It’s the end of the school year, and the hazy, lazy days of summer will be here before we know it. For athletes, summer often means less practices to attend. Without your teammates pushing you to achieve every day, it can be hard to stay in shape.
Unfortunately, when you stop exercising, you often start to lose a significant amount of the strength and endurance you trained so hard for all year. When you’re no longer training, you could start losing muscle mass and cardio endurance in as little as three weeks!
Now for the good news: there are simple steps you can take to make sure you stay in shape all summer long. Since athletic gains can so quickly be lost, here at Medford Fitness we’ve set up a special summer Sports Training Clinic just for teen athletes. Call today to reserve your spot, and check out a few more of our favorite ways to stay in shape:
Recruit a friend.
Working out in the summer doesn’t have to be a solitary activity. Exercise is healthy, but so is hanging out with friends. When you work out with a partner, you not only you enjoy each other’s company, but you can also hold each other accountable. In fact, one study conducted in 2016 found that people who exercise with a “gym buddy” exercise more than those who prefer to workout alone! If you own an Apple watch, you can even challenge each other through the watch’s built-in fitness app.
Reward yourself.
We get it: motivating yourself to hit the gym isn’t always easy, especially during the summer months. If motivation is a problem for you, think of a way to reward yourself for exercise. Members at Medford Fitness enjoy free WiFi, so if you prefer to build your reward into your gym time, you can use your smartphone, tablet, or the built-in screens on our treadmills to binge your favorite shows while you workout! You can even indulge in a tasty and healthy post-workout smoothie at the re:fresh Recovery Bar and Cafe located right inside Medford Fitness.
Hit the trails.
If you love summer sunshine, consider using the great outdoors to complete your cardio routine. Running, biking, and kayaking all allow you to increase your heart rate while enjoying the great outdoors at the same time. Bonus: even a short time spent outside can lead to serious benefits for your mood, memory, and even attention. After your cardio routine, make sure you work in some strength training, too. If you live close enough, you can even walk, jog, or bike to Medford Fitness and complete your resistance training here. Medford is the perfect place to enjoy nature!
Coach Tim Welsh, a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) will head up an athletic performance training clinic this summer for athletes ages 12-18. During the six-week program, you’ll learn effective sprinting fundamentals, safe lifting techniques to increase speed, and even proper skills associated with your sport. The clinic will run on Monday’s from 6:00 – 6:45 or 7:00 – 7:45 from June 25th to July 30th, and space is limited. Call us today at (609) 654-1440 to reserve your spot!
Summer might be a time for relaxation, but it doesn’t have to be time wasted. Staying fit when school’s out can take as little as an hour or two each week of your time. When sports’ season starts again, you’ll thank yourself for staying so disciplined all year long.
