With summer just recently starting on June 21, the change of the seasons is a perfect excuse to start a new challenge. Use this change in season to really focus on your health – both physically and mentally. Read below for a summer health challenge that shares 30 ways to focus on your overall health so you feel confident and healthy this season!

Physical Summer Health Challenge

Drink Only Water Throughout the Day

Cut out coffee, soda, and alcohol for one day to focus on your hydration for the day. Water is essential to your physical health, especially during the heat of the summer, and the habit of staying hydrated is a good one to incorporate into your daily life.

Go to Bed 1 Hour Earlier than Normal

Sleep is another important basic need for your health, but it is easy to let life get in the way and eat into your sleep time. Not only does sleep allow your body to rest and recover, it can help prevent illness as well. Today, budget an extra hour to go to sleep early and allow your body to fully rest.

Use an Infrared Sauna

We know, sitting in a hot sauna may seem like the last thing to do in the summer heat. But that exact heat is what helps you to stay healthy in summer. Working up a sweat in a sauna can help your body detoxify, reduce stress, improve mood, and help with weight loss – all great summer health benefits!

Learn a New, Healthy Recipe

Spice up your daily menu by researching healthy recipes to whip up in the kitchen. Look for recipes that include nutritious ingredients such as vegetables and fruits. Summer is a great time for produce, so your recipes will be nutritious and delicious.

Do a 16-Hour Fast

The 16:8 fast is a great way to do a mini gut reset. During this, you will do a 16-hour window of fasting and an 8-hour window of eating. People typically choose to eat lunch and dinner then fast through the night and breakfast the next day to maintain a somewhat normal routine.

Dance to Your Favorite Songs

Dancing is not only a great way to get active, it is also a fun way to spend summer. Whether you’re alone or with a partner, make a playlist and dance. Showing off your moves is great for both physical and mental summer health.

Stretch for 15 Minutes After First Waking Up

Before even opening your phone to check email, dedicate 15 minute of your morning to naturally waking up your body. Take time to gently stretch and get your body moving. This movement will help you maintain a more positive energy for the rest of the day.

Practice Yoga

Yoga is a great way to challenge your body in new ways. Spend 30 minutes stretching, activating your core, and tapping into new movements you might have thought weren’t possible! Not only is yoga great for the body, it’s also a perfect time to try meditation for your mind.

Revamp Your Skincare Routine

Every season means a new set of external elements our body is faced with, which heavily affects our skin. Higher temperatures, longer days in the sun, and drier weather means a new skincare routine may be needed. Take this time to see if your routine is enough for healthy skin.

Be Active with a New Activity for 30 Minutes

This doesn’t necessarily have to be a workout, but use this time to find new activities that can keep your body moving! A hike on a new trail, kayaking, exploring a nearby town, or even something fun like hula-hooping can all be great ways to get active.

Try a New Workout Routine

If you’re doing the same workout every time, you are sure to get bored of the same moves every time. That, and your body isn’t getting as well-rounded of a workout. Look up new workout routines to help mix it up and keep things interesting. Pro tip: Using a sauna after a workout makes it even better.

Cook all Three Meals at Home

One day, eat only food that you have made at home. You can do this by prepping each meal at a time, or try some meal prepping in advance to make cooking a bit easier. When you homecook your meals, you are more likely to be aware of the calories and ingredients you are taking in.

Explore the Great Outdoors

One of the most fun ways to stay healthy in summer is by exploring the great outdoors. Beaches, trails, hikes, and lakes are all great ways to enjoy the weather while getting active and focusing on your summer health. Be sure to pack snacks, sunscreen, and water to stay healthy and safe.

Walk 10,000+ Steps

Walking 10,000 steps a day has been a highly-recommended activity to help maintain physical health. Immediately jumping to 10k a day can be difficult, so instead dedicate just one day to reaching your goal and pay attention to what lifestyle changes you can make to make it a long-term habit.

Only Eat Clean Foods All Day

A complete diet overhaul takes time to transition into, but a day of conscious eating is easy to accomplish. Clean eating forces you to look closely at the ingredients in your food, which may surprise you. Take notes about which foods are good for you, and which you should start eating in moderation.

Mental Summer Health Challenge

Practice Breathing Exercises

Breathe in… Breathe out… Sure, breathing is an activity we do without even trying, but putting focus into your breathwork can be great for your mental health. Learn some new breathing exercises that help you slow down, destress, and find some mental clarity.

