Staying well this summer has to be your biggest goal. How else are you meant to turn up when asked and do all the things you love? Not easily when you’re low on energy and on the side of feeling like you want to spend all day in bed.

We can’t promise 100% health in summer, but it is undeniably easier to feel at your best when you eat well, exercise, make time for yourself, and take a few high-quality supplements that are proven to have health benefits.

The optional part among all those, of course, is supplements. But each element plays its role in your summer wellness and is worth paying attention to for the healthiest summer you can have. Our top tips are below.

Wellbeing best practices

Take the right supplements

Supplements top up your nutritional efforts. There are two sides to that -- replacing the nutrients you don’t usually consume from food and giving yourself minerals and vitamins that your body finds difficult to synthesise.

Eat well

It’s best to keep to recommended calorie intakes for men and women, or dip slightly below them for any weight loss you want.

You can still have sweet treats and other goodies with the right balance, but these shouldn’t make up any more than 5% of your daily calories, ideally.

High-quality sources of protein, such as chicken, eggs, fish, tofu, and hemp seeds, are worth making the headline of your diet. Carbohydrates are necessary for your energy levels and are the top-tier food group before exercise.

Reduce your stress

Ha! If only it were that easy. That’s what you’re probably thinking. Work, family life, and everything you read in the news that isn’t good news all contribute to it. Here’s what we do to reduce our stress:

  • Manage smartphone use. Turn it off at night or put it in aeroplane mode. You’ll then have no reason to pick it up without first switching it on or enabling the internet. It’s a barrier that can help you spend more time doing other things.
  • Go for walks. With or without your dog, or someone else. Just being outside is better than being indoors, particularly if you spend most of your time working inside.
  • Go old school with your spare time. No gaming or computers, no movies. Read a book and put your brain to work. Sketch, knit, or anything else that engages the side of your creativity that usually goes untouched.
  • Cut out toxic stuff. Social media is a big one -- can you even help yourself from doomscrolling? Also, people. If people are causing you stress that you can avoid or reduce your exposure to, take that leap.

Get more active

Do what you need to do -- join a gym, a five-a-side team, buy some new running trainers, whatever it takes to get out there more.

Exercise within your limits but push yourself when appropriate. A decent format is to work out one day, then take a day off and eat clean. One day on, one day off, and for the days you have off, make diet the core part of your routine.

A few ways you can get more active:

  • Stretches in the morning. Great to work on any niggles you have, like lower back pain. The best place to learn stretches is YouTube.
  • Walking. At whatever pace is best for you. The outdoors is the best place to work your legs, feet, and hips on different inclines.
  • Running. A massive step up from walking. Again, go at your own pace. If you’re getting started, try alternating between walking and running. Ease into it.
  • Sports. Be it football, squash, cricket, basketball, by yourself or with others. There should be clubs for most of these near you.
  • Weight training. At home or at the gym. With or without a weight bench. You can even do nothing but bodyweight exercises.

The bottom line

Take supplements to improve your diet, eat clean, reduce your stress, and move around as much as you can without setting back any niggles you have.

That’s the formula for a summer wellness routine that’ll keep you at your best. For even more tips, check our articles ‘5 nutrients for your mental wellbeing and feeling at your best’ and ‘Heart supplements, the best ones for your heart health’.