10 Reasons to Get Fit and Healthy in Summer

With summer almost upon us, 12WBT’s Chooky shares how it’s her favourite season. Here are her top 10 reasons why summer is the best time of year to get fit and healthy!

I love the dramatic changes in season, yet the progression from winter through to summer always takes waaaaay too long for my liking! It’s the little things that signal the shift that I enjoy the most – like being able to exercise outdoors (without streaming tears from the cold), noticing the wafting scent of blossoms for the first time, or breathing pockets of warmer air on your early morning jog (for me and all the other asthmatics, this means I can finally draw breath without feeling daggers!).

When summer really hits though, we know it! Summer in Australia is hot, hot, hot!

So if the longer days and warmer temperatures see you flicking on the air-con full throttle, chilling a bottle of Pinot Gris in anticipation or firing up the barbie, but you know you have a few extra winter kilograms to offload and aren’t really operating on all cylinders, STOP right there! Why? Because summer is a great time of year to take back control of your health and wellbeing. If ever there was a time to get back in the driver’s seat, this is it!

Here’s 10 reasons why:

1) Exercising in Summer Feels Amazing!

Exercise and nature are natural mood boosters – get a little vitamin D in the system and some fresh air into your lungs and you’ll be smiling right through those long summer days. While you’re at it, why not spread the love and take your children and fur babies along with you? Don’t forget your leash and tidy bags (for your dog that is, not your child!)

2) Sunny Mornings Mean Sunny Workouts

If you haven’t already noticed, the sun is rising earlier and earlier. Unless you’re shuttered up, curtained in and sleeping in a crypt, those beams are gonna find you! So you may as well get up. And now that you’re up, you also may as well go HARD!

3) You’ll Eat Lighter

It’s easier to steer away from the stodgier, comfort foods in warmer weather. Grab this opportunity to do a big pantry sweep and start afresh. Also check out the summer bounty of fresh fruit and veg to really make the most of the seasonal produce on offer.

4) You’ll Want to Wear a Swimsuit

The three B’s: beach, bikinis and budgie smugglers are motivation aplenty to start losing that winter weight and shaping up for summer!

5) You’ll Want to Get Swimmingly Fit

Scorching weekend days find most of us either in the backyard pool, or at a crowded beach trying to claim a patch of sand. Is there anything better than the blissful relief of diving into cool water on a hot day? But if you can’t swim to save yourself (or someone else for that matter), then it’s time to boost your water skills and your fitness level. Why not be totally awesome and do your CPR and first aid training too? You could just save someone’s life.

6) Warming Up and Down Is a Cinch

You’re already warm, so kicking off your workout is altogether easier – you’re halfway there already! Plus, you’re even warmer when you finish, so knocking off a few flexibility PB’s afterwards will be a breeze. Keeping warm will also reduce your risk of injury, increase your mobility and make you feel great. Splits three ways? Sweet as!

7) Drinking Water Isn’t a Chore

The hotter the temps, the more you sweat and the thirstier you become. Go with the flow and you’ll increase your water intake without even noticing! Generally we recommend you drink 30ml per kilogram of your bodyweight daily (breastfeeding mums will need more), and MORE still if you’re exercising or sweating buckets. If you’re not quite hitting those digits, get sipping!

8) Create a Ripple

More peeps are visibly out and about during the longer days, so why not create your own ripple effect by being visibly fit and fantastic yourself? BE the inspiration and throw the first stone…early Sunday mornings is your time to SHINE!

9) You’ll Want to Look Good in Shorts

Fitter, stronger and healthier bodies look better in summer clothes. Plus, fitter, stronger, and healthier bodies FEEL better – all the time! Period.

10) There Is so Much Fun to Be Had!

Whether it’s meandering along a coastal walk, throwing a frisbee, zooming down a mountain bike track, participating in a family fun run, huffing and puffing your way through a bush hike, crucifying yourself in an obstacle race, or smashing out a game of twilight tennis – there is just so much fun to be had in summer! You’ve got more options than ever in these warmer months to get active and get your family and friends involved, too. So check the forecast, stay heat and sun smart (think sunblock, hats, appropriate clothing and footwear, time of day, hydration and sufficient shade) and get amongst it! Make exercising fun and become the best version of YOU possible. NOW is the time.

Join 12WBT today and you’ll get everything you need to get fit, healthy and happy this summer – and beyond.  If you’re looking for another option, Voome is perfect for you, with great recipes and dozens of quick, effective workouts that will have you working up a sweat!