Reasons to not give up the gym over summer

Continual training is the key to success on your fitness journey.

Unfortunately, there are no quick fixes no matter what influencers may say or try to sell you. The summer months shouldn't be the end of the fitness journey just because you may have achieved your beach body (even though I believe everybody is a beach body 😉).

Whether it’s on holiday or on weekend getaways with the kids, people are generally much more active during the summer months, which is good for both the heart and spirit. Having a holiday and a little time away can be a good thing. But after a while you'll start to lose the progress you've made, and more importantly, the psychological habit of working out that you've formed.

While all the extra outdoor activity you may be doing is great for cardio, it doesn’t replace the many benefits of strength training. Building and toning muscle brings benefits such as improving balance and burning fat. It can even help you in daily tasks such as carrying the shopping.

You may feel that your energy, and especially your motivation for staying active decreases because of the heat during summer. It’s essential to remain active and to maintain a fitness plan to keep your fitness level at a peak and to preserve the hard work you put in during the rest of the year. If you stop physical activity, even only for a few months, your body will slowly start to lose muscle mass and your energy levels will decrease even more.

Benefits of going to the gym over the summer months

The following are reasons to keep going to the gym:

The days are longer - it’s easier to keep a routine with more hours in the day.

You’ll have more energy - an abundance of daylight exposure during the summertime gives you higher energy levels and boosts your motivation. Plus, studies have revealed a strong correlation between sunlight and serotonin. Psychological well-being, productivity, and even sleep quality are strongly dependent upon a certain amount of daylight exposure!

You don’t have to wear sunscreen or bug spray in the gym, which is a plus because they both usually smell weird and feel unpleasant.

With all the recent extremely hot weather, going to the gym could be a reprieve from the heat if they have nice air conditioning.

Meeting new people at your local health club is great – but sometimes you just want to do your own thing. That’s what makes going to the gym during summer so great! They’re often quieter in the warmer months, which you can use to your advantage.

Gym sessions are a great way to burn off the calories from all those barbecues, summer fete snacks and treats from your favourite local bakery.

Working out before going out and about will make you look good. More importantly, it will make you feel good as exercise releases endorphins. These chemicals trigger a positive feeling in the body, making you feel happier and more energised.

All that hard work will pay off, so you’ll feel better in shorts and swimwear. You may even motivate your friends and family into working out with you once they see your great results and how much more confident you are!

As your body craves more water in the summer, you’ll naturally drink more at the gym, bumping up your metabolic rate and excreting toxins from your body. It’s important to drink lots of water and stay hydrated before and after your workouts. Ensure that your summer fitness exercises don’t leave you dehydrated, lightheaded and fatigued from lack of hydration.

When humid, balmy nights kick in you will find it easier to sleep if you have been to the gym to exercise! Regular workouts lengthen and deepen sleep - making it easier for you to drift off on those warmer evenings.

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In conclusion, enjoying a break can really help with motivation, but getting back to working out will put you in good standing for keeping fitness over the winter months, and maintaining some very important healthy habits.

Tips for working out whilst on holiday

When your environment and schedule change it can be a challenge to maintain the healthy routine you have worked so hard to implement. When you are on holiday, the temptation is to forget about fitness and just relax. That’s fine if it is what you need, but if you want to maintain your fitness, here are some tips for working out on holiday without sacrificing the fun and relaxation:

Check to see if where you're going has a pool or a hotel gym/ fitness class

Utilising apps like Hussle can find you some great little places you can visit for a good price. Many gym chains offer week-long passes for new visitors and out-of-towners. Sometimes you can even get a free pass to use while you’re in town.

If you prefer to do your exercising solo, consider packing a few supplies to bring on the road. Resistance bands are small, lightweight, and incredibly portable. Plus, you can use them for a wide variety of exercises and stretches to keep you fit on the go. A skipping rope is another useful tool that’s easy to stuff in a suitcase.

Bring along the clothes you need. If you prefer to do your exercising in a gym, be sure to take workout clothes and comfortable trainers

Switch your gym workouts for a quick HIIT workout in the hotel rooms/outdoors/on the beach etc.

Focus on equipment-free bodyweight exercises- press ups can be done anywhere, as can squats, and all you need to churn out some dips are a couple of chairs. Burpees are a quick and fast fitness favourite and perfect for a fast, intense fitness burst that you can easily squeeze in before heading down to the pool.

Wherever you go, there’s likely to be local activities you could sign up for. Look for options like tennis, skiing, hiking, yoga, climbing, stand-up paddleboarding, surfing - it all counts, and will help to add enrichment and fun to your holiday experience!

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Personal training

During summer, it can be tempting to skip a training session and swap it for a nice stroll in the park or a catch up with friends at the pub. However, a good trainer keeps you motivated. By creating personalised and effective training programs to reach and go beyond your personal goals, I keep you motivated so you are much less likely to cancel your training session.

Creating your own training routines and sticking to them is not easy. By using my app, you have workouts to hand which are tailored to you, so you can follow your program and be kept accountable wherever you are in the world.

Click here to contact me and book a session.