The nights are long, the air is warm and there’s nothing on the TV. Summer seems like the perfect time to get out there and really hit your fitness goals, yet through the summer months gyms get quieter and group exercise classes get smaller.
Why? There are a number of reasons.
Temperature:
How many times have you said ‘It’s too hot to… (insert activity)’ already this summer? It might be an excuse if it something that you don’t want to do, but in truth even if it is your most beloved activities, there are some days when it is simply too hot and too humid to safely do it, and if your class falls on that day, the class is probably not going to even be on!
Childcare:
School’s out for summer, and that means suddenly you have children and grandchildren a lot more, which gives you a lot less time to nip off for your weekly Zumba class.
Things Happen:
Summer holidays, weddings, parties, day trips; now we can socialise again there is suddenly a lot to do and only so many summer days to do it in. Not only can you find that you have something booked at the same time as your class for weeks on end, you soon get out the habit of going to your class so once you can get back to it you find you don’t.
Resignation:
In January that need for a ‘summer body’ seemed far enough away that it felt possible, if you just chipped away each week. Now summer is suddenly here, and you don’t look a whole lot different to how you did after Christmas! I never promote exercise merely to lose weight, but if you are an ‘all or nothing’ person, you might decide you are where you are and stop trying, after all what difference is one class going to make now?
Tiredness:
The heat makes you tired. You might be doing more through the summer months, eating differently, not sleeping as well, or just getting drained by the warmer weather, and if you are tired the last thing you want to do is exercise.
Self Consciousness:
For some people, the idea of exercising in shorts and a sports bra is unimaginable, but the idea of exercising in the heat of summer in a long sleeve top and black joggers is unbearable. The answer is to not attend a class at all!
This summer has been exceptional, and I have found that however motivated I am, heat, exhaustion and impromptu social events have got in the way. I am on holiday for a week and will then be back with a new plan and a new resolve to hit my goals every day.
Why don’t you use the time to reset and decide to make the commitment?