Summer mostly means flocking to the beach and showing off your toned and sculpted body. However, being physically fit is only one of many things that indicate good health. This season is the perfect time to think holistically when it comes to your overall health, and squeeze in good habits to your daily routine while you're at it. Consider these 10 tips to keep your health in check this summer.
1) Watch Your Drinks
While it's usually fun and games during the day, the real party doesn't start until the sun goes down. Summer parties are rife with free-flowing drinks and sweet, sugary concoctions that, if not watched well, could interfere with your body's fat-burning abilities.
If you have too much booze, you don't only increase water weight; your body also tends to focus on breaking down the alcohol you consumed instead of burning fat like it regularly does. In turn, fat stays in your body longer than it should. Likewise, cold and sweet drinks are almost always rich in calories, and would take more time for your body to break down and flush out.
But all of this doesn't mean you shouldn't go out and have fun: you can always take everything in moderation and stop yourself from having one too many.
2) Eat Lighter
When you're party-hopping in your beach destination of choice, it's not good to have a stomach full of food. You're more likely to throw up or feel the urge take a number 2 while your friends are dancing and having fun without you. Control your appetite but don't suppress it – just the right amount of healthy food would suffice.
Additionally, as much as you're controlling the amount of your food intake, the salt and sugar content of your food is just as important; after all, too much sodium can cause you look bloated. Choose vegetable salads (and swap the cream-based dressing for the oil-based one), smoothie bowls, fresh fruit, and grilled meat skewers over fried snacks, processed food, simple carbs, and desserts full of refined sugar or high-fructose corn syrup.
3) Stay Hydrated
Among the many benefits of drinking water are the smooth transportation of oxygen and nutrients to the cells, the improvement of digestion and prevention of constipation, and the flushing out of bacteria from your bladder. But above all of these advantages is to keep yourself feeling refreshed, as the extremely hot weather can be draining and tiring to deal with.
It's also good to stay cool in your bathtub or in swimming pools and beaches, especially if it's really hot out. You can also take multiple showers to beat the extreme heat. Staying in places with cooler temperatures means less likelihood of getting a heatstroke.
4) Explore Your Options For Exercising
Exercise doesn't have to be boring and repetitive like an hour-long cardio session on a treadmill. You can choose thrilling water sports like surfing or canoe sprint (flat water racing) to shed a few pounds or build muscle.
You can also try other forms of exercise like Pilates or Lagree if you don't like high-intensity workouts. Meanwhile, you can go for CrossFit or HIIT if you feel like picking up the pace and want faster fat/weight loss results.
5) Put On Sunscreen
Skin health should be top priority especially here in the tropics where sun damage is just waiting to bite when we're not looking. Make sure to apply a sufficient amount of sunscreen when we're hitting the beach or just going outdoors – UV rays can still prematurely age the skin even in the confines of our homes or offices.
If you wear makeup or have any skincare products on, make sure that they double as a sunscreen so you don't have to buy 2 separate products for skin protection. Make sure that you have just enough on – not too much, not too little.
6) Use Anti-UV Sunglasses
UV is the silent enemy when keeping our vision clear and healthy. Protect yourself from sneaky UVA and UVB and get protective sunglasses to shield your eyes from it. Glasses with UV coating protect both the outer and inner layers of the eyes from harmful sunlight and keep your eyes healthy so you can fully take in all the pretty views of your summer destinations.
7) Slow Down & Get Some Rest
We don't really want to get rowdy and wild all the time: we need to take time, slow down, and breathe. Calm your soul by surrounding yourself with nature and its wonders – bathe on a fresh body of water, lie on a hammock by the sea, go uphill and just be still there while the wind blows, taking in the smell of grass and letting a bit of sunlight kiss your skin (without it getting damaged, of course).
If you don't have access to nature right now – you might be stuck in the city with your job or business – then a simple nap or massage might just be the break you need from your hectic schedule.
8) Remain Careful & Cautious
We're still dealing with the aftershocks of a worldwide pandemic, and another surge might be on the rise if we're not careful. It's best to take caution for an added layer of immunity especially when you're skin-to-skin with other people in parties or when you're just out in public.
Continue to be careful when you're out: wear masks especially when you're in crowded spaces, and only take them off when necessary. Don't expose yourself to risky locations and make yourself more susceptible to contracting a virus – you wouldn't want to spoil your summer plans!
Keep Healthy Not Just In Summer
Summer is a good opportunity to get in shape through dieting and exercising, but you can take it up a notch and make it an actual lifestyle of yours. Be intentional with what you put in your body and remember that being healthy is holistic. For the meantime, go out and make summer memories with your family and friends! But also make sure to keep the above tips in mind and you're definitely set for the season.