Take a Break from Social Media

Looking at a screen all day can lead to overstimulation, which can lead to mental exhaustion. Whether for an hour or for the whole day, unplug for some time to focus on non-digital activities that benefit your summer health. Spend time with family, pamper yourself with a home spa day, work on a hobby, or just relax.

Pick Up a New Hobby

Hobbies are a great way to pass the time and keep your mind active. Summer is the perfect time to challenge yourself with learning new things. Try picking up painting, writing, baking, completing puzzles, or whatever sparks your interest. And who cares if you aren’t great at it? Practice makes perfect.

Read a Book

Reading allows you to have an escape from your day-to-day reality. From reading to educate yourself to reading for entertainment, this mental health activity can work your mind in a variety of ways. Set aside at least 30 minutes and set up in a cozy spot so you can turn some pages peacefully.

Reconnect with Loved Ones

This year has been a lesson on connecting with people. It can be easy to lose touch with loved ones, but it is just as easy to reach out and say hello. Make a friend or family member smile by sending a quick note – and set aside some time in case that quick note turns into a long conversation!

Watch Your Favorite Movie

There is something so comforting about rewatching your favorite movie. Get some movie snacks ready, round up the household, and cozy up on the couch for some simple, feel-good movie time. If there are multiple people in your home, have a movie marathon with everyone’s favorite films.

Spend Time Outside

A daily dose of fresh air is great for you physically, but it is also a great activity for mental health. Being stuck inside all day can lead to negative feelings, especially if you don’t have much natural light. Brighten up your day and invigorate your mind by getting outside for at least 30 minutes.

Organize a Group Video Call with Friends

Seeing friends in person hasn’t been the easiest thing this year, but we are lucky to have the technology to connect in different ways. Organize a group video call with friends to bring back a sense of being social. You’d be surprised just how uplifting it is to simply laugh with friends over Zoom.

Set Aside 1 Hour Completely to Yourself

Life can get busy. It’s easy to get caught up in things that don’t allow you to have you-time. Block off one entire hour to yourself (or more!) to really focus on you. Mark it on your calendar, put up a “do not disturb” sign, and enjoy some time dedicated to things that give you a mental break.

Reorganize Your Space

Clutter is more than just an eyesore, it is also a large contributor to stress. If you can’t find anything or don’t like looking at your space, it’s time to reorganize! While the action may seem stressful in itself, the end result is a tidy home that allows you to focus your time and energy on more important things.

Perform a Random Act of Kindness

This activity is one of the best because it not only helps you, it helps those around you as well. Taking the time to do something kind for someone else allows you to reposition your thoughts and think in a more positive way. It doesn’t hurt that making someone smile makes you smile, too!

Try Meditation

We’ve mentioned yoga and breathing exercises, and meditation falls right into those summer wellness tips. Meditation helps you center your mind and find ways to shift your mentality into a calmer, more accepting state. Meditation can be a few minutes or a few hours depending on how deeply you want to go.

Make a Gratitude List

Take some time to sit down and write down the things that you are grateful for. Visualization of your accomplishments, blessings, and experiences helps highlight the positive things in your life. Writing the items down can be a therapeutic exercise for your emotional and mental health.

Have a Personal Spa Night

We’re big fans of treating yourself. With the stresses of everyday life, set aside some time to have a night to yourself filled with pampering. A sauna and a bath, face masks, hair treatments… a spa night doesn’t have to be extravagant to be effective, but it should definitely be relaxing.

Cross an Item off Your To-Do List

Similar to physical clutter in your home causing stress, to-do list clutter can be just as stressful. Use this day to knock out a big-ticket item on your list that you have been putting off. Once the task is complete, you will feel a sense of accomplishment and relief that it is finally done.

30 Days to Summer Health

Additional Summer Wellness Tips

• Have an accountability partner who can check in on you and make sure you are on the right track with your summer health challenge. Doing the challenge with friends also helps add fun and accountability.
• Track your progress to monitor how you are feeling and track your successes with summer health.
• Set small, attainable goals that will keep you motivated and continually push you forward.
• Find healthy lifestyle substitutions such as walking instead of driving short distances, replacing soda with water, and switching out processed foods for clean foods.
• Develop a daily routine to help optimize your day and get you into a rhythm that makes life more manageable and peaceful.

This season, you can aim for top mental and physical health with our 30-day summer health challenge. But don’t let it stop after a month! Use these summer wellness tips to stay healthy well after summer has ended. These tips are to get you started and help keep you on track to creating lasting health improvements that will keep you happy and healthy all year long.