4 tips for your summer routine

Summer routine
Pilates Lennox Head

Written by Bridgid Pearse

November 14, 2022

Why love a summer routine?

Summer routine is something we can learn from the flowers. In fact all living things respond subtly to the seasons and that’s what a summer routine supports you to do. I teach movement and Pilates in Lennox Head, Ballina and Byron Bay, helping women connect with and love the bodies they have.

We are more like flowers than kettles. As women, we respond to hours of daylight, temperature and hydration, just like the flowers, we are intimately linked to our environment. Part of being healthy is acknowledging this. We are not machines (hooray)!

How summer changes us

Summer changes us every year. Shifting our sleep patterns and affecting our energy levels. Understanding how the season affects you helps you know what your summer routine needs to be.

More daylight hours

Earlier sunrise and later sunsets is a feature of Summer. If you have daylight savings time this will give you more daylight at the end of the day. Making the best use of this extra daylight is at the heart of a good summer routine.

The heat is on

Summer is when the heat is on! This can make getting out in the middle of the day more difficult, so the longer mornings and afternoons become even more important.

If you live in sub-tropical or tropical places Summer comes with humidity. Increased sweat and fluid loss means hydration becomes more important.

Later nights

Winding down after later evening activities can be a challenge during summer. This shift to later bedtimes can result in an accumulated tiredness towards the end of the season.

What is your routine?

My what? Yes I’m asking you. Everybody has a routine, even if you don’t think you do. You do. Your routine is the things you do each day without thinking. Get up, toilet, make tea etc.

To make a new routine you need to know what your current routine is and how you want to change it. So, write down the things you do automatically every morning and every evening.

Have a look at your list, are there any changes you want to make for Summer?

Insert your new Summer habits into your routine and get the most out of the season.

My suggestions for new Summer habits

Earlier to bed

This is an important one for me. I live in NSW so daylight savings means I need to go to bed an hour earlier to not want to wake up an hour later! Getting out into the daylight in the early morning helps me make the most of Summer. I feel alive and well rested with this adjustment to my routine.

Hydration, hydration, hydration

Whether your summer is wet or dry, staying hydrated is more important in the heat. Reduce stress on your body simply by drinking plenty of H20 every day. Carry a water bottle with you. Refill it or your glass as soon as they are empty.

Move a little every day

Well, this one isn’t really just for Summer, but the challenges are different in Summer. Heat can be a real deterrent to exercise and movement. Getting out in the early morning and the late afternoon is the best solution for this.

Commit to something new

With the change of season it’s fun to try something new. New experiences keep life feeling fresh! If you are regular at Pilates and movement try a new activity that your movement practice will support you into such as Stand up paddle boarding or Dragon boat racing. If you don’t have a movement practice now is a great time to start!

4 Tips for changing your routine

  1. Keep your shifts to your routine small – the suggestions in this blog are a great way to start
  2. Integrate one change at a time – get one thing happening before starting the next
  3. Have an accountability partner – grab a friend and work out your changes together, then support each other.
  4. Choose changes that make you smile – we all know what we ‘should’ do but if you choose a change that you are genuinely curious or excited about it’s more likely to stick.

As we move into Summer remember, you are just like a flower and flowers respond to the environment around them. Treating yourself like an organism not a machine is a great reason to reset your routine for summer.

Pilates Lennox Head

I am Brigid Pearse a Diploma certified Pilates instructor, Pregnancy and Post-natal Exercise Specialist, an ex-dancer and a mum. I run a fully equipped Pilates studio from my home in Lennox Head and I run community Pilates mat classes in Byron Bay, Ballina and online.

Pilates Goonellabah

Thanks for reading!

I am Brigid Pearse, comprehensively certified Pilates teacher, ex-dancer, and mid-life mum. In group classes, workshops and private sessions I help women learn to move well for life.

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