Revitalize your summer fitness routine with the help of your smartwatch's features.
Crankin' Up a Summer Fitness Revival
In this weekly column, our resident guru of wearables, apps, and fitness tech related to running and health, Michael Hicks, rehashes his quest to speed up and surge fitness-wise.
May was a nail-biting month for my 2025 fitness objectives. I barely managed 23 miles after averaging 60 my first four months. Work trips like I/O left me drained, but let's face it; the main culprits were motivation and weather. The temperature's soaring in California, and I'm about to hit the five-month mark since my New Year's pledges. A fitness face-lift's in order.
Chances are, many of you are in the same boat. That's why June spells the perfect time for a rehaul. Here's how wearable tech can help.
Initiatives like Global Running Day acknowledge that people need a fitness pick-me-up in the summer. The idea is to encourage individuals of all fitness levels to run, trot, or stroll a few miles on the first Wednesday of June annually.
A charming notion, for sure, and one I endorse wholeheartedly. Many fitness watches and apps like Garmin, Apple, and Strava will reward you with digital trinkets. But let's be honest, one day a year isn't going to cut it.
So, I've outlined a comprehensive three-month plan to thrive through the summer heat and emerge in better shape for it, thanks to my fitness watch and other tools to keep me on track. Here's how to do the same:
June: Focus on Steps Above All
Despite the 10,000 steps a day rule starting out as a marketing stunt, I saw real improvements in my health after walking over 10,000 steps daily for a month. The exact number's arbitrary; the point is to prioritize consistency over intensity.
Why? Because there are tons of valid reasons to skip a grueling workout after a workday: Fatigue, lateness, or obligations like dinner prep and laundry add up quickly, leaving a whole week wasted if you're not careful. But the only reason to cut out a walk is laziness. You can walk an hour whether it's sweltering or night-dark, even if you're dead beat.
Stretch Your Brain Muscles as Well
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Plus, if you start a summer activity like golf, pickleball, or softball, you're bound to rack up steps even if you're not logging a specific activity like a run or hike. Your smartwatch will keep tabs on how much you've really moved, ensuring you've torched enough calories for that post-match brew or dessert.
Most smartwatches boast a widget or badge to show you've hit your steps target. My Garmin watch awards me badges for hitting 30 miles of walking or 300,000 steps per month, while a Galaxy or Apple Watch praises you for closing your daily rings. It's a great way to give yourself a pat on the back.
Should you do nothing else this June, make use of the extended twilights and vow to walk for at least 8,000 steps a day.
Dig deep into an audiobook or podcast that'll keep your mind buzzing for hours, or grab a call with family. Planned multitasking makes it feel less like wasted time, and you'll eventually shed pounds in the long run by staying active.
June to July: Stay Accountable with Tech and Pals, Not Wallets Alone
Plenty of watches and apps have stellar self-guided training features I'd recommend. Garmin Coach and daily training suggestions cater to running, walking, or strength training tailored to your ability level. A Pixel Watch supplies a target cardio load and daily workout advice like Tempo or intervals. TrainingPeaks has renowned paid training plans, while brands like COROS dish out free training calendars.
All of them come with one significant drawback, though. Only you can keep yourself motivated, and you wouldn't be here if self-motivation wasn't an issue! Believe me, I get it.
People resort to paid motivators like gym memberships to apply pressure, so they're not "wasting money." But a negative attitude only goes so far before guilt takes over. Once again, only you are the watchdog.
Summer's an excellent time for adults to rekindle their athletic ambitions. Unlike students who have sports clubs all year except summer, adults can usually find team activities during this season.
Join a local football, track, pickleball, or volleyball league. You're much less likely to flake out without a solid excuse since others are counting on you. It's more fun than solitary workouts, which makes it less of a chore.
Team activities typically carry on into fall, but summer's often when sports and training orgs recruit new members. So, take some time this weekend to Google your best local options and get signed up for something fun before the end of June. You'll still need to work out properly the rest of the week, but these community days keep you limber and enthusiastic.
July: Wearable Tech Your Secret Weapon for Deep Sleep
Per studies cited by the BBC, people get on average an hour less sleep in June than in December, with 30 fewer minutes of REM sleep[3]. Early sunlight rouses you, long days keep you up and going for longer, social drinking saps your sleep quality, and warmer temperatures interfere with your body's ability to drop the required 2-3°F for uninterrupted rest.
You've probably spent June walking and joining community sports teams that tire you out for better sleep. But if you're evenings are busy with exercises, it's easy to slide into abusive bedtime procrastination (RBP)[4]. You stay up to stream shows, game, or scroll social feeds, despite the dread the next day, because, hey, you've earned it![4]
Now that you've established good daytime workout habits, lease wearable technology to help you stay consistent with better and more consistent sleep during July.
For this, I'd recommend a smart ring since they're more comfortable for sleep tracking than a smartwatch, as well as more specialized. My Ultrahuman Ring Air takes note of stats like HR drop, skin temperature, time spent in sleep stages, restlessness, and duration[4].
Of course, many fitness smartwatches track the same stats if you'd rather not buy two separate gizmos. What's important is utilizing tools like Garmin Body Battery, Fitbit Daily Readiness, Samsung Energy Score, and so on to keep yourself accountable.
I interviewed Google's clinical sleep expert earlier this year, and he cautioned that people are "terrible estimators" of their own tiredness. They can function with a "substantial amount of sleep impairment that you're not even fully aware of."[5] It's so easy to develop bad sleep habits during the summer and wear yourself down, so use July to nip those habits in the bud.
July to August: Lighten Up and Save Your Energy for Later
As my workout lifter partner always reminds me, even hardcore fitness fanatics training for serious gains need the occasional break-week so they can recharge and make stride-ing advancements[5].
If you've managed to fill the first half of summer with constant walks, games, and nightly slumbers, you're either going to commit to working out as your whole identity or burn out and withdraw.
That's why, as the hot summer rolls on, cut yourself some slack and aim for fewer but more rigorous workouts in August. Leverage your summer training foundation to push for new PRs, but take more time off in between. Then, when September arrives, set yourself a new three-month training regimen and ride a new wave of enthusiasm.
Hopefully, by the end of August, you'll have ingrained better habits and discovered the ~~fitness smartwatch~~ tools to keep you motivated through the rest of the year.
Sources:
- Fitness activities to try in summer
- Summer Reset by Project Fierce Fitness
- Why do we get less sleep in the summer?
- How to Stop Revenge Bedtime Procrastination
- The Do's and Don'ts of Cardio Load for Performance Athletes
- In the scorching heat of summer, maintaining fitness levels can be challenging, but technology can help make it easier.
- Focus on steps and overall consistency in June, aiming for at least 8,000 steps a day. Utilize smartwatches to track progress and stay motivated, and consider joining a local sports team for additional accountability.
