Originally published on The Running Bug
Off on your summer hols and worried about exposing your bits on the beach? Our alternative beach body tips will leave you strutting across the sand with pride!
Hit the beach
Want a beach body? Take your body, and go to the beach. It’s that simple. Life is too damn short to worry about the fact you probably don’t look like a supermodel. None of us do. Even the actual supermodels don’t look like supermodels. Photoshop and good lighting have a lot to answer for.
Unless you can afford to lug round a spotlight and a make up artist, you may as well embrace your true self. You are beautiful just the way you are, so stop being a plonker, take your hot self to the beach and enjoy your holiday.
Let it go
Beating yourself up for not hitting the gym every day for the last month? Forget about it. Now is the time to relax and enjoy your holiday. Breathe in through your nose, out through your mouth and take in the beautiful view. The beach doesn’t give a toss if you went to spin class or not. The beach wants you to put your toes in the sand and smile.
Reward yourself
Don’t have a chiselled six pack or abs of steel? So what! You ran loads this year. OK, you ran a few miles, but every little counts. Think back to all the small but mighty little things you DID do this year and celebrate your achievements. Those killer thighs are capable of achieving incredible feats of endurance. You’re a runner, and you rock.
Look around you
Unless you’re in St Tropez, the chances are you’re surrounded by people exactly like you. Normal everyday people with bodies of all shapes and sizes enjoying the sea air. They don’t care what you look like because they’re either too busy thinking about their own bodies, or they’re drunk. Nobody gives a monkeys if you ate too many donuts and don’t look like a Kardashian in your swim kit, and neither should you.
Be mindful
Mindfulness is a type of meditation that involves being in the moment, enjoying the here and now and focusing your attention on the present, your own thoughts and feelings and the world around you. This happens to be a beautiful beach so suck it up, stop worrying about your derriere and enjoy life.
Drink up
Forget water, drink gin. Make it a double. You’ll be amazed how much less of a sod you’ll give about what people think of your beach body if you’re totally sozzled on gin. Stick that hip flask in your beach bag and enjoy!
