By Jay Reyes

 The warm weather is finally here! Time to officially put away the winter coat, sweaters, and hats because they are never to be worn again – at least for many months.

 Now, it’s time to take inventory.

• T-shirts? Check.
• Shorts? Check.
• Flip-flops? Check.
• Tank tops? Check.
• Summer Bod? Che…oh wait…about that. You see what had happened was…

 It’s that time of the year again, folks, when we feverishly slave away at the gym, join fitness challenges, and spend hundreds of dollars on supplements that promise us abs in a week with little work to be done. But we have to “go hard” for that “summer bod” – right? If you think about it, fruits, vegetables, and TV shows are seasonal. Our bodies? Not so much. Here are three (of many) reasons “Summer Bod” is a farce.

1. Unrealistic Ideology: Chiseled abs, ripped arms, and tree trunks for legs are key components of the “summer bod” concept. The problem is, some of us never achieve the aforementioned regardless of season and how hard we work. Factors such as genetics, lifestyle, and nutrition are different for everyone. To truly obtain our own version of chiseled abs, ripped arms, and tree trunks for legs, we should focus on consistency and intensity, among other things, throughout the year and not just a couple of months leading up to the summer.
2. Damage to your mental health: Coming up short of achieving your “summer bod” can leave you feeling defeated, uninspired, and lifeless. “Summer bod” implies that the skinnier you are, the better and that you’ll have a fantastic summer – guaranteed! Not so fast folks. Proper nutrition and exercise are your best bets for improving your physical and mental health. A “summer bod” expectation that you will probably fall short of does your psyche no favors.
3. You deserve better: Summer is officially from June 21 until September 23. That’s only 95 days out of 365 days! What happens to the other 270 days? Do we cancel our gym memberships? Order takeout more often? Every day should matter to us and not just the 95 of them because it’s warm outside. You deserve a more well-rounded approach to your health and fitness journey. One that allows you to maintain and execute a realistic plan all year.

In conclusion, this notion of “summer bod” works against us as it creates an unrealistic picture of what we should look like for a season of the year. Let’s focus on a yearlong approach that we can apply to our everyday lives.

 Jay Reyes is a Crunch Group Fitness Instructor.

Crunch’s group fitness classes promote a culture of fun with no judgments. It’s an environment for all types of individuals with various goals. Find a Crunch gym near you to try our free trial membership, or join Crunch now. Your goals are made to be crushed. With Crunch, you’ll have the tools, resources, and support to make it happen.