Newswise — Swimsuit season is right around the corner, but after over-indulging during the holidays and eating too much chocolate at Valentine's Day, the thought of baring any skin strikes fear in the hearts of most women. But exercise and diet specialists from the Baylor Tom Landry Fitness Center say there is no need to panic. Follow these tips to slim up and slip in to your swimsuit this year:
"¢ Increase Cardiovascular Exercise. "Cardio is the most important step. You can't start to tone your problem areas until you lose the fat that's on top of them first," says Katie Brumley, N.S.C.A., certified personal trainer, Baylor Tom Landry Fitness Center. "Doing cardio for 30 minutes a day usually just maintains your current level. To lose the extra weight, increase it to 45 minutes to an hour and you will start to see results."
"¢ Don't be Afraid to Lift Weights. "Women don't have the level of testosterone that men do so they won't 'bulk up.' This is an excellent way to tone those problem areas and it will increase the amount of calories you burn as well." Brumley also says to be sure and lift enough weight to fatigue the muscle. "If you are not feeling any fatigue then you aren't lifting enough weight."
"¢ Don't Starve Yourself. "Starving your self or going on crash diets can be dangerous. For most women, consuming less than 1,400 calories a day causes your body to store everything as fat and that's the last thing you want to do," says Abby Kallio, R.D., dietitian, Baylor Tom Landry Health & Wellness Center.
"¢ Replace Unhealthy Snacks With Healthy Alternatives. "Replace those high-calorie snacks such as candy and potato chips with fresh fruit, vegetables and low-fat dairy products. Carrot sticks and low-fat yogurt are great choices," says Kallio.
"¢ Don't Become Impatient. "Toning up and losing weight won't happen overnight so be patient and don't give up. Healthy eating and exercise isn't something you should practice only once a year"¦get in the habit year-round and next year you will actually look forward to getting into your swimsuit again," says Brumley.
For more information about the Baylor Tom Landry Fitness Center, call 1-800-4BAYLOR or visit http://www.BaylorHealth.com.
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