You’ve noticed, I’m sure… that it’s now HOT out there.

Yes, friends… it’s SUMMER – a time of sweat, sunburns, and tourist traffic (depending on where you live). Air Conditioners nationwide are cranking up the cool while the beating sun cranks up the sunburns. It’s that time when seemingly everyone complains about the heat, even though we just got done complaining that we couldn’t wait for summer.

What if, though… instead of complaining… we just took steps to make this the best summer EVER? Wouldn’t THAT be great? I’ve got 5 easy ways you can do exactly that 🙂 (OK, so some might be a little more challenging than that…)

For the full chat on this check out the podcast episode on iTunes here, on Android here, or on the web player at the bottom of this post. Don’t forget to hit “subscribe”!

Summer is a HUGE opportunity

There’s SO much to DO in the summer if you’re willing to just get out there and go find it. Instead of complaining about the heat, get out there and embrace it! I’ve got 5 easy ways for you to get the most out of summer and really have the best summer ever.

1.) Pick an activity – prioritize fun!

It’s tough to act without a plan – plain and simple. When we don’t come up with fun things to go do… well, that’s how we fall into the trap of simply filling any free time we have with household chores. It’s important to pick a thing to go do to enjoy the season!

Take a look around and see what there is to do. You can look in your neighborhood, within a 30 or 60 minute drive, or maybe far enough for a day trip. It could be activities like biking, running, or hiking. It could be a beach day or a trip to the zoo! Get creative and think of what you’d really enjoy.

Make sure you consider the wife and kids! What’s fun for you might not be their cup of tea… so make sure you’ve got some family-friendly ideas too!

2.) HYDRATE!

This one’s important not just for your enjoyment factor… but your health and safety! With the increased heat and humidity of the summer comes increased risk of dehydration. The more active you are, the more you’ll sweat and deplete your body’s stores (of everything, not just water), so the more that risk increases. It’s CRITICALLY important that you get enough water throughout the course of the day! But how much is enough?

Most places you’ll look will tell you at least 8 glasses a day, meaning 64 ounces. Again, the more active you are, the more you need. I’ve got a [amazon_textlink asin=’B0107YYSEC’ text=’1 liter Camelbak Eddy bottle’ template=’ProductLink’ store=’so0d2-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’0bb5456c-5826-11e7-aebe-b996946cc2d1′] – I try to drink 3 or 4 full ones. You don’t necessarily need to drink THAT much, but you get the idea.

With proper hydration you’ll have less to worry about, helping you have an awesome time doing whatever you’re doing (not to mention you won’t be thirsty)!

3.) Protect yourself from the sun

Just like you’re protecting yourself from dehydration… it’s important to protect against the sun as well! If you’re going to be out in the bright, hot summer sun for an extended period of time, it’s VERY important you wear sunscreen! If you’re anything like me, you’ll burn to a crisp after 20 unprotected minutes in the sun, and I know I certainly am not having fun when I’m busy dealing with the pain of a sunburn.

I’d recommend using at least SPF 30 sunscreen, and you should consider finding a good sport sunscreen. Sport sunscreen is designed (so they say) to be about as sweat-resistant as possible… which… if it’s hot out… should be kind of a no-brainer. You also need to decide between a traditional rub-in lotion or a spray. Supposedly they each work just as well as the other, so this one’s all personal preference. Right now I’m using both [amazon_textlink asin=’B00NR1YL2C’ text=’Neutrogena CoolDry SPF 70 Spray’ template=’ProductLink’ store=’so0d2-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’33b87751-5829-11e7-971b-4b7669fff86a’] and [amazon_textlink asin=’B0173G3AY6′ text=’Coppertone Sport SPF 50 Lotion’ template=’ProductLink’ store=’so0d2-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’620eea34-5828-11e7-935d-33a4d2cea0b5′]. Be smart in the sun, folks… and take care of the kids, too!!!

4.) Don’t worry about everybody else

This is a big one, folks! It’s tough to get out there and have fun if you’re worried about what everyone else sees and thinks. Summer-appropriate clothing is typically very light and… at the risk of sounding like an stuffy mom from the 50’s… very revealing and unforgiving. If we’re uncomfortable with how we look in that clothing we might be hesitant to go out in public… much less a place like the beach or a pool. GOD FORBID someone sees us, right? Or if we feel like we look stupid playing volleyball or rollerblading or what have you… that worry about judgement from outside eyes can be downright debilitating.

Try not to worry! First off… you’re probably imagining and perceiving a lot more judgement than you’re really getting. Realistically, you’re probably not getting any judgement at all! And even if you were… even IF someone looks at you and thinks “ew” or “wowww”… so what?! If that person’s got the stones to look at YOU sideways, maybe they’re not so nice of a person anyway… and if THAT’S the case, well, their opinion shouldn’t really count for much. At the end of the day… how does their opinion affect your life? It doesn’t. So why give it the time of day?

Have fun, and enjoy yourself. Haters gonna hate. If you catch someone looking… throw ’em a smile and move on. If they’re ACTUALLY judging you, that’ll probably piss ’em off, and that’s the best way to win 😉

5.) GET OUT THERE!

In the end, none of the first 4 ways to have the best summer ever REALLY matter… if you don’t actually GET OUT THERE! Any good plan is nothing if you don’t execute the plan and put it into action. So do yourself a favor… get out there and go have some fun!

For the full chat on this check out the podcast episode on iTunes here, on Android here, or on the web player at the bottom of this post. Don’t forget to hit “subscribe”!

What’s in this episode:

• Things are FINALLY coming together
• Western States, and other impressive feats
• 5 easy ways to have the BEST summer ever

Interested in working with Darrell?

If you don’t live in Attleboro, or don’t have an Anytime Fitness near you… consider working with Darrell anyway! Darrell is accepting Virtual Training Clients – it’s about as close as you can get to working with him one-on-one in person without actually BEING in person. If you’re ready to make a change and have it stick, e-mail Darrell@SoTHISIsFitness.com for more details.

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