By Justin Gaita

Summer is here and if you are having struggles losing that extra couple of pounds, set aside time for yourself and find the goal that is right for you. Don’t forget to use all your available tools, such as a personal trainer, group classes or boot camp programs.

Useful strategies to help equip yourself for the month of July and bathing suit season:

• Motivation.
• Hang on the refrigerator a picture of yourself in a bathing suit from last year.
• Make sure you always have healthy snack on hand when hunger strikes and you don’t have time for a meal.
• Begin to minimize carbohydrate intake by evening (unless post workout).
• Maximize results with brisk walking and stretching in addition to your normal 45-minute higher intensity exercise.
• Use the buddy system, finding a partner/spouse will help increase your chances of success.

Fitness Advice

• Increase cardiovascular output biweekly, recording previous times and distance to track progression.
• Begin with core exercises and compound movements(multiple muscle groups) which will burn extra calories.
• Always warm up and cool down pre- and post-exercise, correct muscle movements such as lunges, straight-leg raises, body weight squats and butt kickers will increase HR while preparing the body for the movement of exercise.

Exercise of the month

• Brisk Stair Climb.
• Find a set of stairs which you can walk up and down at a moderate pace. Continue for 2 minutes without rest, break for 2-5 minutes and then repeat as many as 5x.