Summer Abs: Your Best Tone Ever

Summer is right around the corner, which means it is bathing suit and shorts season. Everyone has had those summers where you pull out the shorts from the year before, and they are a little too tight around the waist. It is so depressing. Sound familiar? I made a promise to myself to do the hard “ab work” in the spring so that I don’t have to buy a new summer wardrobe. Spring is the perfect time to shed those extra five pounds from winter, while toning up your midsection.

You do not have to starve yourself or spend hours at the gym to get the abs you want this summer.

Below are my top 5 tips on how to get sexy summer abs:

• Hydrate. Water is an essential part of life, but it is especially helpful if you want a flatter tummy. Water helps to flush toxins out of your body and helps to keep you regular. Add a slice of lemon for extra points! Lemon helps to alkalize and detox the body.

• Eat more fruits and vegetables that contain water. Fruits high in water are watermelon, strawberries, grapefruit, and cantaloupe. Vegetables high in water are cucumber, lettuce, radish, zucchini, and celery. They help to hydrate the body without weighing you down. Besides water, they also contain fiber which keeps you fuller longer.

• Planks. Planks are the ultimate exercise to get sexy summer abs. I love them because you have to use your whole body. I recommend planking it out every day you’re able for 1-2 minutes. If you are new to planks, feel free to do them on your knees. Once you have mastered a plank for a minute, you can add-in side planks holding each side for 30 seconds. I do them either first thing in the morning, after a cardio session, or right before bed.

• Cardio. Cardio helps to burn fat and increase your metabolism. All you need is 20 minutes of high intensity interval training or HIIT 2-3 days a week. Alternate between sprints for 20 seconds and steady state for 40 seconds. HIIT workouts are great to do outside (if the pollen isn’t bad) where you can alternate between running and walking, on the treadmill, elliptical, or bike.

• Eat enough. I see too many women severely restricting calories, while also complaining about the bulge around their waste that, no matter what they do, they just can’t get rid of. Eating substantial meals and snacks keeps your blood-sugar stable and helps control cravings. Eating too little reduces the amount of the fat-burning hormone called leptin which will slow down weight loss. Keep that blood-sugar stable!