How to Keep Your Summer Workouts on Track

I wish someone had told me years ago that it is actually pretty simple to keep your summer workouts on track. There are some habits I had that really derailed my carefully planned calorie burn. But the bottom line was, I just did not value my time as my own and was not committed to keeping my workout schedule. Somewhere the idea that my health was my highest priority got lost in all the other "need to do" things of daily life. In the end my "reasons" turned out to be just excuses.

I know how it is when you just got started on the stretches and the grandson calls. That derailed last Wednesday's workout session. Then Friday you had a bit of a headache and took a nap instead of walking your two mile route. Sunday at church you volunteered to visit shut-ins and that killed Sunday afternoon hiking. Monday just never got off the ground and here it is Wednesday again.

Sometimes it seems like there is never enough time to exercise and everything else is more important. Not so. Of course there is time. One way to keep on track is to use your appointment calendar to schedule your exercise sessions. But of course you already do this so what is the problem? Well the other part of the equation is the importance you place on your own health and by extension the commitment to work out.

Remind yourself that you are important. Your health is important. You are the only one looking after you. Then learn to say "I'm sorry; I have another appointment at 3 o'clock on Wednesday." Or simply turn off your phone. There are all kinds of ways to make it work, so here is the bottom line. Are you committed or not? If you are then approach your workout schedule like a legal contract. Nothing gets in the way when you are totally committed.

Sometimes the problem is not the times you miss your workout; but the time you spend on the workout that does not produce the desired results.

Sometimes it seems like you spend hours on gym machines, more hours jogging or huffing through exercises intended to increase heart and respiratory rates and all that happens is you see the same weight registered on your scale week after week. Maybe all it takes to tip the balance (no pun intended) is a tiny change in the way you do your workouts. If you tend to race through the workout like time was the important factor, you may be missing the point. Its not how many miles you slice through, but how many muscle groups you utilize to do it that makes the extra difference. The fewer muscle groups you use the less effective your workout time will be.

It is also extremely important to keep optimally hydrated. When I strained muscles in my back one hot summer doing work I was used to doing I ask my doctor if I was just getting old. He laughed and reassured me that I was still young enough but that my body needed more water. Every cell, he told me, is dependant on adequate hydration and muscle injury happens when they do not function efficiently. They can not function to optimum levels when they are dry.

Utilize upbeat music to energize your mood. Aerobic exercise is easier done rhythmically and music is the logical accompaniment to a good focused workout. I have found myself extending my cardio workout just a few minutes because I was enjoying the music so much. I tend to stretch taller, extend my arms and arch my back and, well, shake my booty with more enthusiasm when I am dancing (exercising) to a song that makes me feel good and that has a sassy beat.

Here is a tip for a person who finds themselves grossly out of shape, enormously obese and totally out of breath walking from the couch to the front door. Do not try to do the Boston Marathon. What you need to get you going is a gently progressive program of moving and gently stretching each muscle group. Here are some good exercises to start. Do these while sitting.

Rotate your ankles five times each.

Let your ankles rest while you stretch your left arm out to the side, level with your shoulder and bring it up over your head. Do this five times.

Stretch your right arm the same way. Let your arms rest.

Straighten your legs one at a time out in front of you for a count of five each.

Stand up and sit down on a kitchen chair five times.

Reach up to touch the top of the door frame with both hands and hold the stretch for a count of five.

Roll your head gently from side to side and turn your chin from shoulder to shoulder.

You should be getting the picture. Do one muscle group at a time. Do all the muscle groups over the course of the day and keep track of the counts for each motion. Make the first three days consistent and on the fourth day increase the count by two motions. Gradually increase the number of stretches and the duration of the stretches. You can do this! Just get your workout back on track and remember that your stretches are still a workout so drink lots of water before your day begins.

Keeping your summer workouts on track will have you in shape to look at a size smaller clothes by fall, especially if you couple the workouts with some calorie reductions.