I’ve trimmed down everything I wanted to say on today’s post into something that’s shorter than usual. As I’ve said before, I’d much rather stop writing when I run out of content than stretch out my points to fill a predetermined number of words.
This is an interesting time of the year in Toronto. After the generally mild temperatures of April through June, the thermostat and humidity shoot up quickly as June begins to transition into July. Summer might have technically arrived a few weeks ago, but it doesn’t really feel like it until the first heat wave hits.
As someone who doesn’t enjoy heat and humidity, I’ve been struggling to stick to my regular exercise routines this summer. There have been many mornings now when I’ve woken up only to find the temperatures are already in the high 20s Celsius (roughly 80 degrees Fahrenheit) and quickly rising.
I consider myself very lucky to have home air conditioning. When the temperatures and humidity climb so high that our air conditioner can no longer keep up with the demands placed on it, though, it can be tricky to stay motivated to continue exercising. If I’m going to be uncomfortably warm while sitting perfectly still, the last thing I want to do is start doing anything that will make me feel even hotter.
I’m going to be honest with you all here. On those days, the only kind of exercise that’s going on for me is walking. No, it’s not speed walking, either. Sometimes it’s downright slow if the air is extra muggy.
One of the things that irritated me the most about exercising in gym class when I was a kid was our inability to scale activities up or down depending on how we were feeling that day.
Granted, that wouldn’t be an easy thing to do at all while keeping a few dozen kids safe and on track, and I do understand why it isn’t possible to individualize lesson plans for such a large group. Being forced to run outside on uncomfortably warm days did discourage me from seeking out other forms of exercise when I was growing up, though, and I think I’ll always be a little resistant to the idea of doing the same exact workout every time no matter what the weather feels like.
Every Effort Counts
Ultimately, I’ve decided that every effort counts no matter how small it may be. I think it’s better to lift weights for five or ten minutes than not touch them at all, and I’d rather take a walk that was slower than normal than remain seated all evening if it’s too hot to exercise as much as I do when the air outside doesn’t feel like it’s coming from an oven.
Being physically active isn’t an all-or-nothing thing to me. There are definitely days when I push myself to try an entirely new workout routine or go for that extra set of reps before putting my free weights away.
With that being said, there are also occasionally times when I count it as a win if I do anything remotely active at all. I don’t believe that a day or a week of light effort is going to unravel all of the hard work I’ve put into getting back into shape. If anything, it makes me miss my usual routines and hope that the weather changes soon so I can go back to my regular workouts without drowning in perspiration.
How do you stay fit during the summer? What is the weather like where you live right now?