In this month’s edition of Mission Muscle, veteran and guest fitness blogger Linton McClain talks about keeping your body fueled and ready for the Summer months!
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Turn up the Heat
By Linton McClain
Personal Trainer, Superior Body Sculpting
As the spring season comes to a close the summer comes to us in full force, most people plan to make memories with family and friends. Most likely, you have already planned for your summer vacations. You know what that means. It’s beach body season. Hopefully, you followed the workouts in last fitness article “Beach Body Blitz.” If so, you should be at a stage where your body is starting to see a few changes. Maybe you are starting to feel stronger throughout the day? Maybe your uniforms and clothes are starting to feel looser? Maybe you notice more energy, and you are more alert when you are standing watch? No doubt, it feels good to make any progress while watching your hard work pay off. It’s time to turn up the heat as you move into the second month of our Beach Body Blitz. You are probably starting to feel the sunshine a bit more these days. That’s right; the summer is fast approaching. With that said, you need to make a few adjustments to your exercise program; hydration, intensity, and planning for your summer adventures. Your familiarity with these adjustments may depend on the time you have been at your current duty station. Let’s discuss a few ideas to match the heat of the summer.
Related: Mission Muscle | BEACH BODY BLITZ : Get your body ready for Summer
Hydration
With the temperature rising and your workouts becoming more intense, proper hydration needs to be at the front of your mind. Your body needs water to survive. Understand that your body is mostly made up of water. The human body uses water in cells, organs, and tissues to regulate temperature and bodily functions. Your body loses water through breathing, sweating, and digestion. You can replace your water loss by drinking fluids and eating foods that contain water. Knowing that it should be easy to understand that without the proper amounts of water you can easily slip into a phase of dehydration. While you may never know exactly how much water you need to consume, you need to be conscious of the reality of dehydration; especially in warmer months and climates. While you are thinking about it, hydration should be regularly occurring. Keeping the body properly hydrated happens with conscious consumption. Preventing dehydration is the best way to approach hydration. Keep your Camelback or other water sources close by to maintain routine hydration. Hydrate before a PT, field work, or watch duty.
-Signs of dehydration: Headache, dizziness, dry mouth, yellowish urine, fatigue, dry skin
Related: Mission Muscle | Double Time
Turn up the Burn
You have all heard of the saying “ reaching the plateau.” You reach a plateau with your progress when you perform the same exercises over and over without changing the intensity or level of difficulty. Fortunately, you can enjoy many benefits of exercising other than the act of exercising; social interaction, mental clarity, and feeling accomplished. PT can provide many of these benefits on a regular basis. You must decide if your workouts will focus on progress or enjoyment. In the end, your goal will require different effort and focus with each session. Turning up the effort will turn up the calorie burn on your end. When you burn more calories, you increase your metabolism and lose more weight. If you want a summer body, then you will need to burn excess calories while consuming enough to fuel your body. It’s your job to find the balance. The price for achieving your ultimate summer body is increasing your physical activity while eating more nutritious foods. With consistency, proper planning, and discipline you will achieve your results.
-How to increase your metabolism: Eat enough food, eat more fiber, eat more protein, and drink more water
Related: Mission Muscle | No Go: When Exercise Doesn’t Work
Adventure
What would life be without journeys and adventure? At this moment, you are probably stationed at a location most people will never visit. How will you make this time in your life memorable and worthwhile? The summer offers many opportunities to explore and be adventurous in ways you have always imagined. What is on your list of adventures? The great part about fitness is that it helps you do the things you have always wanted to do. To do anything great in life you will need to have strength, stamina, and endurance to push through any obstacle that rises along with your path. It is you who must choose to turn the page, write the next chapter, and decide how your story moves forward. Start using fitness to live life on your terms. Challenge yourself daily by discovering something new about yourself and this world. Try something new but be cautious as you are exploring your surroundings in your new duty station.
-Prepare to be Adventurous: Know your surroundings, know your body, and know your limits
Turn up the Heat
Turn up the intensity this summer by becoming more physically active. Put in the work no matter what branch you decided to join. Work hard for the body and the life you have always wanted. Try that exciting excursion you have been putting on your to-do list. Get in your best shape because now is the time to be the best version of yourself. Start living your life with more purpose and vigor. You can do that by increasing your fitness level and experience. What will you do to change your perception of what’s possible for you this summer?
As always, if you have any questions about health and wellness please email me anytime. sbsculptme@gmail.com / sbsculptme.com
For more information on health and wellness visit www.sbsculptme.com.
