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Whenever summer rolls around, a large handful of people struggle to stay active. Many lose motivation and as a result lose track of their usual fitness routines. Although a lack of motivation during the summer is completely normal, there are several ways to gradually regain your love and enthusiasm for exercise. With the multitude of activities summer has to offer, from swimming to walking, staying in shape throughout the season will become more accessible.
1. Prioritize exercising outdoors
As temperatures rise, exercising outdoors is a great way to enjoy the warm weather while moving. Bike rides, walks, and runs are common examples of activities that allow you to enjoy your surroundings. If these forms of movement don’t interest you, it’s essential to find exercises outside that make you feel your best. You may realize that walking your dog is more enjoyable than doing it alone. Or, you might find that running while listening to music is crucial in bringing pleasure to the burn. Through trial and error, discover the ideal exercise routine that excites you!
2. Establish a routine that works for you
Often those who want to start training or get back to their normal routines have the wrong idea of what constitutes “success”. However, there is no single diet. For some, waking up at 6 a.m. to engage in a tough workout is ideal; for others, a good routine may look completely different. That said, everyone’s preferences lead to different practices.
Likewise, there is no “right” type of movement. Spending time in the gym is not the only way to get in shape. Yoga and walking are two examples of underrated exercises that may be perfect for you.
3. Practice swimming
Many find that crafting a fitness routine that is both enjoyable and effective can be quite difficult. If you don’t think you’ve found a form of exercise you like, try swimming. Perfect for the summer, swimming is a great form of exercise that also helps to de-stress. More importantly, it encourages others to participate as well, making it an easy way to stay fit and spend time with friends and family.
4. Walk in your free time
With lots of downtime during the summer, you can often feel bored and not sure how to spend your days. Instead of scrolling through your phone or being distracted by social media posts for hours, encourage yourself to get out of the house and take a walk. Whether you decide to go for a ten-minute walk or an hour, any time spent moving your body is time well spent.
Along with making time throughout the day for activity, finding ways that help you truly enjoy walking is key to staying motivated. You might like to do it with a large group of friends, or even just with a sibling or parent. It doesn’t matter what a fun routine looks like to you, once you find out what does even more while walking interesting, hold on.
5. Don’t set unrealistic goals
As you begin to get in shape, you may feel inclined to set goals in an effort to motivate yourself. However, setting big goals can do just the opposite. Those that seem unreachable will only make you feel like there’s no point in training because you’ll never be able to reach them. Rather than creating unrealistic goals like wanting to train every day of the week, it’s crucial to take it one step at a time so you don’t lose your love for exercise.
To be sure, there is nothing inherently wrong or problematic about having goals for yourself. However, having too much too soon will inevitably lead to not meeting your expectations.
6. Establish a sustainable routine
While you may feel extremely motivated at the start of your fitness journey, there will inevitably be times when you just don’t feel like working out. Understanding that this is normal is by far the most important thing. Listening to your feelings and your body on these types of rest days is key to creating a balanced and intuitive routine. If you decide to stick to a strict schedule despite how you feel on any given day, you will notice that you will burn out quickly.
To build a sustainable workout routine, you need to take rest days, listen to yourself every step of the way, and treat exercise as a pleasure rather than a chore.
By simply recognizing that you would like to stay in shape over the summer, you have already taken a big step towards your goals. Approach exercise with the right balanced mindset and implement it into your daily routine without a doubt effortless and natural.