Healthy ways to prep for Spring Break

Wander through the streets of the UW-L campus two weeks before March 14, 2008 and you will most likely witness girls with freshly manicured nails, apparent fake tans, and sweat dripping down their face after their extra half hour at The Rec. Jealous? Don't be. Spring break preparation can be just as demanding as getting ready for prom. Sure you may not have the worries of finding that perfect dress, but far worse, you have to face the fact that you will be exposing your entire body in a swimsuit, and for a whole week rather than one night, nonetheless. Then you have to worry about what you will wear out at night, whether or not your hair needs highlighting, and how many hours in the tanning bed will cut it. As ruthless as this sounds, it crosses most girls' minds at least once, even if they do push it to the back of their mind. Luckily, there are certain steps that a girl can take to snap out of her trance and prepare for spring break the right way. Cliché lines like "beauty is pain" and "health equals beauty" may be just that, clichés, but in actuality there is some truth behind both of these phrases. If beauty is pain, then working out, as painful as it may be, may be beneficial as long as you do not take it overboard. The best way to get a beautiful beach body is to start about a month ahead of time and work your way up. Cramming in two-a day workout sessions one week before spring break is just not going to cut it, and you will most likely feel fatigued and irritable. Start with a smooth twenty to thirty minute walk/run on a machine or around the track and then increase your time and intensity. Do not feel the need to work out every day but if you feel relentless, try to alternate days with an anaerobic exercise like pilates, yoga, or just stretching for twenty minutes. This will not only help your muscles relax but also prepare them to intensify your next workout. Although there are a variety of complexions seen on the shores of wherever you may be headed, for girls, tanning ahead of time is almost inevitable. Many girls feel better about themselves with a little color (although definitely not a priority) but if you are going to tan, be smart about it. Like working out, start a head of time and slowly increase your time. Looking like a bright red tomato and then waiting until it turns into a tan and repeating the process five days later will not get you an even tan. Also remember to use some kind of lotion before and after to protect your skin. And even if you are afraid of raccoon eyes, do not neglect to wear goggles; your eyes will look ten times worse in ten years if you ignore them. Being able to see is obviously far more important than a week of glowing skin, so also remember to take out your contacts if you wear them, because forgetting to do so can result in long-term eye damage. An even better alternative that is much healthier than spending time in a tanning bed is getting a spray tan! Many think spray tans or tanning lotion can make your skin look orange, but the orangy look only occurs when you use too much in too short of a space of time. If you decide to use lotion, apply it thinly and evenly, and build up to your tan throughout the course of a few weeks. If you opt to get a spray tan, try Mystic Tan, used by celebrities such as Jessica Simpson (and it's available at almost every tanning salon)! Most importantly, remember to maintain a steady diet. When I say diet I do not mean a vice you utilize in order to lose weight, but rather sticking to a plan that helps you stay healthy and alert. Do not skip meals and do not cut out all bad foods, especially if you are going to be increasing your workout schedule. Treat yourself once in awhile!