Last Edited: 5/17/25
How to Maintain Your Fitness Routine During Summer
Now that warmer weather is upon us and summer is just around the corner, it is easy to put your health and fitness on the back burner while spending more time on other summertime activities (i.e. yard work, vacations, kids’ activities, etc.). In this blog post, we are going to discuss potential roadblocks and establish strategies to help maintain your training focus during the summer.
Keep exercise a priority
Time is often reported as the number one roadblock to engaging in structured exercise, and prioritization is the answer to this dilemma. By prioritizing what is most important, you will most likely make the time. Even during busy seasons of life, many people are still able to maintain and sometimes even exceed their regular exercise routines because they decide it is important enough to schedule into their week. As we move into the summer months, continue to make structured exercise a priority and commit to staying consistent with your routine.
Maintain formal exercise frequency commitments
Staying active over the summer generally isn’t too tough, but motivating yourself to go to the gym on a beautiful summer day might be. It is important to remember that, while good for you, outdoor activities like yard work, walking the dog, golfing, etc. are not considered formal exercise. These NEAT activities will not improve your fitness in the same comprehensive way. In order to maintain your strength, mobility and cardiorespiratory fitness, you must engage in formal exercise a minimum of twice per week (improvement requires 3-5 times per week).
Stay fit on vacation
One of the best parts of summertime is taking nice, relaxing vacations. Vacationing provides an opportunity to step back from the daily grind and break away from your usual workout routine. Activities such as swimming, hiking, bike riding, taking long walks can be great ways to stay active while traveling. However, it is still important to maintain some form of structured exercise throughout your vacation in order to preserve your strength and cardiorespiratory fitness. Planning ahead and having a simple exercise strategy can help you maintain consistency while away from home.
The bottom line: stay focused on your goals this summer
Remember to connect the short term with the long term; your daily decisions and actions need to line up with your big-picture vision. If you feel your motivation to exercise beginning to dwindle, consider why you are exercising in the first place. Keeping your goals front of mind will help keep you focused as summer approaches.
