5 Keys to Staying Fit through Summer!

Long days … warm sun … and carefree living. What could be better than summertime?! Here are five key tips for staying fun, healthy, and fit through summer days. Because sometimes, it can just be challenging to stay on track when you’re having fun.

Summertime doesn’t have to mean changing your healthy habits, though! If you’re on vacation, staying home, or doing anything in-between, keeping that fun and healthy lifestyle you embody will keep you fit through summer and far beyond.

Whether you’re soaking up the sun on the sand, playing in the waves, or swimming in a nearby lake, summer provides the fun with her hot weather and sunny skies. Summer months can be some of the easiest and most enjoyable times to stay active!

During hot summer days, I like to refresh with some heavenly homemade smoothies. Filled with tons of fruits and fiber, smoothies are one of the best treats to recharge and keep you fit through summer.

But one of the best parts about summer is all the opportunities to naturally stay active. Find something that moves you!

Whatever keeps you active as the chaos of another school/business year begins, find enjoyment in maintaining an active and fit lifestyle. Working out doesn’t have to be a chore. Have FUN with it!

The world is your playground!

Below are some tips to stay fit through Summer and rock your vacation!

Make Exercise Your Vacation- Find Movement Where You Are

There is so much you can do to stay fit through summer months. The point is to find something you love and use that to stay active. Like a pick-up game of beach volleyball, soccer, or frisbee. Take a day to go to the beach or a lake and do some swimming and playing in the water, or maybe water skiing or wake boarding. Take an outdoor yoga class or go on a retreat, ride a bike through beautiful trails, learn to surf, stand up paddle board, rollerblade, kayak, jump on a pogo stick- it doesn’t matter! Anything that will get you moving in a way that is FUN and freeing for you.

Sightsee by Bicycle

One of the best (and most beautiful!) ways to experience a new town or place is biking through it. When visiting my best friend on my trip to Dallas, we did a 20-mile bike ride exploring the city and the beautiful scenes it has to offer. By the end of it I didn’t even realize we had biked that much, and I had so much fun doing it! Biking through a new city gives such an authentic feel for the city, it really lets you take in all the scenery and buzz without the constraints of a 4-wheel drive. Plus, it’s a great workout!

Pack healthy snacks and meals

There’s no shame in brown paper bagging it! Wouldn’t you rather pack healthy meals and snacks that you know will be good and nutritious than paying for a mediocre meal that likely won’t deliver the same health benefits? When I go on vacation I try and stay somewhere with a kitchen I can use, and just prep my meals throughout my stay. Not only do I eat a lot healthier, it saves me a ton of money! Keep your diet fairly consistent as you normally do, your body will thank you for it! Try Sea Salt Cripsy Chickpeas for a quick snack, or these refreshing and easy to make Frozen Yogurt Bites to satisfy that summer sweet tooth.

Go on a Hike

As we transition through summer and into fall, weather only gets better for something I’ve missed so much living in Florida, hiking! Florida definitely lacks the mountain factor, but every time I visit a place with them I remember how much I love them. The best part about hiking is it usually doesn’t feel like a “workout”, but by the end of a long hike, muscles in my legs and butt will be sore that I didn’t even know existed! Those are the workouts I love, ones that you do naturally as you enjoy your day and find happiness in what you’re doing in that moment.

Beware of Drinks

I’m not saying no drinks. But be very mindful about the drinks you do put in your body. Most cocktails are loaded up with calories and sugar- just your average margarita packs around 300 calories. If you’re deciding on drinking, make more conscientious choices about what you’re consuming. Order a glass of red wine, gin and tonic, or check out this  Skinny ‘Rita I made! Whatever it is, make sure your drinking doesn’t influence you to skip a workout or make unhealthy food choices later on.

And of course- don’t forget to stay hydrated through the hot summer days. Water cleanses and flushes your body from all those toxins that like to build up and harm us. I always recommend my clients to drink half your body weight in ounces. So take your body weight, divide it by 2, and drink that number of ounces of water A DAY! Keep in mind an average plastic water bottle holds 16 oz…

As a summary …

Whatever you do this summer, have fun with it. Know that vacation and summer time doesn’t have to mean changing your healthy diet and habits, you can absolutely stick to those things that benefit your body through all seasons of the year. Allow longer days and any vacation time to revolve around staying active in ways that are fun and enjoyable for you. Staying fit through summer should be fun and you should allow yourself to feel happy doing it. Life is short and so is summer!