Well Toronto. This is the LAST week of school for most children which means that summer vacation is around the corner. For many people, summer is an easy time to fall of the fitness/wellness wagon due to many factors (kids home, vacation, BBQs and beer, just to name a few).

Here are our tips to make sure you stay on track this summer.

1. If you’re not normally a morning person, consider adopting the habit for the summer months. It’s the easiest time of year to do this because of how long the days are. Even if you’re getting up at 5am, you’ll be greeted by daylight. It’s also the coolest time of day, which is important if you’re exercising outside. Getting your workout out of the way will leave you feeling great, and will free you up to enjoy all your summer days have to offer.

2. Think outside the “hour-long workout” box. Small 5 to 15 minute bursts of activity are very beneficial, and a great fall-back if you can’t carve out an hour. Take a few minutes to do a few sets of intense activity one to three times/day. This is a great choice if you’re on vacation, or at the whim of your children’s schedule. A word of warning though – if your body isn’t warm already (from walking or swimming, for example), you’ll want to take an extra couple minutes to warm your muscles before jumping into anything too intense.
3. Take it with you. If you won’t be in your normal exercise space for a couple of weeks, bringing a few key items along can fully equip you for a great workout. Our top three pics: bands, a TRX, and an inflatable stability ball. If you can swing it (no pun intended), a kettlebell is another great choice. I keep one at the cottage.
4. Enjoy your BBQ… but be mindful of your choices. The difference between a calorie bomb and a not-bad meal is often in the details. Opt for a turkey burger instead of beef. Forgo the bun (or even half of it). Skip the mayo and load up instead on mustard, pickles, and other lower-calorie condiments. Choose veggie sticks instead of chips. Basically, don’t use the occasion as an excuse to throw all rules and judgement out the window. Enjoy yourself, but weigh the pros and cons of your choices, and eat mindfully.

5. Focus on hydration. There are many, many reasons why it’s important to drink water – especially in the warmer months. One of them is that dehydration can actually interfere with fat loss. So bring that water bottle along and chug often.

On that note, we’d like to wish all of you a safe, happy, and FIT summer! It’s business as usual at Nielsen Fitness, and we’d love to hear from you!