What is it about summer that makes it so easy to lose momentum and so hard to stay consistent with your fitness goals?
Here are a few ideas: Vacations. Ice cream cones. Cookouts. Graeter’s seasonal flavors. Longer evenings. Those 36 packs of Haagen Dazs ice cream bars that are always on sale at Costco this time of year. Kids home from school. Every weekend seems full before summer even starts.
It’s easy to blame summer, but the truth is that most of the time, we stop our own momentum. Life is always busy, complicated, and unpredictable. Summer gives us more opportunities to put our healthy habits on the back burner.
Rather than point fingers (still definitely pointing a finger at Graeter’s, though), we can recognize the biggest hurdles we face and remove them one by one.
The Hurdles We Create for Ourselves
Not keeping the promises we make to ourselves.
Missing one workout isn’t what hurts progress. It’s deciding that since Monday didn’t happen, the whole week is shot.
Falling victim to the all-or-nothing mentality
This is probably the biggest one. It’s thinking things like, “I’ll get back to it after vacation” or “I’ll start again after Labor Day.”
Instead, ask yourself, “What can I do today?” Maybe it’s a walk, maybe it’s a quick mobility circuit.
The Comparison Trap
It’s easy to look around you and compare your progress to others’. But that’s never the full picture, and most people are at completely different places on their journey. Or they may not even be on the same journey.
Your goals should be measured against where you were last month, not where someone else appears to be today.
Fighting your body instead of building it
Training should help you enjoy your life, not punish you for living it. Summer is meant to be enjoyed. Fitness should support that, not compete with it.
Even Trainers Fight These Same Battles
If you’ve ever thought trainers have this figured out all the time, spoiler alert: we don’t.
In the last year, I have worked on improving body composition, mobility, heart health, and, most importantly, not being a big meathead. However, I’ve had a lot of up-and-down weeks.
Cardio and mobility are always the first things to go, and I’ve struggled to stay consistent with both. Keeping the big picture of longevity is really hard when I love being a big dumb meathead in the gym, but I’m working on letting go of that all-or-nothing mindset.
Even trainers aren’t immune to comparison. Social media is full of professional photos, carefully curated physiques, and people whose full-time job is looking fit. It’s easy to feel like you’re falling behind.
My priorities have changed, and I’m training for the long game now.
Consistency Beats Perfection
If you’re looking for a way to stay consistent with your fitness goals this summer, remember that consistency doesn’t require perfection. It just requires showing up again, especially after you miss a day.
The goal isn’t to have a perfect summer. The goal is to keep enough momentum that September feels like a continuation instead of a restart.
One missed workout isn’t failure. One vacation isn’t a failure. One weekend of finishing a couple of pints of ice cream (especially if Graeter’s drops a new flavor) isn’t failure.
Giving up because things weren’t perfect is what actually stalls progress.
Need a little accountability this summer? Come build consistency with us. We even have 1x/week membership options that can help you keep your momentum rolling into the fall. Click here to get in touch.
Apply what you’ve discovered on our blog inside the gym. Schedule your free intro today to meet a coach, build a plan, and take the first step toward your goals.
