Back-to-Routine: How to Get Your Fitness and Nutrition Back on Track
Summer often disrupts normal routine – travel and vacations, barbecues, social events, unstructured workout schedules, later nights, different sleep patterns – but now it’s time to find rhythm again.
It can be intimidating to find a routine again, but it’s important to remember it as resetting instead of restarting. You have not lost all your progress with a few weeks off. Start with little, consistent habits. Small choices are more effective than trying to overhaul everything at once.
Routines and habits start simply with a mindset. Often we fall into the trap of the “I was bad all summer” mentality and then try to compensate for indulgent meals with excessive exercise or extreme dieting. Instead focus on how you want to feel: energized, strong, focused, comfortable, consistent. The first few weeks of creating routines is the hardest until they become habits, so set realistic expectations for the first few weeks.
Once you have a positive mindset, then rebuild your fitness routine gradually. One of the biggest mistakes I have seen is people jumping back into their most intense workout schedule right after taking months off. It often leads to burnout and disappointment due to their expectations. Instead, consider how your fitness level and schedules have changed. Start off by creating a simple weekly structure – establish a realistic number of workout days, mix strength training, cardio, mobility, and rest, and schedule workouts like appointments (most important tip if you struggle with accountability). Then prioritise consistency over intensity; A 30 minute workout is more valuable than an ambitious plan you cannot maintain. Finally, find time everyday for movement even if it is just walking.
Once you start getting into the swing of your routine, focus on getting your nutrition back on track as well. Return to regular meals and establish breakfast, lunch, and dinner and avoid skipping meals to “make up” for summer eating. Build balanced meals full of protein, fiber rich carbohydrates, healthy fats for satiety, and fruits and vegetables. Make healthy choices convenient (meal prep a few staple ingredients or meals to avoid needing to cook every meal especially if you are a busy person) and keep the foods you enjoy (balance is key here).
Rather than changing everything at once, choose 3 -5 anchor habits to focus on like drinking water throughout the day, eating protein at each meal, walking for 20 - 30 minutes daily, going to bed at a consistent time, etc. They should be specific and measurable to help get your routine back on track.
A simple 7 - day back to routine reset can look like this:
Day 1: Plan your week + grocery shop
Day 2: Take a walk + focus on hydration
Day 3: Complete a strength workout
Day 4: Prep a few meals/snacks
Day 5: Add another workout or active recovery
Day 6: Enjoy a balanced meal out or with friends
Day 7: Reflect, recover, and plan the following week
Remember, this isn’t a 7 day transformation, it’s a way to establish momentum.
Your summer doesn’t need to be “fixed,” a reset is about returning to habits that support your goals. Start small, stay consistent, and allow your routine to evolve. Lastly, focus on what you can do today, rather than think about what you should have done all summer. You don't need a perfect plan to get back on track. You just need your next healthy choice, your next workout, and a routine that works for your life.
-Lizze Urbanowicz, CPT