Hey Reader,​

It’s 4:30 in the afternoon.

It’s hot. The kids need something. Dinner hasn’t magically prepared itself. Your morning plans went sideways, and the gym workout you meant to get in, is still sitting on your to-do list. At this point, it’s easy to decide the day is a wash.

“I don’t have enough time now.”

“I’ll start again tomorrow.”

“I really need to be more disciplined.”

But if your workouts keep falling apart this summer, the answer may not be more discipline, you may just need to lower the barrier. When the only workout that “counts” is the full workout, you’ve accidentally created two choices:

Do a perfect workout, or do nothing. And during busy seasons, nothing wins surprisingly often! The solution isn’t to lower your standards forever, instead it’s to create a version of your routine that can survive real life. (Especially summer life!)

Here are five ways to make movement easier to follow through on this summer.

1. Decide what “enough” looks like before the busy day happens.

Create three versions of your workout:

Full workout: 45-60 minutes
Short workout: 20-30 minutes
Minimum workout: 5–10 minutes

It’s important to recognize that you’re not promising yourself that you’ll always do the full version. You’re simply giving yourself more than ONE way to succeed.

A minimum workout might be a quick walk, two sets of a few strength exercises, or ten minutes on a bike. The main thing is to avoid the automatic jump from all to nothing.

2. If you can’t block out your usual workout time, schedule smaller pockets instead.

Some days, you may be able to protect one uninterrupted block of time for exercise. Other days, between work, appointments, practices, errands, and everyone needing something from you, that simply may not be realistic.

Instead of crossing your movement off the list completely, you might schedule a short walk in the morning, move again while your child is at softball practice, and/or fit in a few strength exercises before your shower.

Your movement doesn’t always have to happen all at once to count! Two or three shorter blocks can still add up to a meaningful amount of activity by the end of the day. Try asking, “Where could I fit a few minutes of movement?”

3. Choose a few exercises you can do almost anywhere.

You don’t need 12 different exercises, a complicated circuit, or the perfect playlist.

Pick four or five basic movements you know how to do safely:

• Squats or sit-to-stands
• Push-ups against a counter or bench
• Reverse lunges or step-ups
• Glute bridges
• Planks, carries, or dead bugs

Do a few rounds and move on with your day.

4. Attach movement to something that is already happening.

Creating a brand-new routine takes more effort than adding movement to an existing one.

You could:

Walk while your child rides a bike.
Do a few stretches or strength exercises while your grandkids are watching TV.
Take a family walk after dinner.
Do a short strength circuit before your morning shower.

The less setup and decision-making required, the more likely you are to follow through.

5. Put workouts earlier in the day when possible.

Summer afternoons have a habit of filling themselves. The temperature climbs, plans change, one of your kiddos needs a ride. You decide you’ll do your workout “a little later,” and suddenly it’s bedtime.

Morning workouts aren’t morally superior, and they won’t work for everyone. But if your afternoons are crazy and unpredictable, moving your workout earlier may protect it from the chaos of the day.

The bigger lesson here is that consistency does not mean doing the perfect workout year round, but consistency DOES mean adjusting the plan instead of abandoning it.

Your summer routine may be shorter, or less structured. It may include more walks, quick workouts, or movement broken into smaller pieces. This approach teaches you how to “adjust your dial” instead of turning your dial to zero when life doesn’t cooperate.

Try this today:

Before your next busy day, write down your three workout options:

My full workout: __________
My short workout: __________
My minimum workout: __________

Make the minimum version easy enough that you could realistically do it on a hot, hectic, low-energy day. Because an imperfect workout that gets done, always beats a perfect workout that doesn’t!

Have a safe and happy Fourth of July - and remember, your movement can look a little different this weekend and still count.

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Until Next Time,