Whether you want to slip into that summer dress with confidence, you’ve got a holiday booked and want to get in shape, or you simply want to enjoy the physical, mental and social benefits exercise brings, now is the time to build fitness for summer.
But forget beach bods, crash diets and hardcore workouts. These short-term approaches to fitness aren’t conducive to all-round health and wellbeing. Instead, slowly and steadily building up your fitness throughout spring and summer means you build habits that help you stay fit, well and happy all year round. And that’s what we empower you to do at Active Luton.
It’s not what you lose, it’s what you gain
Often, the focus of exercise is on losing something - weight, inches, or body fat. But this approach has limitations. It can lead to short-term thinking - “Once I can fit into that dress, I can stop exercising,” or, “Once I hit that weight, I can stop exercising.”
It can also frame exercise as some sort of chore, rather than an enjoyable experience, and make it harder to get motivated.
But when we think about what we gain through exercise, it becomes a much more positive and valuable part of our lives.
“I’m gaining strength, endurance and flexibility.”
“I’m growing in confidence, building my resilience and overcoming obstacles.”
“I’m activating my circulatory system so I’ll have lower blood pressure and better health.”
“I’m boosting my immune system so I’ll be better equipped to fight bugs and illnesses.”
“I’m spending time with people and making new connections.”
“I’m stimulating my brain so I’ll feel more alert, have better memory and reduce the risk of neurological problems.”
“I’m strengthening my bones and joints so I won’t feel as stiff and I’m less likely to get injured.”
Thinking about exercise this way paints in a much more positive light, and makes it easier to get motivated. And the great thing is, you don’t need to lift ridiculous weights or run for hours to enjoy those benefits.
Anything is better than nothing
You don’t need to do anything complicated. Adults are recommended to do a minimum of 120-150 minutes of physical activity each week, which works out around 20 minutes a day. But even exercising just a couple of times a week has benefits and reduces your risk of ill health.
One of the easiest things everyone can do is build in ‘micro-workouts’ in those little pockets of time throughout the day. Waiting for the kettle to boil? Do a few lunges, holding the countertop for balance. Waiting for the bus? Do some calf raises. You can even get a few reps in when you’re stuck in a Zoom meeting. Check out some suggestions here.
Ideally, you want to be doing strength training on your legs, hips, back, abdomen, chest, shoulders and arms at least twice a week. You can find some ideas for strength training for different age groups in our weight training article.
Body weight exercises are a great way of toning up with no equipment. These can be done at home. Start off with press-ups against a countertop or wall. Then build up to press-ups on your knees then onto your feet for a full press-up. They’re great for building up your core and upper body strength. Squats or lunges are great for leg toning – once you build up some strength and confidence, you can add a bar, kettlebell or dumbbells for greater toning.
High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) is also a fantastic option as you can build strength and burn through a tonne of calories in just 15-20 minutes from your own living room. YouTube and streaming services like Amazon Prime have loads of free videos you can follow.
Of course, if you want to get more serious with your summer training, Active Luton are here to help.
Get fit for summer with Active Luton
Our flexible and affordable gym memberships can help take your summer fitness programme to the next level, with hundreds of group fitness classes and state-of-the-art gym equipment.
The better weather and longer days get more people out and pounding the pavement. But if you are planning on doing more running or walking, it’s important to strengthen those key muscle groups. Our Thighs, Hips, Bums and Tums classes run most days at Inspire, Lewsey and Lea Manor. These classes build up the muscles in your legs and core, helping you last longer and reduce the risk of injury when you increase your activity. Likewise, yoga and pilates are great for stability, balance and flexibility, which are all crucial if you’re running or walking longer distances.
Take a look at our group fitness timetable and class descriptions to find an activity that you’ll love.
In the gym, our trained instructors are always on hand to help you use the equipment properly and train in a safe, effective way that helps you achieve your goals. Our gyms are inclusive environments that welcome everybody without judgement.
If you want to stride out confidently in the sunshine this summer, we recommend using our equipment that works multiple muscle groups and improves posture. The arc trainer and cross trainer mimic running without the impact, while the rowing machine is great for core strength and toning. Seated cable rows, lateral pulldowns and one-arm dumbbell rows are also great for developing strong, toned back muscles and improving posture.
If you like to follow hot trends, try the 12-3-30 routine, popularised on TikTok and viewed millions of times. It’s simple - set a treadmill to a 12% incline, set it to 3mph and walk for 30 minutes. It’s a great way to activate your hamstrings and glutes and provides a moderately intense yet low-impact workout.
Get started on your path to summer fitness
Take a look at our affordable, no-contract gym memberships, which give you access to our gyms, pools, badminton and squash, and hundreds of group fitness classes.
You can also join as a Pay As You Go member with a free Go4Less card that gives you discounted access.
We look forward to helping you get fit and well this summer and beyond!