One of my favorite comments I get on Instagram is #bodygoals. I truly appreciate any engagement on social media but to me this is so great because I can easily throw together an outfit and do my makeup, but my body is a work-in-progress and takes the most time and effort. Even more so now that I’m 30 but let’s not go there (ugh).
I wanted to share with you guys my top 3 tips for a better body. These are things I do consistently that have really made a difference for me and don’t require much time at all! At the end, I also included some pro tips if you want to go the next step. I mean obviously you can join a gym or get a personal trainer, but if you can’t commit to it then it’s going to be a waste of your time and money and your trainer’s time. So enter stage left: My top 3 (simple) better body tips:
1. Work the middle (work the middle, work the middle)
Everyday I commit to an ab workout and it only takes 20 minutes before I hop in the shower. My favorite one is actually part of a Beachbody DVD set. *This is not sponsored and I didn’t receive this product for free, it’s honestly what I use.* A while ago, I bought the Beachbody Brazilian Butt Lift DVD set so I can do the exercises at home before I went to work. I tried it for a little but ended up just using 1 of the DVD set – the Tummy Tuck one. It works my whole core including my lower abs and waistline in one 18 minute video. You can check out some of their other products here.
If you don’t have time to do a full workout, then make the change on a smaller scale. Do 50 crunches when you wake up and another 50 before bed. Forget to set your alarm and barely have time to brush your teeth let alone do some core exercises? Do them at the office! Sit on the edge of your chair at your desk and lean back (so you’re almost touching the back of your chair but not quite) then squeeze your core and lift your legs. Your body doesn’t need to make a full V, it can be a wide V as long as you’re squeezing your core and lifting your legs slowly. I do this ALL the time at work and nobody is the wiser, except my abs.
2. #SquatGoals
The wider your hips look, the smaller your waist looks. Duh, right? So you’re doing your ab workout everyday (You Go Glen Coco) and your tummy is flat and waist as slim as it can get without removing ribs, but you’re still not as hourglass as you want to be. Move those hips! I mentioned earlier I couldn’t stick to the Brazilian Butt Lift workout, whatever, I tried. So instead, after my ab workout when I’m about to hop in the shower, I stand in the bathroom and do 50 squats. If I shower twice a day, then I do 50 squats twice a day! You don’t need to start at 50, just commit to some and the most important part is your form. If you’re not doing it right, it’s not going to work.
- Squat Down. Take a big breath, hold it and Squat down. Push your knees out while moving your hips back. Keep your lower back neutral.
- Break Parallel. Squat down until your hips are below your knees. Thighs parallel to the floor isn’t low enough. You must break parallel.
- Squat Up. Break parallel then Squat back up. Keep your knees out and chest up. Lock your hips and knees at the top. Breathe.
(source stronglift.com)
Looking for more? We’ve done a previous post we did about some at-home booty boost moves you can do. Check out our Summer Booty Boost.
3, Find Your Soul and Supplement Your Workout
I supplement my daily at-home and in-office ab and squat workouts with a weekly SoulCycle class. If you know me, you knew this was coming. You don’t have to do specifically SoulCycle especially if it’s not available in your area but definitely add a cardio/full body workout to your routine. I only go once a week (twice if it’s “one of those” weeks…) but I don’t go to lose weight, I go to keep my body fit and honestly to breathe out the negative and prep my soul for a positive week or weekend ahead. If that’s too much spiritual ju-ju for you, just go to keep your heart healthy. You’re going to sweat, a lot, and test your own limits so you’re strengthening your full body while losing excess water weight. It’s really an amazing workout to add on to what you’re already doing. They even do core exercises and weights while you’re riding so you’ll get it all!
Chels and I go to the Georgetown location and we’ve found that even though every instructor we’ve been to is beyond phenomenal and works your full body, they each have their sweet spot you’ll feel a little extra burn in. DJ makes sure our arms are toned and jiggle-free while Rochelle keeps our legs fit so we can kick butt. Cher is major squat goals and I swear an extra abdominal muscle popped up after Kate C.’s class. Abby pumped that heart muscle and gave me the internal strength I needed to keep going. We haven’t tried all of the Georgetown instructors but if they’re anything like the others we have no doubt we’d walk out of that 45-minute class feeling stronger all over! I mean, first you die a little bit, but then you feel like a champ. It’s pretty awesome.
Pro Tip #1: Juice.
I’m a big fan of juicing but totally understand it’s not for everyone. Do it your way but I definitely recommend trying it every so often to detox your body. I’ll do it once a month or so but I do it with what works for me. I still drink coffee in the morning. I tried it once without and the caffeine withdrawal was just too much. When I’m juicing I won’t drink my normal 4 cups per day, but I will have one in the morning. Trust me, it’s for the safety of everyone around me. When you’re juicing drink plenty of water so you’re flushing out all of your toxins. You may not be thirsty because you’re hydrating with juice, but you still need water to get rid of the toxins so keep drinking. I’ve gone full in and juiced for a week and other times I’ve done a modified 3 day cleanse where I’ll do the juices for breakfast and lunch and then have a small salad for dinner. Do what works for you and it’s going to be trial and error to find what’s right. Just get rid of those toxins every now and then.
Pro Tip #2: Try the “No Carbs after 4” Rule.
This gives your body time to digest without having the weight of carbs in your system while you’re sleeping. My Dad has had really bad heartburn for most of his life and he has tried this along with not eating at all 2 hours before bed (snacks included) and it’s helped his reflux more than any medicine he’s ever tried.
Pro Tip #3: Don’t treat your body like a trash can.
Seriously, you just can’t. Do you expect to be able to treat it like trash and expect it to look like treasure? Nope, not a thing. No matter how much you’re working out, if you’re still eating poorly and excessive amounts, it’s for nothing. I love burgers and cheese fries and desserts are my all-time weakness. But it’s about moderation. Don’t eat 2 burgers a day. Try not slathering your sandwich in a quarter cup of mayo. Have a mid-day treat instead of a before-bed dessert. You don’t need to go on a carb-free, gluten-free, vegan-friendly, fat-free, dairy-free diet. Just make better choices. Little things, everyday.
Tag me in your IG if you’re trying out any of these tips I’d love to see and support you! Whether you just go for my top 3 simple tips or throw in the pro tips too, I can’t wait to see each of you becoming #bodygoals, Darlings.
*besitos*
Nicole
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