Photo from Fashion Gone Rogue

With summer just around the corner, most of us are pondering ways to whip our bodies into shape for bikini season. Fad diets are a bust, and doing a hundred crunches daily doesn’t sound all that appealing. The secret is to switch it up! Thanks to Spark People, we can direct you to a new exercise regimen with both a strength and cardio program, which will inject a little fun into getting bikini-ready!

Strength Program
Strength training is the secret behind lean mean muscle, which targets your most problematic areas and boosts your metabolism. The options of beginner, intermediate and advanced workouts can be found at the links below. Once you’ve chosen one of these user-friendly bikini workouts, you should repeat it two to three times a week for optimum results. And make sure to change it up; if you start with the beginner workout, move on to the intermediate level as you get stronger. This way, you will continue to see results!

Choose one of these three workouts:

• The Beginner Bikini Workout
• The Intermediate Bikini Workout
• The Advanced Bikini Workout

Cardio Program
When you think of cardio, running most likely comes to mind, but it doesn’t have to be so one-dimensional. There are many ways to incorporate cardio into your exercise regimen, and adding to the good news, you can break up your workouts into shorter sessions, which means your dreaded long runs can become pleasant fifteen-minute jogs around the park. As long as you accumulate forty-five minutes of exercise per day, three to four times a week, you will get the same benefits. Now here are some less mundane alternatives to running:

•  Clean the house, or the yard, in record time. This can elevate your heart rate to an aerobic level.
•  Walk on hilly areas rather than flat surfaces. The incline is a great way to tone your muscles and increase your heart rate.
• Jump rope or try hula hoop. Both are fun ways of burning calories.
• Go for a bike ride for a change of pace.
• Try a new fitness class such as spinning or kickboxing.
• Increase the incline on the cardio machines at the gym to burn more calories.
• Work out to exercise videos in the comfort of your own home–our personal favorite is Zumba!

What is your favorite cardio workout?