Fitness Tips from Olympian Misty Hyman

You don’t have to be an Olympian to whip your body into shape. Gold medalist Misty Hyman, who serves as a swim coach at Sanctuary on Camelback Mountain, shares her top tips for a strong and kick-bootie bikini body.

Multi-Task Your Workout: In the water you can accomplish your cardio, strength training, build your lung capacity and meditate – all at the same time. Swimming is the perfect antidote to the heat, and minimizes stress on joints to avoid spending a summer on the sidelines because of an injury.
Lift to Lighten Up: Weight training helps slim your body, not bulk it up (despite the stigma to the contrary). To get that envious “swimmer’s back” and define your arms for swimsuit season, alternate between 15 repetitions of seated lat pulls and 15 repetitions of seated rows, both with medium weight. Train your way up to three rounds per strength workout.
Recharge Body AND Soul: To refresh mentally and soothe sore muscles after a hard workout, stretch, rest and practice yoga. Yoga is amazing for flexibility, toning, and sense of calm.
Moisturize Your Skin from the Inside Out: Easier to come by than any miracle cream is good old fashioned water. Unlike sports drinks, water quenches your thirst and hydrates your skin free of charge (and calories). Active adults, especially in the desert, need three to four liters of water per day.

For more information on private swim instruction and training with Misty Hyman, contact Sanctuary on Camelback Mountain at 480.607.2300 or visit sanctuaryaz.com. Sanctuary offers a variety of personal training and group instruction.