It has been a productive winter here at D1 and many of you have established some new, lifelong exercise and nutrition habits to be proud of. It takes a lot of focus to create these habits, whether it be getting to workouts at 5am, packing healthier lunches, eating breakfast, or eliminating sugary drinks, it takes dedication. You should be proud of the progress you’ve made and the new habits you’ve formed. But as the summer inches closer, don’t let those new habits fall to the wayside. Typically, with the summer comes a change in schedules; school is out, kids are home, there are sporting events to get to, and plenty of social happenings to be at. Enjoy the weather and summer activities, but remain consistent with your workouts and nutrition.

-Continue to strength train – it takes time to build strength, but you can lose it quickly. Carve out time in your schedule to make it to Strength or Bootcamp so you don’t start going backwards.

-Be active outside – we want to see your faces here at D1, but you also have to take advantage of the sunshine and get the much needed Vitamin D. Take a quick walk before or after your D1 workout, use the weekends to ride the bike trails or go hiking.

-Go for walks – if you’re planning a time to catch up with friends, how about going for a walk rather than sitting at a coffee shop? Or bring your coffee to go on your walk! Dropping kids off early for a soccer game? Take a quick walk around the fields or the neighborhood before the game starts.

-Add soda water – itching for a refreshing lemonade or soda? Try adding soda water to your lemonade, less sugar and calories but still very refreshing. Soda water with fresh fruit is also a great swap for sugary drinks.

-Grill protein and veggies – I personally think it is much easier to eat healthy during the summer. It is easy to grill chicken, shrimp, burgers (sans bun) and a boat load of veggies (wrap ‘em up in foil with some spices and voila!) for an easy, healthy summer meal. Berries are in season and salads loaded with veggies just seem better in the summer. Be creative!

-Check out the Farmer’s Market – one of the best things to do on a Saturday morning in Sioux Falls is to scope out the Farmer’s Market. It’s a great opportunity to try new vegetables (beets!) and recipes while supporting our local farmers.

Make a plan for your summer workout routine, fuel it with clean energy, and have fun!
Coach Cota