by Kerry Taylor
Ahhhh…Summertime is finally here!! The weather is warm, the sun is out early and shining! This is the time of year where it’s a lot easier to put our training on the back burner for other choices. Then, summer starts to come to a close and we aren’t the happiest people because the summer is over and on top of it, it comes to the forefront that we worked so hard to get to a certain level in our health and fitness and we let it get away from us. Now, we have to climb the ladder all over again to get back to where we were and possibly surpass that. Then, unfortunately, some us repeat the cycle the following summer. Some of us also have the added challenge of school being out and the kiddos having more free time. With that comes trying to make sure they enjoy their summer and do all the fun things they desire, which causes us to put ourselves on the bottom of the list, believe me, I get it. Just because you have all these hurdles in the way, it doesn’t mean, don’t workout. It means just the opposite. In order to do that we have to accept a few things:
- My workout times will not always be the same in length or the time of day we do them.
- I may have to figure out how to do a workout at home sometimes
- Probably not the best time to shoot for an all time best in competition or training
- My kids will get involved in some way, shape or form
- Be able to say, “It’s okay.” Put plan B into action
Some solutions to your summer trouble:
1. Look at the week ahead on Sunday night; more than likely, everyone’s 1st draft of their schedules are set. Look to see where can you fit in your workouts and add it to the calendar just like you did everything else.
2. Hire a coach. They can help guide you along the way so you can get the biggest bang and effectiveness for the time you have for yourself.
3. Workout with your kids. Depending on their age, they will either try to copy everything you’re doing, follow along or desire to workout as well. If you involve them with you, they may not be such a distraction. It may not be what you want, but progress is progress and action is action!
4. Also, to go along with the kids and family aspect of your increased challenges of the summer, look at maybe making 1 day a week an all out game that the kids choose. That way, you’re spending time together and exercising without having the label of exercise on it. Here are some suggestions:
The Floor is Lava- this is more like an obstacle course, where you hop, climb, crawl on things to stay away from the ground. Adrionna and I play this often, especially back when the show came out.
Red Light, Green Light- nothing better to get your heart rate up than a bunch of sprinting, with random starts and stops.
King of the Hill (Playground, Mat or Log)- The challenge of being on top of a hill, if you have one, is to keep everyone else from getting to the top. The Mat, you can place an item in the middle of the Matt and keep that person away from it. The Log, challenge each others’ balance, see who can knock who off. The Playground- Find the highest part of the Playground and it’s everyone else’s job to find a way to get on top where you are.
Dodge Ball- I think everyone understands this one.
Ninja, Jedi, Superhero Training- whichever one resonates in your family better. Incorporate popular scenes or moves from a movie and call it an exercise. If you really want to go for it, have everyone dress up in costumes, have different medals, belts or levels to achieve when conquering a drill or course.
If you already find the summer to be a challenge and you’re not okay with that, try some of these out as a way to get you somewhat on course. Remember, give yourself some room to adjust, it will help you in the long run. If you’re a 212er, don’t forget about our Summer Challenge- it’s there to help you stay consistent throughout the summer and get rewarded at the end for doing so. Until next time, continue to live life 1 degree above the rest.