Maintaining a consistent martial arts training routine over the summer can be a challenge.
School’s out, which disrupts both kids’ and parents’ daily lives. Some businesses — including some gyms — are operating on reduced hours or altered schedules. Some days it’s too hot for intense physical activities. Interesting seasonal events, festivals, and other distractions are going on. Opportunities for trips and stacations abound.
There’s always something happening at this time of year that might require some of the time and energy that you usually dedicate to your martial arts training. But just because you might not be able to train exactly like you would in other seasons doesn’t mean that you have to give up your routine entirely.
If you can’t stick to your regular training routine this summer, here are five tips that will keep your mind and body in fighting shape until the fall.
Get It Over With
Put together a short bodyweight training circuit. It doesn’t have to be more than five to ten minutes. You can start with a few warmup drills that you remember from class. Add a few strength and conditioning exercises. Level up with some sport-specific moves like shadowboxing for Boxing and Muay Thai, or sprawls for BJJ. And top it off with a few mobility moves for a cool down. Make it challenging enough that you feel like you’ve accomplished something, but not so hard that you start putting it off.
Then get up and try it first thing in the morning — or after you’ve digested your breakfast. That leaves the rest or your day free for work, fun, or other obligations. If you have the time and energy to add more serious training to your day, that’s great! If not, you’re still doing a little bit of martial arts training each day.
Do A Little Bit At A Time
Or you can take that collection of moves and scatter them throughout the day. Do some basic mat drills while you’re still in bed. Try a little shadowboxing right before you hop in the shower. Do a few sprawls off the kitchen counter while you’re waiting for something to heat up or cool down. Take short pushup breaks from your work. All of those little bit adds up to help keep you track when you can’t do your full blown regular routine. And they might make your average summer day more fun, too!
Pack A Goodie Bag For Your Travels
Take a light uniform or other appropriate exercise clothing, add some portable martial arts training equipment, and make yourself a grab-and-go training package that you can take on the road with you. The size of your bag and the amount of gear you can take will depend on your method of travel and your destination. For a road trip, you might have room to include a uniform and small equipment like a medicine ball or a pair of boxing gloves and focus mitts.
If you’ve got the space and are feeling ambitious, you could also take a grappling dummy along for the journey. If you’re flying, you might need to stick to a rash guard, a pair of shorts and a jump rope.
Whatever the size and contents, though, having that training-specific gear bag is a good way to make sure you get your reps in while you’re away. Having easy access to familiar training equipment eliminates the stress of having to source a new location or makeshift gear for your workouts. (And if you’re motivated by guilt, you can tell yourself that you put all this effort into packing and hauling your gear with you, so you can’t let it go to waste.)
Set a Summer Goal
An interruption in your regular routine isn’t the ideal time to set massive long term goals. But something short and specific to your current situation could be an excellent way to keep you focused.
Think of something small that you’d like to accomplish in your martial arts training, like tackling a new technique or becoming more comfortable with one that’s been frustrating you. Break down a few simple steps that will help you reach that goal. Then take the rest of the summer to work toward it.
Rest
If none of the above are working for you, change your perspective instead of your workout.
Approach your summer as a fallow period in your long-term martial arts journey. Use this time to relax, reflect, and get ready for a new approach in the fall. Schedule another rest day or two a week. Go for walks. Grab some jigsaw mats and meditate. Start to think about what you want to do next in your training and lay out the steps you will need to take to get there. Spend some time visualizing that process. And enjoy the calm before the storm.
