Summer is always a tough time for the fitness industry. People take vacations, summers get busy with kids being out of school, moms and dads fall out of their regular fitness routine to keep up with changing schedules. And not to mention it’s hot. It often seems much more pleasant to keep lying on the couch in the air conditioning than get out and sweat at the gym.

I notice the same with my personal training. I’ve definitely had a dip in clients – the first real dip since I started my business just over a year ago. I have a couple of clients moving (also more common during the summer), a few whose schedules just got too hard to work around, and various other reasons.

Back-to-school is almost more popular for getting back in a fitness routine than the more common guess of New Year’s. I think we all crave getting back into a routine after falling out of a pattern. It feels good to set our sights and our goals on making time for ourselves again. Because that’s actually what working out is — carving out time to do something good for yourself. And even though vacations are fun and lazy days are nice for a while, getting back in the habit of having “me time” is always nice.

So as summer begins to draw to a close (if we can survive August!), what are your plans for getting back in a fitness routine come September? The cooler temperatures may inspire you to get outside. It’s also a good idea to buckle down in the fall a few months before all the holiday eating hits. Why don’t you think outside your normal routine to try something new? There are so many options and you may find something new that you really enjoy. Try a new class at the gym. You could enlist the expertise of a personal trainer. Whatever you do, remember that this time is YOUR time to be enjoyed!