Best Exercises for Spring Time

Though by the end of winter, most people are desperately waiting for the last of the snow to melt and for the warmer days to step forward, it is at that time that the majority of us realize that we need the 5 best spring exercises to bail us out for having been so lazy throughout the winter months. All those baggy clothes cover a multitude of sins, including heavier foods – that taste so good when the weather is frigid – and a more sedentary lifestyle from having to spend more time indoors.

But what are these best exercises for spring? Every year, one expert or another comes out with a list of new ways to contort and strain to try to get back a smaller figure that will look more appealing in a bathing suit in the upcoming summer season. Does it really take all that pain and aggravation to lose weight and get toned? Or does it take an expensive gym membership that you may or may not use as often as you should?

Not at all! If the fear of having to try on bathing suits for those months of beaches and swimming pools this year isn’t enough, then you’ll be relieved to hear that the best exercises for spring are actually activities that you’ve likely known all along, but that simply haven’t yet been worked into the right combination in your daily activity routine.

It’s important to combine both cardiovascular and strength training, and it only takes a few core moves to get you started on the right foot. They are all the spring exercises that you’ll ever need to get you bathingsuit ready in a flash, and they include the following:

1. Running – to get your cardio going, you should try doing about 20 minutes of either jogging or running, for three to five days every week. You can start out in your own neighborhood, or use the local track or a park in the area. Most people find that it is more enjoyable if they change the location on a regular basis, and if they run somewhere with some pleasant scenery. Over time, build your way up to 40 to 60 minutes. This is a real calorie burner!
2. Crunches – the abs are one of the biggest struggles to flatten down, but if you do those crunches every day, and do them properly, you’ll soon find that they are complementing your other efforts and will begin to look much more toned within a matter of weeks, not months. For an even bigger challenge, raise your legs at a 45 degree angle while you do the crunches.
3. Bicep curls – these are great for toning your arms and giving your arms a touch of shape. Use the maximum set of dumbbells that you can lift, and turn your wrists/palms to face the wall ahead of you, slowly bending your elbows and lifting the weights and then slowly lowering them. Keep your arms close to your body the whole time. Do as many sets of eight (with pauses between) as you can without feeling pain.
4. Tricep curls – a fully toned arm means that you eliminate those “bingo wings” at the back, too. Nobody wants saggy skin to flap while they wave hello. Lean forward slightly, back straight, with one foot on a chair or a step, and keep your arm close to your body but extend your elbow back slightly behind you. Use a weight and bend and straighten your arm slowly, keeping your elbow in place.
5. Squats – the lower body can greatly benefit from squats. If you need help with balance, hold a chair or other stable surface and, keeping your back straight, start bending and straightening your legs to lower and raise yourself. Never lower past the level you’d reach to sit down. This will help your hips, butt, hamstrings, and quads.

All it takes is these 5 spring exercises, used properly and routinely, and you’ll be all set for summertime this year.