Summer Skin Is Always In
Ahh summertime! This means beautiful weather and being outdoors which also means less clothing and showing more skin. I totally understand the feeling of a great tan, but keep in mind that the immediate effects of your tan are temporary while the adverse effects from the sun are FOREVER. It is very important to make sunblock a part of your daily routine. It will help reduce premature signs of aging, such as wrinkles, and fight against damage that can lead to skin cancer.
If you have visited a store lately looking for sunblock you probably noticed that there is a plethora to choose from. Here are a few things you need to know before you purchase your product:
1. SPF: SPF is refers to the sunblocks ability to block Ultraviolet B (UVB) rays, which are the rays that cause the sunburn. However it DOES NOT incorporate Ultraviolet A (UVA) rays which are the rays that are more closely linked to deeper skin damage. An SPF 15 product blocks about 94% of UVB rays, an SPF 30 product blocks about 97% of UVB and an SPF 45 product blocks about 98% of UVB rays. You may see products out there with an SPF of 80 or more but this is a bit silly. These products may offer a bit more protection but nothing is 100%. Keep these numbers in mind when choosing your SPF.
2. Application: The application is where most people tend to go wrong. An SPF of 30+ is great when it is used correctly! Just because you apply sunblock in the morning it does not mean you will be fine for the entire day. Sunblock should be applied sparingly every 2 HOURS to work most effectively.
3. Product: Make sure you choose a product that blocks UVB AND UVA!
4. ALternative Tan: Remember you can always take your tan to a safer route! Put on a self tanning lotion the night before you go out doors. This will give you a beautiful, healthy looking tan without the harmful rays. Just remember to use sunblock OVER the self tanning lotion as well.
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Keep Your Bikini Body Year Around
To show off that sexy safe tan you may want to tighten up your body! Intense exercise using high intervals is very effective.
THE PLAN
What you will need:
Nothing! A mat and a jump rope are optional.
How It Works:
Do the following exercises 2-3 a week.
1. Start with shadowboxing (using a combination of punches and kicks) or jump rope for 3 minutes.
2. Do the following moves in order without resting.
Move #1: PLANK POSE. Start on your hands and knees. Hands should be shoulder distance apart. Extend your legs, tuck your toes under and engage your quads so that your knees are off the mat. This position should look like the top of a push-up. Alternate lifting one foot at a time off the mat. Your foot should come a couple inches off the mat each time. Do this for 20 reps.
Move #2: BICYCLE ABS. Lay on your back with your knees bent 90 degrees from your hips. Alternate twisting opposite knee to elbow for 20 reps slowly. Work up to 50 reps.
Move #3: LUNGES. Start with your hands on your hips and feet should be hip distance apart. Step your right foot forward and bend into the knee 90 degrees. Make sure the knee is over the ankle and does not go past the ankle. Step your right foot back to meet the left and repeat the move with the left leg. Alternate 20 lunges each leg. Work up to to 40 reps each leg.
3. Repeat steps 1-2 two or three times per workout.
**To increase calorie burn, add shadow boxing or jump roping in between each set for one minute.
Remember to always think of why you are doing these moves to keep motivated. Get that bikini body! You can do it!!
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