20 Easy and Effective Ways to Get Ready for Bikini Season ...

1. Take Care of Hair

Step one for how to prepare your body for bikini season: take care of the hair down there! Whether you shave or wax (or both), the best way to get ready for bikini season is to tidy up your bikini area…you don’t want anything to distract from how gorgeous you are, right?

2. Check for Spots

Skin cancer kills more young women than any other form of cancer, yet we still don’t wear sunblock like we should, and we still don’t check ourselves like we ought to. Look closely at your skin, paying attention to any mole or freckle that looks suspicious. Don’t know what to look for? Check out the free guide at the cancer.org. It could save your life, so can you think of a better way to get ready for bikini season?

3. Get the Right Sunblock

Yes, I’m harping on this, but it’s important — one of the most important ways to get ready for bikini season is to get the right sunblock. It’s simple: you need a broad-spectrum UVA/UVA sunscreen with an SPF of at least 30. Apply it, generously, every 2 hours. Done!

4. Get the Right Fit!

Now it’s time to talk about the bikini! Even the fittest girl can have a muffin top if her suit doesn’t fit. Be prepared to spend a lot of time bikini shopping, and also be prepared to buy a swimsuit that’s larger than your jeans size. For example, I wear a size 0 jeans…but a size 8 bikini.

5. Get Inspired

What inspires you? A photo of you from younger, chubbier days? A page from the catalog of the suit you want? Whatever it is that will help motivate you to workout, get it… and keep it handy. Getting inspired is one of the best ways to get a bikini body.

6. Try for Five

Now let’s talk about diet, shall we? Chances are, you want to lose a little weight, not much, to get ready for bikini season. You don’t need to go on some strange, strict diet — just try to substitute the sugary snacks you usually eat with healthy, fiber-rich fresh fruits and veggies The USDA recommends we consume 5 handful-size servings per day…go for it!

7. Forget Fast Food

Fast food is fattening, often containing all of the calories you ought to eat in one day in one MEAL. Prepare for bikini season this year by banning fast food all summer long. You’ll be so glad you did!

8. Skip the Soda

Simply put, soda is empty calories, calories you don’t need as we get into bikini season. Skip the soda in favor of mixed fruit juices (with no sugar added) or my bikini season fave, ice water with a dash of lemon juice and you'll see how easy it is to get a bikini body.

9. Stay Hydrated

Speaking of water, it’s important to stay hydrated when you’re poolside or at the beach. Keep a bottle of water with you at all times, and sip from it frequently. Ahh - what a refreshing way to get ready for bikini season.

10. Ditch the Downers

One of the best ways to get ready for bikini season is to do a little spring cleaning of your friends list. This is no time to deal with the drama and indignity of frenemies. It’s time to focus on the positive, so ditch the downers and get ready for summer!

11. Get Plenty of Rest

There’s a reason it’s called “beauty sleep.” This summer, get ready for bikini season by getting plenty of sleep. You’ll need it, with all the exercise and fresh air! That’s right…I said exercise…here we go!

12. Get Your Cardio

Why not get your inside as tone and fit as your outside this bikini season? Aim for four cardio sessions per week, for about half an hour each session. Cardio can be anything that keeps your heart racing for the entire time, including biking, swimming, dancing…you name it!

13. Crunch Time

You knew crunch time was coming, so you’re ready for it, right? There's simply no better way to tone your abs and core than crunches, but they can actually be, dare I say it, fun! Use a decline bench and do three sets of twist crunches, then change it up and do reverse crunches, too! What’s a reverse crunch? Start sitting up, then sit half-way back, then sit up again. See? Fun!

14. Calf Raises

Let’s focus on your calves for a moment, shall we? If you want bikini-ready calves, the solution is simple: calf raises. I do these all the time while standing in line. Simply roll from your flat foot to your toes, crunch for a second, then roll back to your flat foot. You’ll have killer calves in no time.

15. Row It

Want toned arms and sexy abs? Try rowing! The key is the right motion: don’t lean back as you complete the rowing motion. Your back ought to stay straight, with your hands pulling toward your middle. Rowing is one of my favorite answers for how to get a bikini body.

16. Squats and Lunges

It’s time to tone your butt and thighs, and this is where the lunges and squats come in as the best way to get ready for bikini season. Do three sets of 12 of each, twice a day, for the best buns of your life. Yes, it burns, but it’s so worth it!

17. Yoga

Get long and lean and flexible with a little yoga, another great way to get ready for bikini season. In fact, a lot of metro parks offer morning yoga in the sunshine… can you think of a better way to get ready for bikini season, or your day?

18. Sit up Straight

You’re fit and fab, so why the flab? If you’re not sitting up straight, you’ll look like you have a belly bulge, even when you don’t. Sit up, with your shoulder back and tummy tight, and you’ll look and feel much better!

19. Bask in the Bronzer, Not the Tanner

We all still think that a tan looks healthy, even though we know, logically, it’s the first sign of sun damage. If you still want the look to get ready for bikini season, opt for self-tanners and bronzers rather than the tanning bed. Two words: skin cancer!

20. Hide the Flaws

If all else fails, remember, they make gorgeous flowing sarongs, cute board shorts and other great beach clothes for a reason! As long as you’re fit, and eating a healthful diet, don’t worry about the few extra pounds. Simply disguise them in a cute cover-up and you’re set!

Now that we have a plan of action, and this handy checklist of the ways to get ready for bikini season, it’s not daunting…it’s exciting! Let’s go! Which of these ways will you get ready first? Or do you have another prep step to add to my list? Please share!

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