Think back to the beginning of this year when you laid out your fitness goals. Now remember the hard work it took to get into a routine? And then the constant struggle to continue working hard even when your brain is telling you to go after the ice cream after dinner? Now, you’ll remember some of the conversations you had with yourself like “I got this. I don’t NEED to eat this. This won’t help me reach my goals.” You pushed through it you lost your weight, or you increased your mile time, or your back is finally not aching like it used to… and then summer hit. Its 100 degrees outside and all you can think about is laying around and enjoying a beer or heading to your friend’s house where you know you’ll find only the best party food – and you’ll enjoy all of these moments until you realize you’ve slipped. The good news is that this is part of living a balanced life. But to keep it truly in balance you need to keep some sort of routine through the summer even though that can be hard! So, we decided to give you a couple creative ideas to keep you motivated through the heat of the season, and seeing results despite the constant invites to summer BBQ’s and pool days.
- We are SO lucky to live just an hour from drastically cooler weather in the summer. Head up the mountain and take your family on a strenuous hike. This will not only sneak in cardio time, but the fresh air will clear your mind keeping you happy, and if you’re with your family, its fantastic time to strengthen your bond and instill a healthy lifestyle in your little ones.
- Up the mountain next to those trails are usually nice cool lakes perfect for kayaking. Our personal favorite is Silver Lake. The calm waters are easy to navigate, there’s a cool island to hang out for the day and enjoy lunch, and just like that you’ve snuck in another active day to help you balance your life back in the middle of a busy social, possibly beer drinkin’, 7 layer dip eatin’ summer.
- Head to one of the local pools and swim some laps. Chances are you that you may not be confident enough in your swim stroke to just jump right in, but the best part is, as long as you’re moving towards the other end of that pool, your heart is racing, and you don’t swallow any water, you’re actually getting a great cardio workout in without even having to feel any sweat drip off your nose! Now, if you think the people laying on the pool deck are watching and judging, silently judge back since you’re the one putting in the effort and living your healthiest life.
- Of course, you may have seen this last one coming, but in the midst of a 100+ degree day, the temperature inside your favorite local fitness studio is probably chilling around 70 degrees. Better yet, if you decide to come to a class at Motivate, our trainers will not only be excited to see you and present you a sweat towel but will turn up the best music to get you pumped up, smiling, having fun with your friends, and sending you on your way in under an hour not even realizing you’ve burned up to 500 calories.
My challenge to you this weeks is to pick one of the above items and commit to it! Once you’ve completed one of these, try one of the others. Reach out to us and let us know if you have any questions, want trailhead suggestions, or need any other fitness advice! Remember, it is crucial to drink water every day but even more so when the heat is up. Keep that fancy bottle with you and drink up!
Stay Motivated,
Your Trainers at Motivate
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