Staying on Track with Summer Fitness

Summer is a time for cookouts, refreshing drinks, lighter food, and more time outside. Yet many of us neglect our fitness and workout routines during the nicer days. Here are some tips for keeping your fitness on track throughout the summer months.

Set a routine

Make your goals, set a routine, and stick to it. If you’re a morning person, do your workout first thing in the morning. The more you put it off, the less likely it is to happen. If you’re more of a night person, go for a run later in the day when it’s not so hot outside.

Whatever works best for you, make sure you maintain your routine. It’s really easy to miss one day of your workout and think you’ll get back on track tomorrow. There will always be distractions and excuses not to get a workout done.

Working exercise into your daily routine

There are countless ways to creatively get in a workout throughout the day.

Doing laundry? Grab a couple bottles of detergent and turn them into weights. Do some arm exercises, lunges, and squats.

Working from home? Take a break every 2 hours and run up and down the stairs for 5 minutes or do some push-ups, jumping jacks, and crunches.

Taking the kids to the park? Use benches or picnic tables to do step-ups, box jumps, and dips.

Feeling stressed? Take a break to do some yoga poses and deep breathing.

Everyday calorie-burning tasks also include washing the car, gardening, and mowing the lawn.

No equipment? No problem!

There are plenty of ways to get a workout in when no exercise equipment is available.

• Burpees
• Squats
• Lunges
• Leg lifts
• Plank
• Push-ups, sit-ups, crunches
• Arm exercises
• Leg exercises
• Core workout
• Full body workout

Fitness on Vacation

This may sound like an oxymoron, but it’s beneficial to continue your exercise routine, even while on vacation. And it’s actually easier than you might think!

If you’re at the beach, go for a walk in the sand. Sand provides resistance, so walking requires more energy, burns more calories, and strengthens your muscles. As an added bonus, go for a swim afterwards in the ocean, lake, or pool to cool off.

Go hiking. Rent bikes. Kayak. Swim. Snorkel. Paddleboard. Play volleyball or frisbee. Golf. Good for your health (and fun too!), there are plenty of enjoyable ways to get some cardio in while on vacation.

• Exercises from Shape Magazine
• Pool exercises
• No equipment, total body workout
• Travel workouts
• Exercises on vacation
• No equipment exercises you can do anywhere

Make fitness fun!

Get everyone involved, and make it a family activity. Plan nightly walks with the kids or physical activity games with sidewalk chalk. Play tag as a family or have jump rope contests. Throw a ball around or hula hoop.

If you really want to get creative, design a fun obstacle course in the backyard. This looks like so much fun, I want to do one! 😂

Exercise safely in the summer heat

• Drink plenty of water and stay hydrated
  • Fruits such as watermelon, grapes, pineapple, and oranges have a high water content and are a great way to replenish water and boost energy post-workout. Smoothies are also great options.
• Replenish lost electrolytes (especially with excessive sweating during hot summer months)
  • Avoid artificial ingredients and added sugar of popular sports drinks
  • Instead, try coconut water, cherry juice, watermelon water, or add sea salt and lemon juice to water. 
• Apply a sweat-proof sunscreen when outdoors, and wear a hat
• Wear loose-fitting, light-colored clothing
• Bring a snack
  • Nuts, seeds, fruit
• Watch for symptoms of heat exhaustion or heat stroke
  • Nausea, fatigue, cramps, dizziness, weakness

Keep it up!

Don’t give up on your exercise routine just because the weather is nicer. In fact, it’s a great excuse to do more outside! 

We’ve all been confined in quarantine for months, and being outside is beneficial to our mental health. However, just because coronavirus lockdown restrictions are easing up doesn’t mean you should let your guard down. Continue to social distance and practice safe hand hygiene. Limit your exposure to other people as much as possible and wear a mask when in public.

Large parks are a great way to get the family outside while being cautious. And as you can see, there are also tons of creative things that you can do in your own driveway and backyard. For more exercises and fitness ideas, be sure to check out my Pinterest page.

To help keep your fitness on track, summer is also a great time to eat healthy and enjoy lighter meals. It’s my absolute favorite season for food!

What are some creative ways you have worked fitness into your everyday routine? Let me know in the comments below!