Don’t Make These 3 Mistakes This Summer

Summertime in the northern latitudes is a carefree time. It is so welcome after the brutality of winter. You know, that fun six months of missing the sun and wishing that breathing outside didn’t feel like ice daggers in your lungs. When summer rolls around everyone gets grand ideas of all the things they’ll be doing: kayaking, hiking, biking, running, walking, swimming, yard work, gardening, etc.

I love the enthusiasm and the optimism. I often get caught up in the excitement myself. However, these two mistakes will doom the progress you’ve worked so hard for in the dark months of winter. Read on dear friend:

Mistake #1: Confusing Activity for Exercise

Summer is filled with activity. Increased activity burns calories. Excellent. More of that is probably better. All of those things listed above and more are what constitutes activity. Get more activity.

HOWEVER…

Upping your activity level should not replace your structured exercise. It needs to supplement it. Focused exercise is progressive in nature. Progression in exercise ensures that you continue to see results or at least maintain the results you already have.

Mistake #2: (More Activity + More Calories) ≠ Weight Maintenance

More Activity plus More Calories DOES NOT Equal Weight Maintenance.

The other pitfall in counting activity as exercise is the amount of leeway you give yourself. Going out for a walk all of a sudden justifies an ice cream cone on the way home. Spending time on the landscaping means that a cool refreshing beer won’t put a dent in all the great progress you made.

Deep down we know these things aren’t true, but we tell ourselves anyway. I’m not trying to ruin your summer, but you need to be aware that eating occasions and beverage consumption go up significantly during the warmer months. When I worked for a beverage company we saw over 60% of our sales in the the “100 Days of Summer” that kicked off at Memorial Day.

The beverage industry isn’t the only one that sees an uptick in sales. There will be more parties, bbq’s, graduations, and “for no reason” occasions than you can shake a stick at. Your extra activity will be helpful, but it is often a bandaid for a bullet wound. You can out-eat your extra activity in a matter of minutes of undisciplined hedonism. Or by having a glass of wine and some chips.

Consumption is going to increase, and your extra activity will not be enough to counteract it.

Mistake #3: Abandoning Routine

Your results are only as permanent as the changes you are willing to stick with.

Your routine got you to where you are today. If you like where you are, don’t ditch it!

Here are a few things that happen when you leave exercise behind for the summer:

• Muscle loss
• Fat gain
• Lack of awareness in nutrition
• Loss of momentum
• Feeling “flabby”
• Feelings of tightness and discomfort
• Back issues
• Knee pain

Beware the scale. Your weight may stay within a few pounds of where it was, but your body composition may start to change. The further you get from your regular habits, the more your body will adjust to match the new routine. You may lose muscle and gain fat at a similar rate, thus keeping the scale near where it was.

What Can You Do?

Keep your routines. Treat them as your sacred time. There are a lot of special events in the summertime that will be vying for your attention.

If you start finding lots of conflicts remember this: your nephew Timmy isn’t going to be crestfallen that you showed up to his graduation party forty-five minutes late because you exercised. You’ll make it to the event, AND you’ll take care of yourself. You’ll feel better about being there and you won’t experience any internal dissonance - that feeling like you’re doing something that doesn’t align with your values.

Try this: Push for the neighborhood bbq to be at a time that works best for you. If you’re attending a potluck event bring a dish that is healthy that you can eat all by yourself if need be. Beware the people that will come out of the woodwork and rationalize and tell you that it’s ok to indulge. These people need to feel better about their own behavior and need you to be complicit in their choices. Be the adult (at least most of the time!) and decide what’s truly best for you.

For those that are in classes right now:

Keep coming! You are so worth it!

Remember why you started in the first place. Stay motivated!

For those not in a regular routine or taking a break for the summer:

Expect that you will not maintain your weight or muscle. Do your best to work in exercise as often as possible. Make smart choices as often as you can. Get back in sooner rather than later!

Here are a few ten minute workouts we've created: Get some exercise!

The most successful people in life are those that are consistent in what they do. Be successful. Be consistent. And don’t confuse activity for exercise.

Stay safe out there and enjoy the sun!

Your Trainer,

Andrew