Maintaining Fitness during Summer
Here at Love Your Gut we realise the importance of exercise to keep your gut healthy, we also know that during the summer it is common for people to feel out of rhythm with their fitness routine and lack fitness motivation. For many people summer is the time for winding down and enjoying the sun, however, summer doesn’t have to affect your fitness, whether you are on a staycation holiday or at home here are a few tips to help you maintain your fitness during Summer.
Why is fitness important?
Keeping fit and active is important for our health. Adults are recommended to be active for at least 150 minutes per week and to include two days of physical strength training, whereas children aged 11-18 years should be active for at least 60-minutes per day. Physical activity can help maintain a healthy weight and reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and certain types of cancers as well as having beneficial effects on bone health.1
Recent studies also suggest that exercise can benefit our gut by increasing the amount of beneficial bacteria living there, which can help maintain our health.2
Tips to maintain fitness during summer
- Check the weather forecast before you exercise to avoid the peak heat. It is often coolest in the morning or later on in the evening.
- Think about what you are wearing – loose and light coloured clothing can help keep you cooler while you exercise.
- Make fitness fun!
Some ideas
This may sound self-explanatory but involving your friends and family in activities that you enjoy is a sure way of keeping you active without having to motivate yourself. This can be anything that gets you moving, it doesn’t have to be gym-style workouts or long runs. Some ideas are:
- A game of rounders
- A home-made sports day. Hopping, skipping or wheelbarrow races are good fun for almost all age groups.
- A hike or bike ride.
- Garden workouts. Take turns with friends or family to create workouts, this will keep the exercises varied and more fun. You don’t need any equipment – get creative! A towel can be used as a mat and water bottles can be a great substitute for weights.
Keep hydrated
Whichever way you decide to stay fit this summer don’t forget to stay hydrated in the heat, you should be drinking at least 6-8 glasses of fluids every day3, and don’t forget to slather on the sun cream.
Love Your Gut
You can also see our Love Your Gut exercise tips here: https://loveyourgut.com/getting-gut-healthy/gut-active/
References
- British Nutrition Foundation. Physical Activity and Heath [Internet]. 2007 [Cited May 2020]. Available from: https://www.nutrition.org.uk/attachments/101_Physical%20activity%20and%20health.pdf
- Vincenzo et al. (2017) Exercise Modifies the Gut Microbiota with Positive Health Effects. Oxid Med Cell Longev doi: 10.1155/2017/3831972
- Public Health England. Eatwell Guide [Internet]. 2018 [Cited May 2020]. Available from: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/528193/Eatwell_guide_colour.pdf