Summer is a wonderful time of year to take care of our ourselves, rest and spend time with family and friends. But it can also cause anxiety overdrive; trying to get 'beach body ready' or worrying about wearing summer dresses and shorts. To stop negative self talk restricting our enjoyment of this time of year, lets look at some ways to get your confidence back so you are excited and ready for summer!

 

Eat to Nourish Your Body

Eating a balanced diet is crucial for maintaining a healthy weight and feeling confident in your body. A healthy diet should be rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean protein, and healthy fats. These foods provide the nutrients our bodies need to function properly and also ensure we look our best.

For example, protein helps support strong, toned muscles as it provides amino acids that are the building blocks of muscle tissue. Vitamins A and C help with collagen production to maintain skin elasticity and a youthful appearance by keeping wrinkles at bay. And omega-3 fatty acids, found in fatty fish like salmon, can help reduce inflammation in the body and improve skin and hair health.

Processed foods and sugary drinks, on the other hand, can lead to inflammation and bloating - not ideal when we’re about to hit the pool and bare all. A diet high in these types of foods can also increase the risk of weight gain, obesity, type 2 diabetes, and other health problems. So it’s best to try and limit these foods and leave them as a very occasional treat.

Alongside a heathy diet, don’t forget to stay hydrated! This is especially important during hot summer months. When we become dehydrated we are more likely to experience constipation and bloating, as well as fatigue. Not exactly confidence boosting feelings. Aim to drink at least 8-10 glasses of water per day, and consider adding some lemon or cucumber slices for a refreshing twist.

Get Moving

Physical activity is an important part of any healthy lifestyle, whether it's morning yoga practice, a gym session, home workout, or an evening run. But remember, exercise is not all about getting the perfect bikini body. It’s important for long term health and fitness which will in turn help you feel confident in your body and self.

Not only will exercise help you maintain a healthy weight and tone up, but it can also have a positive impact on mental health by reducing stress, anxiety, and depression. This is because exercise releases feel-good endorphins and helps lower stress hormones and inflammation in the body, which is proven to contribute to depression. Studies have also shown that regular exercise can improve sleep quality, boost energy levels, and reduce the risk of chronic diseases like heart disease, diabetes, and cancer.

To achieve a balanced and comprehensive workout that helps to improve overall fitness and health, try to incorporate both cardiovascular exercises such as running, swimming or cycling, with strength training such as lifting weights, squats and push-ups. Cardio can improve heart health, increase endurance, and burn calories. While strength training can help to build muscle, improve bone density, and increase metabolism.

AMP’s hot pink fitness bars are a great summery addition to your home strength workouts, providing that extra bit of resistance to help sculpt and tone your body. If you’re after something a little heavier, why not try the weighted triangle dumbbells instead?

 

 

 

Practice Mindfulness

Summer is a time to relax and enjoy life, but it can also be stressful at times if you’re not feeling body confident. Practicing mindfulness is a great tool for helping manage stress and anxiety and can improve your overall well-being and happiness. To put it simply, mindfulness is a mental state of awareness that involves paying attention to the present moment, acknowledging and accepting one's thoughts, emotions, and sensations without reacting to them or getting caught up in them.

Mindfulness can be practiced through various techniques, such as meditation, breathing exercises, and body scans. Yoga is a great way to incorporate mindfulness into your life as it involves deep controlled breathing patterns, focus on your bodily movements and can help bring you out of your head. Plus, it’s great for toning and body strength, helping you feel good inside and out.

 

Get Enough Sleep

Getting the recommended 7-9 hours of sleep a night can contribute to better body confidence in a number of ways. Firstly, it helps us feel more refreshed and energised so we can attack our days with vigour and do all the activities that will help us achieve better confidence.

Secondly, a lack of sleep increases levels of stress hormones and anxiety, which can dampen our body confidence. Similarly, sleep is essential for regulating our mood and emotions and helps us feel positive and happy.

Additionally, sleep can also have a direct impact on our physical appearance. Getting enough sleep can help regulate metabolism and appetite, reducing the risk of weight gain. Sleep also supports good skin health because during sleep, the body produces collagen which reduces the appearance of wrinkles and fine lines to promote a healthy, glowing complexion.

 

Practice Self-Care

Taking care of yourself is essential for feeling confident and comfortable in your own skin as it

helps build a positive relationship with your body. Make time for self-care activities such as taking a relaxing bath, doing a pamper session with face masks and other lotions and potions, or practising a hobby you enjoy.

These activities can help reduce stress, help us feel love for ourselves and improve overall well-being. If you have an event coming up and you’re not feeling confident about your body, make sure to set aside some time to focus on doing the things that help you feel your best.

Summary

With the warm weather and sun shining, summer is a great time to focus on health and wellness. Maintaining a balanced diet, exercising regularly, practising mindfulness, getting enough sleep, and engaging in self-care activities are all essential for feeling comfortable and confident in our own skin.

Remember, our bodies are unique and beautiful in their own way, and these tips are simply to help us feel our best so we can enjoy all the fun summer activities with confidence and happiness. By making small changes and building healthy habits over time, we can achieve our goals and feel our best all year round.

Let us know your tips for body confidence!

Having strong, toned arms can make all the difference to our appearance and body confidence. With the festive period in full swing and Christmas parties just around the corner, you might be wondering how to tone your arms fast.

 

Well don’t worry, we’ve got you covered! The following are some of the most effective exercises to include in your at-home arm workouts. For best results, repeat each exercise for three sets of 12 reps. And don’t forget to rest in between sets!

1. Bicep curl

This is a classic arm exercise that is great for targeting your biceps on the front of your upper arm.

