Staying Fit Without Skipping the Fun : Your Summer Fitness Guide
I have a pretty solid exercise routine for most of the year. However when it comes to the summer holidays, everything gets knocked a bit off kilter. My kids are still at school so having them at home for 6 weeks requires a bit of adjustment across the board - trying to fit in work, exercise, the all important me time and not feeling like a terrible parent for letting them stay on their screens for longer than I know is good for them.
Kids aside, summer presents other challenges when it comes to sticking to fitness routines. Going away on holiday is perhaps the most obvious one, since it’s the time when we all just want to down tools and relax. Other disrupters include having family and friends staying over as we need to be around to feed and entertain guests. Our social lives tend to be busier with more evening gatherings which can involve late nights and a little more alcohol than usual. Finally, hot weather can be a real challenge, especially when it’s humid - no one feels like exercising then!
Here are my top tips for keeping yourself fit and healthy over the coming months:
Be realistic (but don’t give yourself a complete free pass) - it might be that you can’t get to the gym or go out for your runs or long walks often as you’d like and that’s ok. Make it your goal to be as active as possible every day. In doing so, you’ll maintain a decent base level of fitness and you’ll still feel good.. Don’t forget that exercise has huge mental health benefits and you don’t need to push yourself hard to access these.
Identify new pockets of time for exercise - with no school run or perhaps more flexibility to work from home, this could open up some extra pockets of time when you could squeeze some exercise in. I know that when my kids are on school holidays, this creates a 45 minute window in the morning that would otherwise be taken up with getting them to school. If your work or other commitments tend to be quieter over the summer months, consider whether you could take a slightly longer lunch break or finish a bit earlier and use that time to do some exercise.
Incorporate socialising with exercise - instead of catching up with friends over coffee or a glass of wine, why not suggest you meet up for a walk? If you’ve been meaning to try a new type of fitness class, you could bring a friend along to do it together. You can always treat yourselves to coffee or a glass of wine afterwards.
Beat the heat by getting it done early - when the temperatures climb, the only real way to ensure you get your exercise done without it being an unpleasant, sweaty experience (unless you have access to an air conditioned gym) is to get it done in the morning before it gets hot. Morning exercise also has the advantage of setting you up for the day, improving your mood and focus. Just don’t forget to drink plenty of water and to fuel yourself with a protein rich meal afterwards.
Walk, walk and walk some more - don’t obsess about steps, just go out for loads of walks - short ones, long ones, walks on the beach, through the woods, into town, exploring cities, alone, with your partner, kids or grandkids, dog or friends.. Wherever you are or whoever you are with, find ways to go for lots of walks. Don’t stop at 10,000 steps - keep going!
Don’t let too much wine and rubbish food be your downfall - I’m not saying you have to make perfect food choices while you’re on holiday, but do try to enjoy treats in moderation. It can be harder to “be good” when you’re away, especially if you’re eating out a lot, but simple things done fairly consistently will go a long way to keeping you in good health. Things to focus on: fill half your plate with colourful veggies and ensure you have a serving of healthy protein at each meal; not eating too many beige carbs; limiting sugary goods and drinks to one or two a day (if you really want something sweet) and drinking plenty of water. You will also feel much more like doing exercise if you’re eating reasonably well and not drinking excessive amounts of alcohol.
Summer is thankfully a time when being active outdoors feels very natural so I encourage you to make the most of that. If you’re away on holiday and staying somewhere that has facilities such as a pool, paddle boards or tennis courts, put them to good use! It doesn’t matter if you’re not brilliant at any of them - the point is to be active and hopefully have some fun in the process.
However you are spending your summer, I hope that it’s full of happy, healthy and fun experiences for you and your loved ones.
