Summer is right around the corner, and that means beach/pool days, popsicles, and family vacations! It also means navigating warm and possibly inclement weather, travel schedules, holiday parties, and kids’ activity schedules. How are you planning ahead to maintain your fitness routine over summer? MYZONE's heart training app and belt are here for you!
This blog post is dedicated to providing you strategies to plan ahead for fitness success over the summer months. Grab a pen and paper (or laptop/phone/tablet if that’s more your style), and let’s do this!
Step One: Look Ahead & Determine Your Rhythms
- What days/weeks/months are you at home, and when are you away?
- What will your “typical” week look like in the summer (will you have a “typical” week)?
- What time of the day will you be able to get a workout in?
- What will your major daily responsibilities consist of, and what will your sleep/wake and energy rhythms look like?
A sample macro (monthly) and micro (daily) view might look like this:
June:
1st – 10th: Home – regular schedules; kids start swim lessons on 6/5
11th – 16th: Family trip to visit Grandparents; call ahead to see if local gym still offers group fitness classes
17th – 20th: Home – regular schedules
21th – 25th: Ladies trip to Chicago; ask Kim if she can bring guests to her gym
26th – 30th: Home – regular schedules
Monday:
6 am – wake & make breakfast
7 am – wake kids
8 am – take kids to swim lessons
8:30 am – cycle class at gym & weights with Holly
10 am – pick kids up & head home
12 pm – lunch & shower
1 pm – Meg comes over to babysit & I head to work
6 pm – home & dinner (Meg)
7:30 pm – Joe’s baseball game
11 pm - sleep
Step Two: Decide Your Workout Location for your Weekly Workouts
- Will you workout at home, at the gym, or in a park?
If you know you will be out of your usual rhythm due to travel, go online and find some new fitness facilities you could visit. Call ahead and ask if they offer a daily rate or weekly membership. Or, if you do not want to spend any extra money, plan out some workouts that you can do outside or in a hotel.
With travel/vacation, we know that time for exercise can be tight. No problem - if you’ve got 15 minutes, you can perform one of these two bodyweight HIIT workouts. If you’ve got a little more time, here are three workouts in under 30 minutes.
If you are traveling and will not have access to a gym or any fitness equipment, pack your resistance band and give this cardio and resistance band circuit a try!
We also recommend having indoor and outdoor workout strategies based on weather. Take a look at the weather forecast and plan ahead for your week.
Step Three: Share Your Fitness Schedule with Someone Else
- Who will join you for your workouts?
If you are in your usual rhythm, establish a workout buddy who will hold you accountable for your weekly workouts. You can always use the social connections function of the MYZONE heart training app to check in on one another if either of you are away as well.
When traveling with or visiting family, invite them to join you for your workouts. That way, you are not taking away from any time that you could be spending with folks you love, and you are all holding one another accountable for healthy behaviors.
If you know your family members do not enjoy working out, plan some recreational activities that you know everyone will enjoy. Strap on your MYZONE belt, grab your heart training app and enjoy some bonus MEPs while you recreate!
We recommend that you and your workout buddies share a monthly recap – did you hit your goals (MEPs, calories, # of workouts, etc.)? That way, you can re-focus for the next month.
Have a blast this summer, and remember, a little bit of something is better than nothing. If you are out of your normal rhythm, get fitness in when and where you can…as we always say, just keep moving forward!
Show us what you are doing to stay fit over the summer! Use the hashtags #effortrewarded and #myzonemoves when you post your workout pics!
For more tips on how to use the MYZONE heart training app, follow us during Fitness Fridays on Facebook Live (subscribe on MYZONE’s Facebook Page) – 8 am PT, 11 am ET, and check out our MYZONE Moves Podcast on iTunes or Google Play.