How to do it:

• Begin standing with your feet hip-width apart.
• Hold a dumbbell in each of your hands at your sides, palms facing forward.
• Keeping your arms tucked into your sides, bend your elbows to bring the weights to your shoulders.
• Lower back down and repeat.

 

2. Triceps kickback

This exercise targets your triceps which are located at the back of your upper arm. They help stabilize your shoulders and support movements that involves extending your arms.

How to do it:

• Stand with your feet hip-width apart and a dumbbell in each hand at your sides, palms facing each other.
• Bend your knees slightly and hinge forward at the waist.
• Keeping your arms close to your sides, straighten your arms and push the dumbbells backwards so that they are behind you.
• Hold and slowly bring your arms back to starting position.
• Repeat.

3. Chest press

Chest presses target multiple muscles in your upper body at once including your triceps, pectorals (chest muscles) and deltoids (shoulder muscles).

 

How to do it:

• Lie on an exercise mat on the floor with your knees bent and feet flat on the ground.
• Hold a dumbbell in each hand with your palms facing the floor.
• Bend your elbows to a 90-degree angle and hold the dumbbells wider than your chest. You are now in the starting position.
• Keep your elbows bent and push the dumbbells up above you until your arms are straight - don’t lock your elbows!
• Slowly lower back down to the starting position and repeat your reps.

4. Front and lateral raises

Lateral raises are great at working out your shoulder muscles and triceps, while front raises target shoulder and chest muscles as well as your biceps.

How to do a lateral raise:

• Stand with your feet hip-width apart and a dumbbell in each hand at your sides, palms facing towards your body.
• With your elbows slightly bent, raise your arms so that they are parallel to the floor.
• Slowly lower to starting position and repeat.

How to do a front raise:

• Get into the same starting position as with a lateral raise, but hold your dumbbells in front of your legs and palms facing your thighs.
• Keeping your arms straight, raise them out in front of you so that they are parallel to the ground.
• Return to the starting position and repeat.

The perfect arm workout accessories

Ready to get cracking but don’t have the right equipment? Our 4kg dumbbell strength bars are the perfect match for the exercises above. They are easy to hold and add just the right amount of resistance to your movements to help tone, sculpt and strengthen.

 

If you’re just getting started and looking for something lighter, try our 6lb fitness bars instead. Again, these are easy to hold and help you achieve toned and lean looking arms.

Let us know how you get on, we'd love to know what you think!







What are your favourite arm exercises? Tell us in the comments below.

If you’re looking to add a little intensity to your home workouts, resistance bands might just be what you’re looking for. They are a great way to build muscle and tone-up your body because they add tension and resistance to any exercise movement.


You can use resistance bands in a variety of ways, looping them around different parts of your body and attaching them to different anchor points, such as a door frame or bedpost. They also come in different resistances so you can alter the difficulty of your workouts and are suitable for all fitness levels.


Here, we explain a few of the main benefits of working out with resistance bands and share a few examples of effective moves to include in your workouts.

Benefits of using resistance bands

1 Portable

One of the major benefits of using resistance bands is their portability. Because they are so lightweight and take up very little room in a bag, you can take them with you wherever you go, whether that’s work trips or holidays! This makes them great for people who are constantly on the move and means you will never have to miss a workout.

2 Effective at building muscle mass and tone

Resistance bands are extremely effective at increasing muscle mass and tone because they add tension and load to movements, both of which are necessary for building muscle. Unlike weights which remain equally heavy through an entire rep, the tension of resistance bands increases as they’re pulled apart, which makes muscle work harder.

According to research, working out with resistance bands is equally effective at building muscle as working out with conventional resistance training equipment such as weight machines and dumbbells.

3 Reduces injury risk

Resistance bands place a very small amount of force on joints, meaning there is less chance of injury compared to weight training. You can also increase resistance without increasing injury risk. As such, this makes resistance bands a great option for elderly people, or anyone with existing injuries or joint pain.

4 Works multiple muscle groups

Because resistance bands are so versatile, you can train at specific angles in order to target certain muscle groups. For example, it is much easier to work the smaller muscle groups, which may otherwise get neglected in your workouts. You can also target several muscles at the same time, enabling you to get a full-body workout.

What’s more, the constant tension requires muscles to work extra hard and activates stablizer muscle groups to control the movement, improving balance, stability and core strength.

3 examples of exercises with resistance bands

1. Lateral Raise

How to do it:

• Start by standing with the right foot stepped forward infront of the left, flat on the floor with the middle of a resistance band lopped underneath the arch. Keep your left heel slightly raised off the floor.
• Grasp one end of the resistance band with either hand with your arms at your side.
• Raise both arms outward until they are parallel with the floor and return slowly to the starting position.
• Repeat for both sides

2. Banded front squat

How to do it:

• Stand on the middle of a resistance band with your feet hip-width apart.
• Hold one end of the band in either hand and bend your arms to bring your hands to your ears.
• Keeping your arms in this position, engage your core and sink your hips back into a squat.
• Extend your legs to return to the starting position.

3. Side plank high pull

How to do it:

• Start in a side plank position with a resistance band underneath your hand on the floor.
• With your other hand, grasp the other end of the band and bend your elbow to pull it away from the floor. Make sure to remain in a stable plank position.
• Repeat on both sides.

Summary

Resistance bands are a great way to add intensity to your workouts. They are effective at building, strengthening and toning muscle and offer numerous other benefits including a reduced risk of injury, portability, versatility and they are great for targeting multiple muscle groups. Once you start using them, it’s likely they’ll become a staple piece of equipment for your home workouts!

AMP offer latex resistance bands in five different strengths, from extra light to extra heavy, depending on how challenging you want your workouts.

Or, try the adjustable fabric bands which allow you to alter the intensity of your workouts by adjusting the length of the band.

Which bands do you prefer? Let us know.