By Radley West
There’s something about the end of the school year that feels like a deep exhale. Schedules loosen, mornings slow down, and suddenly the structure that held everything together just . . . disappears.
For a lot of people, that includes their activity.
During the school year, movement is built in. You’re on a schedule. You’re in the car, on your feet, moving from one thing to the next. Even workouts tend to happen at predictable times. Then summer hits, and without realizing it, activity drops off.
It’s not intentional. It’s just unstructured.
The key to staying active in the summer isn’t creating a rigid schedule. It’s creating anchors. A few simple, repeatable things that happen no matter what.
That might look like morning walks before it gets hot. It might be two or three set training sessions each week. It could be something as simple as “we move before we sit” in the evenings.
For families, this matters even more. Kids don’t need formal workouts, but they do need movement. Bike rides, pool time, playing outside, mini golf; those things add up quickly. The goal isn’t to force activity, it’s to make it part of the day.
Summer doesn’t need to be all or nothing. You don’t need a perfect routine to stay consistent. You just need a few habits that keep you moving while life gets a little more relaxed.
Because when fall rolls back around, it’s a lot easier to build on something than to start over.
Radley West is married to Dr. Andrew West and together they own Anytime Fitness Lake Murray and 33/18 Chiropractic Associates. Radley is a gym owner and personal trainer with more than 20 years of experience helping people achieve non-traditional health goals. She and her team approach fitness by teaching clients to build better habits and create sustainable, feel-good fitness and nutrition routines—no need for intense six-pack aspirations (unless that’s your thing).
