Proactive Summer: Tips to Keep Fit With Fewer Workouts

You worked hard for that summer body, and now it's time to enjoy vacation. You'll be busy at the beach, hiking in the woods, or staying at home relaxing -- and you won't want to spend all your time at the gym. So how do you stop that summer body from slipping backward into winter mode? Pay attention, because here are simple truths about staying fit that you can apply year-round but that are particularly helpful this swimsuit season.

Already Fit? Take a Breather
I'm not saying that you can stop working out altogether, but it's OK to dial it back. Your waistline is tiny, and your muscles are toned. You've earned the right to not train seven days a week, or spend two hours on your workouts when you do. Unless you're an athlete preparing for an event, switch to three or four days a week and cut back to an hour a day.�

Follow a Summertime Food Plan
Warm-weather meals consist of salads, fresh fruit, lean protein, and gallons of water. There's no reason to be unhappy with this diet, but it can be difficult when attending barbecues with potato salad, hot dogs, cheeseburgers, pasta salad, deviled eggs and every chip-and-dip in the book,�not to mention frosted drinks, which are loaded with sugar. Eat healthy meals before going to the party, pick a few things the hosts made to eat while there, and make sure that they see you eating their cooking. At home, stick to your personal food plan to remain healthy and trim.

Party with Purpose
It's no secret that alcohol is filled with empty calories. The ingredients in party drinks range from grain to sugar, from potato to corn. Health enthusiasts wouldn't eat some of the things from which these beverages are made -- so why put them in your body with added alcohol? Choose which parties and events you really want to go to, and then nurse those drinks and hydrate. Not only will you avoid unwanted calories (and waking up bloated, with no abs), but you will also be able to remember the great time you had with your friends the night before.

Employ Shock Value
Training year-round, your body becomes accustomed to the workout.�When the workout changes, the climate changes, giving a little shock to the system. Your body has to wake up to do the new work. So pick a new routine: Instead of spending the summer weightlifting, do bodyweight training; instead of cardio, try interval training. Take advantage of nicer weather to run on the beach, mountain bike, play sports, or chase your dog, your kids or your husband. Emotionally, it'll feel like you're having fun. Physically, it'll feel like you're working out.

Catch Some Zs
It's summer. If you're well rested, you're ahead of the curve. Don't party so much that you lose sleep. Care for your body in this most important way, and you'll have less overall work to do, health-wise and fitness-wise. After a night, a week or a month of solid sleeping, you and your body can conquer the world.

Now, what are you waiting for? Spring is on the way out, and summer is around the corner. Get started on your base tan, use sunscreen -- and don't fall asleep lying in the sun with your phone on your naked belly. (Trust me on that one.) Have fun!