The school year is coming to an end, and that means it’s summer time.

For many of us, summer time means vacation time. And for a lot of people, those vacations will be spent at the beach. The beach brings to mind two of the most dreaded words in the English language – bathing suit.

If you’ve managed to stick to the goal you set at the beginning of the year, good for you. You should be ready to hit the beach at the first chance you get, and go ahead, you deserve it.

For the other 98 percent who didn’t reach those goals, you’re probably panicking. Don’t, because it’s not too late to look good in your swimwear this summer.

You’re first thought is to get in shape as fast as possible, and there are plenty of lose-weight-fast programs out there, but that is the worst thing you could possibly do to yourself.

“People tend to panic at the start of the summer about being in a bathing suit and trying to crash diet and exercise like mad,” said Shelby Young, one of the personal trainers at Hampshire Hills. “Instead, they should begin exercising again gradually and intelligently.”

If you don’t know what exactly a gradual and intelligent return to exercising means, ask a trainer.

Have someone help you set up a workout plan. And instead of cutting yourself off food completely, just be smarter about what you’re eating.

“Massive calorie restriction or juice ‘cleanses’ are a perfect recipe for failure,” Young said. “Focus on just removing processed, sugary and high-carb foods from your diet and eat more whole fruits, vegetables, meats, nuts and seeds.”

Combining intense exercise with a crash diet Young mentioned will lead you to a crash of your own. Exercising on an empty stomach is not a good idea, and you need to consume something before, and after, your workouts.

As for those other summer moments, when you’re out at a ball game or at a barbeque in the neighbor’s backyard, you can still eat healthy by making the right choices.

But what if your friend’s brownie sundae looked so good that you just had to get one for yourself? I suppose you can have one mulligan. Take it and start over tomorrow.

And what if it takes all summer for you to get that beach body you want? Don’t worry. Most gyms have air conditioning.

Joe Marchilena writes a weekly fitness column for Hampshire Hills. To find out more information about the “90 Day Commit to Get Fit” program, call 603-673-7123 or e-mail hhinfo@hampshirehills.com.