I got an email recently from a member who said she was pausing her membership because she couldn’t handle me venting about my kids during the summer. She mentioned that she’d had to pause before and she’s gonna do it again. I responded and told her that I agree, go forth and pause and also best wishes to you. I then spent a few hours afterwards wrestling with: 1) How I must start censoring myself or else I am going to lose my paycheck; and 2) Fantasies about what her summer sans irritants might look like. 

Now, mind you, it’s not like I complain constantly in my workouts about my kids or even about summer. But, you know, they do interrupt me unpredictably and I do experience an unedited good surprise cry sometimes during a workout. I also know, without a doubt, that even without complaining, you can probably see summer vacation angst all over me. It’s like someone turned the light switch off and even though I have a tan, my shit looks dim. I know this. Probably annoying to witness. But, maybe also you get it. 

Actually, I am sure you get it. You are an adult human who certainly decides to doomscroll from time to time, which also means you are often getting images of summers spent differently than yours. You probably also held your gaze a little long on one post with a rather fit mom in a matching sports bra and legging set, reminding you that you can beat the mom pooch and wear a bikini, but ONLY IF you do this exercise followed by that exercise followed by, you know, an entire change to your entire life. Oh yeah, and don’t forget making sure to get 8 hours of sleep, uninterrupted (obviously). 

I have signed up for so many free trials for this and that, chasing a golden carrot for some sort of solution for some kind of intense discomfort I am having. And it’s clear from the images that this person has it figured out. I mean, they have a six pack after six kids and did I mention the matching bra and leggings? They seem to breathe correctly, like a land fish with beautifully fluid gills. And holy fuckery, I want something like that. Just please stitch me together, soothe my nervous system, and give me a plan. 

But then I have to remind myself what I know to be true: Nothing glorious is happening in July (if ever) in regards to stitching myself and my metaphorical belly together. The truth is that I find summer to be difficult and that is ok. My kids are demanding, they fail at dishes, they have to go here and there and everywhere, and they apparently need to be fed more in a summer day than 24 growing tigers. The bigger truth is that with all the pulls on my attention combined with my need to do adulting things in order to stay afloat, summer is just often hard on me and I often do not like it.

Ugh. Guess what? I want to love it. I am built to love summer. I love minor sunburns and staying up past dusk turning to dark. I love sprinklers and unwashed hair. I love wandering through the day and forgetting where my phone is. I love snacks and movies and flip flops and shorts freshly cut from those jeans I needed to toss. I love an ease of spirit, a welcome exchange of stress for cocoa butter, and new freckles dusted on cheeks. And, most importantly, I want to love doing all of this with my kids. 

Alas. Most of us just don’t have access to that in this season of our life and this means that summer is not just hard, there’s a wee bit of loss and heartbreak in there too. It magnifies all the ways that life isn’t what we thought it was going to be and it certainly makes me turn the volume all the way up on Wide Open Spaces by the Chicks when I have a free moment in the car all by myself. 

I have come to realize that when I feel this way, one of the most alluring solutions is to control or change my body. Bettering the skin that I am in feels incredibly productive, as if my inner angst anchors itself to this disguise of hope and meaning. Ah, that’s the word isn't it? Meaning.

I have a hunch that so much of the fitness stuff out there, especially right now, has more to do with a search for meaning than it does with actual fitness goals. And while I know we all want to take care of ourselves and we want to feel strong and we want to look like our best selves, if we dig deep, we’ll see that we’ve coupled fitness goals with a better life. And that life is one where we are able to be more ourselves; more rested and more present and less stressed and less annoyed with our kids. Change my body, change my reality. 

Yet, when I sit with the wisest person I know - my future 90+ year old self - I know that this wrinkled, soft person would tell me to stop. Let July be July and let your body be. Do the basics and stop the pursuit of whatever it is. You can be a super star in September, if you still want to. 

There’s grief here and also a giant YES from inside me. Just stop. Let my body be, let my health be, let my irritation be, let my grand plans be, let life be, let my kids be. Just let July be July. 

So, yeah. I have decided to do a new 30-Day Challenge this month, mostly because I need it for myself. I want a container that gives me permission to do just enough and then that’s it. We’re not going to say that this container is the rest of our lives, we’re going to remember that Fall is around the corner and we can get our shit together then. For now, we’re going to messy and sloppy and half assed and - MAYBE - we’re going to give meaning a chance to breathe.

This is my official invitation to The July 2026 Hook: Imperfect Fitness Summer. Please join me starting on Monday, July 6th for the full month challenge where we will do 5 minutes of daily movement. In addition to the mini workout, I’ll be adding in one “fit tip” each day so you have something small but measurable to think about while your kids are bickering and I’ll also have a weekly podcast you can listen to if you want.

**IMPORTANT AND AWESOME NOTE: As a current member, all you have to do from here is click this post in the community to join. As a not-yet member: You don’t have to become a member for this one or subscribe to one more freakin’ thing. Nope, you can get access to this challenge for $4 and that is that. Simply click here to get access.

PS: I just bought a cheetah print bathing suit at Target. Let July be July.