Keeping Fit This Summer

Summertime is my favorite time of year. Everything seems to get better in the summer with the exception of one thing – my diet and exercise routine. No matter how hard I try to stay on target, vacationing, barbeque outings and one too many of those fruity drinks with an umbrella always seem to get in the way of my good intentions. If this is sounding all too familiar, here are a few tips on how to stay on track during the time of year that is synonymous with rest and relaxation.

I have always had a hard time reconciling my lack of motivation in the summer. On one hand, I feel I owe it to myself to take a little break and ease up a bit. I work hard all year watching my diet and exercising religiously. So do I really need to make myself crazy over one less day of exercise each week or a little more food and drink than usual? Well, the answer is I kind of should and if you are like me and have let loose a little in summers past and then had regrets come September you should too. Unfortunately, it doesn’t take a lot to gain a few pounds or lose a bit of endurance or muscle mass and in turn negate a year of good behavior. A little less exercise and a little more food over a two-month period can equal a result that may take you two seasons or more to undo. So don’t do it to yourself in the first place. Think of summer as a time of change instead of a time to let it all go. Summer can actually be a great time to increase exercise and make some healthy changes to your diet easily. There is so much more that you can do outdoors now then during the colder months. If you’re on vacation, forget the fitness center and hit the pool or ocean and swim some laps. Or take to the beach for a brisk walk or light jog. Be a little adventurous and try some hiking or kayaking. As for food - fresh fish, fruits and vegetables should be on the menu. And if you just know you’ll be eating more than usual you should be exercising more to compensate for it. Do those laps in the morning and then go for that long walk on the beach at night and it won’t even feel like exercise.

The way I see it, you can either put yourself in maintenance mode or ramp it up a bit but by all means don’t slow down or stop. And why not push yourself a little this year instead and by the time September rolls around you’ll be ready to give yourself a big pat on the back instead of the same old feelings of, why did I let myself go?Keep me posted on your progress!