Summer (and bikini season!) is rapidly approaching, and if you’re experiencing the last-minute fitness panic, you’re not alone. Luckily, celebrity trainer Harley Pasternak, who has worked with Megan Fox, Lady Gaga, Rihanna, Katy Perry and the Kardashians, revealed his five fitness tips with Stylish.
Make Fitness An All-Day Priority
Whether hitting the beach or enjoying a stroll through the park, walk daily. “I always encourage people to use a Fitbit and challenge themselves to reach 12,000 steps a day, and strive for 14,000 if they’re trying to lose weight,” Pasternak tells Us. With the warm weather at our doorstep, it’s the perfect excuse to get out and get moving.
Implement Circuit Training
Develop a more efficient workout to develop and maintain that summer body by incorporating strength-building exercises and cardio. “Try mixing moves, such as skater lunges with floor taps, jump squats, superman or pike planks, with cardio basics like jogging or mountain climbers to both trim down and build muscle,” says Pasternak.
Use Five-Minute Compound Exercises
Summer is a busy time for everyone, so fit in shorter compound exercises where you can that focus on more than one part of the body. “Whether it’s a lunge with a shoulder press or lying tricep extension with a hip thrust, you’ll create a more efficient workout even when your schedule is filling up,” explains Pasternak.
Track Your Heart Rate
“My clients and I use Fitbit Alta HR to monitor heart rate during workouts. Monitoring your heart rate while you exercise lets you know if you’re burning more fats or carbs, and where your perfect intensity level is to delay fatigue” says Pasternak, adding that it can also track how fast your heart rate recovers after cardio. This, he explains, is a really great indicator of overall fitness health.
Don’t Forget About Recovery
The exhaustion that results from sleep deprivation can sabotage your efforts to lose fat and gain muscle. “I encourage my clients to get at least 7 hours of sleep each night and track the quality of their sleep,” says Pasternak. He adds that Fitbit’s newest sleep tracking feature, Sleep Stages, can open the user’s eyes to how much and how well they’re sleeping by automatically tracking light, deep and REM sleep, as well as time awake.
