Back to Beach Season

Once again, the rains will subside soon & you will need to go from Rainwear to Swimwear!

Beach days are likely in your foreseeable future & we asked top trainers, nutritionists, and health experts for their best piece of advice to get ready for beach season. 

Kimberly Snyder, clinical nutritionist and author of The Beauty Detox Solution (April, Harlequin)
Don’t drink liquids when you eat. Drink significant quantities of water at least half hour before your meals, or at least an hour following meals. During mealtimes, try to drink as little as possible. Too much liquid with meals slows down digestion by diluting digestive juices, and inefficient digestion is a contributor to difficulty in losing weight.  

Kate Bohner, director of the FlyBarre Program at Flywheel Sports
Try to alternate between exercises that demand intense bursts of energy and deep yogic stretches—a format that produces both a caloric burn and leaner muscle mass. 

Latham Thomas, holistic health coach, healthy-lifestyle expert, and founder of Tender Shoots Wellness, NYC
Do some sober socializing. Drinks pack on the pounds: Pure alcohol contains about seven calories per gram, which makes it nearly twice as fattening as carbohydrates or protein (both contain about four calories per gram) and only just under the caloric value for fat (nine calories per gram). Your body processes alcohol first, before fat, protein, or carbohydrates, so drinking slows down the burning of fat. Cut back to one or two glasses of wine at a time and decide how many nights you can do that every week.

Karen Nuccio, fitness and balanced-lifestyle expert, founder and CEO of LITA Group New York
I suggest adding 45-minute walks to your routine three to five times a week. And I mean walk. Like you’re in a hurry. Another component that I think is crucial is learning proper form and alignment for lifting weights or doing squats, so that you don’t tear your muscle. Stand with feet hip or shoulder distance apart, tilt your pelvis forward and make your spine straight. Roll your shoulders back, and pull your belly button to your spine. 

Matt McCulloch, master Pilates instructor and cofounder of Kinected Pilates Center, NYC
Women often fall into a common trap of toning only particular areas of their bodies, like their arms, glutes, or abdominals. A body part that often gets missed, however, is the back. Strengthening and toning your back—with Pilates exercises like Breast Stroke and Swimming—will not only enhance the health of your spine but also boost beach confidence by improving your posture. 

Kathy Freston, author of Veganist: Lose Weight, Get Healthy, Change the World (Weinstein Books) 
Go vegan! A vegan diet helps you to lose weight in several ways, but here’s what I think is the most fascinating fact: Vegan food has a high thermic effect (calories burned as body heat during digestion), which amps up your metabolism. So when you eat food that is grown in the ground or on trees, you are literally stoking your metabolism. Of course, this doesn’t translate if you are eating junk food—candy and chips can be vegan, but you won’t see weight loss if you aren’t making smart choices.

Marco Borges, exercise physiologist and founder of 22 Days Nutrition, Miami
Try to get three to five 45-minute workout sessions in every week, and be conscious of the amount of calories you’re burning with each workout. It takes 3,500 calories to remove a pound of fat, and while you won’t burn them in one workout session, you will in several sessions, with the right plan.