Spring Break is less than a month away, and let’s face it, you’re not exactly psyched to see yourself in a bathing suit. Months of hiding behind bulky sweaters made you forget your New Year’s Resolution to drop those five pounds you picked up over the holidays. But now that you face the prospect of walking around on a beach in a bathing suit in front of hundreds of other hotties who did manage to get themselves to the gym, you’re starting to sweat. Well at least this is the first step towards losing weight. Don’t worry, you have just enough time to get in shape so you can strut your stuff on the beach without horrifying other onlookers. So, here are a few tricks for you to get into bikini or Speedo shape.

1. Get moving. In order to lose that beer belly, you need to burn more calories so head to the gym. Because Colgate’s gym can be particularly busy especially during spring break crunch time, I recommend going at off peak hours – either in the morning or evening. You might also try right after lunch. Jump on an elliptical or treadmill or bicycle for at least 30 minutes of cardio work. The best way to burn more calories is to do intervals. If you get bored working out, try making a fun mix CD to run to or download some upbeat tunes for your IPod. Or, try watching your favorite television program. Some people like to bring magazines to read while they workout, but I usually find them too difficult to concentrate on when you are bopping up and down. 2. If the gym is just too crowded for you, there are other ways to get in a cardio workout. Try one of the many aerobics classes offered on Monday and Wednesday afternoons. If you like to swim, hop in the pool and do some laps. Dress in warm layers and take your run outside – just be sure to warm up. Too cold outside? Run around the track in the field house. You can also try a club sport or maybe stop by outdoor Ed for some cross country skiing It’s amazing exercise).

3. In addition to cardio, you gotta lift some weights and do some sit-ups if you want to look toned. You can always use the different weight machines at the gym – if you watch other people, you can generally figure out how to work them (just make sure you don’t use too heavy of a weight). They also have dumbbells of just about every weight that you can lift to strengthen your arms and shoulders. Don’t be embarrassed if you can’t lift heavy ones. I can barely lift the five pound ones. Do three sets of eight with each arm. If you don’t know the type of exercise you should do, again, you can watch others (There are ALWAYS people lifting weights at the gym), or you can grab Shape magazine or go on its website for tips. You can also try pull ups and sit ups if you want a more familiar method.

4. If you really want to get rid of your beer belly, you gotta do those sit-ups. I know, they are far from fun, but they really work. Just make sure you have good form – it’s better to do ten correct sit-ups than one hundred bad ones. Remember that this will all be worth it when you run into the girl or boy of your dreams.

5. If weight lifting is not for you, try Pilates. It creates long lean muscle (Dancers use it, and look at their bodies). You can buy a tape at Wal-Mart or order one online. Yoga is another option, although it’s better for stretching than strength training. Speaking of stretching – don’t forget to stretch after your workout so that you don’t get injured. Oh, and drink lot’s of water.

Now that you know how to do it, head to the gym and burn those calories. There’s only a few weeks left until spring break, and even with just an hour of your time a few days a week, you can really change how you look.