How to kickstart the perfect summer workout routine

How to kickstart the perfect summer workout routine

Understanding your summer fitness goals 

Before you jump in, it’s important to assess your fitness goals for the summer months and be realistic about your planning! Schedules tend to get a little less strict and predictable during the summertime, so go ahead and give yourself lots of grace and wiggle room for all things summer, including your workout schedule. 

Then, ask yourself what goals you’d like to meet! There are different types of workout goals you can hone in on, and we suggest picking just one to focus on each day during the summer. For example, you may want to focus on: 

• • Endurance and cardiovascular health
• • Flexibility and mobility
• • Muscle gain and strength 

Set a baseline by assessing your current fitness level. Want to improve your strength? See if you can go up a pound in your weights and still finish your usual amount of reps. It’s okay if not - but now you have a goal in mind! It’s so much more motivating when you have a mark to aim for. 

Designing Your Summer Workout Fitness Plans

Now that you’ve set a goal, it’s time to make a plan. First up, create a schedule. How many days per week do you hope to exercise? Is there a certain time of the day you know you’ll be most likely to get your sweat on? 

We recommend selecting a consistent time to dedicate to working out - do what works best for your schedule, work, and family! Just try to avoid outside workouts during the hottest part of the day - that’s a recipe for dehydration, and no one wants that. 

Next, make sure your weekly workouts are somewhat varied! You want to keep your body and mind engaged by switching things up a little each day. Try including some cardiovascular work, strength training, and flexibility work in your routine each week. Switching up how you get a workout done is a great way to stay excited! 

Best Summer Exercises

Obviously, this is the time of year when anything and everything we can do outside is our first choice! Soak up the chance to get your vitamin D and enjoy the physical and mental benefits of fresh air and sun on your skin. Jazzercise On Demand is a great choice for an outdoor workout or a way to stay consistent with your workouts while traveling! 

But heat is a real factor for many of us, especially in certain areas. For some of us, this is the time of year that we need to lean into our indoor workout routines and gym setups. Your nearest Jazzercise is a great place to stay cool while working out! Come join us for some summer fun in the AC while we get our heart rates up and build muscle. 

Jazzercise FitPro Emily Newlands shares how, "One of my favorite parts about working out in the summer is that your muscles are already warm when you walk into class! This means you can push yourself and feel results even faster; just be sure to drink plenty of water to replenish your hydration levels after a good sweat."

Nutrition and Hydration Tips

Summer fitness is equal parts workout and nutrition. Your body is an amazingly designed machine that requires top-notch fuel to work well! 

In the summer months, hydration is essential. Set a water goal for each day to ensure you feel your best while working out or playing in the sun. 

Embrace the bounty of summer produce to hit your nutrition goals. It’s so important to eat well-balanced meals all the time, and it’s never easier to do that than in the summer months when we can fire up our grill and enjoy lean protein and nutrient-rich veggies in no time at all. For more info on nutrition for hydration and recovery, check out our Simply Plated. nutrition program!

Tips for Staying Motivated

Here’s a surprising tidbit for you: physical fitness is often more of a mental game! 

Staying mentally motivated is as important for your summer fitness as the exercise plan itself. Here are some strategies for keeping your head in the game during sweet summertime: 

• • Set short-term AND long-term goals. Sure, you may want to go up a few pounds in your weights and still finish your usual amount of reps by September, but give yourself a goal to hit in two weeks instead! Achieving smaller goals is so motivating in the bigger picture. 
• • Find a workout buddy! Summertime is all about socializing, so lean in. Make a plan to meet a friend for a walk, run, swim, or class each week. You’ll be shocked how this can jumpstart a workout slump. 
• • Reward yourself for hitting goals! Celebrate with your favorite summertime snack or a new beach coverup when you attend several classes or run a certain distance! Rewards are a fun way to get excited. 
• • And along those same lines, have a realistic mindset about setbacks. Summer schedules are notoriously wonky, so if you don’t get to sneak in a workout when you want, just call it a wash and get determined about hitting your goal the next day. It’s ok to enjoy your time the way you need to! 

Want some help making your summer workouts well-rounded, fun, and achievable? Jazzercise is the perfect blend of cardio, strength, and fun to help you achieve your summer workout routine goals. Come check out your local Jazzercise  classes to see if this is the secret sauce you’ve been looking for to help your summer fitness goals! Happy summer!