, we also go over posture drills during every class!
Our goal is to get everyone in shape this summer in a smart, healthy, and effective way. If you know anyone who is trying to get back in shape this summer, send them our way. More important than making them look better is making them feel better.
Enjoy the pool, beach, or park!
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