Changing your body isn’t as hard as you may think. Little things add up—even the odd ones! Try these eight tips that may seem quirky and perhaps insignificant, but trust me, they will help you build a stronger, slimmer, healthier body.
1. Swipe away chaffing. For a simple and effective way to end chaffing between your legs, rub a stick of deodorant over your inner thighs. This will decrease sweat buildup and help you avoid the nasty of pain.
2. Tighten up your drinking. Place a rubber band on your water bottle, and lower it a few inches after each sip to mark the place you want to drink past each time when you’re taking more sips. (Remember, you should be drinking half of your body weight in ounces of water each day.)
3. Check your posture. The seams of your shirt can be a good indicator of strength imbalances between your chest and biceps (anterior) and your back (posterior). Next time you’re wearing a t-shirt, stand in front of a mirror to see if the stitching from the neck to the shoulder forms a straight line. If the lines turn slightly inward from the neck to the shoulders (anterior tilt), you may want to focus more attention strengthening your back and improving your posture.
4. Do the twist. With summer here, I recommend digging deep into your closet and doing a little cleaning with your workout or running shoes. This may mean parting ways with your favorite kicks. However, this will help you avoid injury. A simple and effective way to know if your workout or running sneakers have performed their last rep is to perform a “twist test.” Hold the sneaker at each end and twist. If the shoe easily rotates, the midsole is worn and is indicating that you need a replacement.
5. See red. This intense and powerful color can cause an energy surge, so you may benefit from wearing red clothes while exercising. Better yet, paint the walls of your in-home gym a vibrant red to get the most of your workouts.
6. Think cool. Stand as tall as possible throughout the day by pretending that you’re getting ice water poured down your back. This position will help not only by strengthening your core muscles, but also by boosting your caloric expenditure, forcing your body to maintain this position.
7. Juice your muscles. Tart cherries contain anti-inflammatory properties, which can help to reduce exercise-induced muscle damage. Try drinking approximately an ounce of the concentrated red stuff twice a day to help reduce post-workout soreness.
8. Add a dash of salt. Sprinkle some salt into your shoe or sneaker at the end of the day, then shake it out in the morning. The salt will help pull out the sweat—and odor. This is perfect to do after a run or after wearing your shoes without socks.