The Great Hibernation: Building Your Summer Body in the Winter
“Summer bodies are built in the winter!” Most likely, you’ve probably heard this phrase before. As soon as the winter solstice arrives, fitness influencers and professionals alike tell you that your summer body building begins then. However, has anyone truly understood why? Most people focus on aesthetic goals, weight loss/gain, or future trips, but are we being too superficial about the importance of beginning or maintaining our healthy habits in the winter? Let’s talk about why this key phrase is important outside of the obvious.
Create Sustainable Habits, See Sustainable Results
Some people prefer to wait until it’s too late to start working on their fitness goals, hoping for drastic weight loss, rock-hard abs, or even an improved mood immediately. However, reaching your goals takes time and requires consistent, sustainable habits. The habits you build will help you maintain a routine that can completely change your game.
Research shows that it can take 21-days or up to 3 months to build a habit. In fitness, this looks like pre-packing your gym bag, training 3 times per week, and/or meal prepping each week. Building your summer body in the winter allows you to get a jumpstart on any routines or goals you want to set and meet steadily. As a fitness professional, I can tell you realistically, anything you aren’t gradually building won’t last. It removes the intentionality from your goals. My suggestion is that you sit down, write/type out your goals, and make a game plan on what timeline makes the most sense. Maybe you’re like me, and you have a trip coming up in March. Maybe you recently found out you're pre-diabetic and your next appointment is in a few months. Any scenario you have for this new year requires a solid fitness and nutrition routine.
Prevent FAD dieting and Overtraining
When you invest in gradual change, you prevent yourself from participating in harmful practices that may stunt your goals or growth. FAD dieting and overtraining are both products of dysfunction within your fitness plan. Using your time of hibernation lets you begin your habits gracefully by finding what's sustainable for you.
FAD Dieting
While some may see trendy diets as a quick fix for their fitness failures, others know there is real danger in reckless nutrition. Often, these diets are restrictive, removing entire food groups, low in essential nutrients, and cause undesirable fitness results. For nutritional guidance, sometimes it is great to go back to the basics. The MyPlate Model is a perfect, simple representation of how to have a balanced meal that ensures all food groups are represented. Any other specific regulations should be taken to a dietitian or nutritionist for optimal results and health.
Overtraining
Most gym goers believe you can never train too much. Some think that constant training is normal and helps you reach your goals faster. Building your body in the summer debunks this myth. It allows you to ramp up your training in a sustainable way while protecting your body from overtraining. Overtraining is a phenomenon described as training too intensely, which can lead to mental, physical, and emotional harm. Normal soreness lasts ~48 hours; overtraining is often characterized by soreness that lasts weeks to months. While challenge is important to prepare for an elite sport, reach a new PR, or develop that aesthetic you’re looking for, rest and recovery allow your body adequate time to repair itself.
According to the Cleveland Clinic, common symptoms to look out for include:
Muscle Pain and Stiffness
Unexpected weight fluctuations
Anxiety/Depression
Poor sleep
High blood pressure
Abnormally high heart rate
Significant fatigue
Decreased motivation
Fighting Seasonal Depression
Finally, what I find the most important of all is fighting seasonal affective disorder (SAD), also known as seasonal depression. Think about it, daylight saving time comes around. The days get shorter, the nights get colder, and you’re forced to retreat inside to protect yourself from the chill. The days get more monotonous as the remnants of summer disappear until June. You find yourself feeling lonely, irritable, low energy, and sleeping excessively. Your fitness routine falters, and you feel no need to maintain meaningful connections like before. If this sounds familiar, this section is for you.
Frankly, this is something I experience and have experienced since college. Then, I had no name for it. I just endured it and tried my best to stay afloat until the sun returned. Now I know, thanks to my therapist at that time, that I was experiencing seasonal depression. So now, with all of my knowledge, the phrase “building summer bodies in the winter” has a new meaning for me. It’s a mental reset just as much as a physical one.
According to Drew et al, SAD is a type of depression that occurs during a particular season. Symptoms usually begin in the fall/winter, then resolve in the spring/summer. Significant predictors of SAD tend to be women who are less than 40 years old. However, this phenomenon can affect anyone.
Common symptoms include:
Extreme Sadness
Irritability
Abnormal Lack of Energy
Excessive Sleeping
Difficulty Concentrating
Social Withdrawal
Increased Sugar Cravings
Remember that a true diagnosis requires assessment from a mental health professional. However, if you have an existing diagnosis, this is familiar territory. Now, this is not a treatment plan; I am here to share the facts about how physical activity can improve symptoms of SAD. While any form of exercise can help alleviate symptoms, aerobic exercise specifically seems to create the most benefit. Aerobic exercise helps increase levels of serotonin and dopamine, also known as your “happy hormones.” These hormones are known to boost your mood and improve your energy levels. Li et al’s findings show that short and long periods of aerobic exercise can improve depression. However, other factors such as age, previous injury, etc will help you determine what time period works for you.
Including mindfulness practice also has emotional benefits, such as stress management and gratitude. As always, incorporating healthy fitness and mental health habits allows you to create long-lasting results in your fitness journey.
In Conclusion…
Building summer bodies in the winter is more than a superficial phrase focused on aesthetic goals. It’s a mantra for the physical and mental habit building happening during a time that can be uncertain for some and motivating for others. It’s an opportunity to invest in the inner growth required for future emergence. So when you’re going to the gym, journaling, meditating, and eating your nutritious meals, remember that this is your time to set a foundation. This is your time to plan your emergence with habits that create consistency. This is your time to hibernate and build yourself…mind, body, and soul.
References:
Drew, E. M., Hanson, B. L., & Huo, K. (2021). Seasonal affective disorder and engagement in physical activities among adults in Alaska. International Journal of Circumpolar Health, 80(1), 1906058. https://doi.org/10.1080/22423982.2021.1906058
Li, W., Liu, Y., Deng, J. et al. Influence of aerobic exercise on depression in young people: a meta-analysis. BMC Psychiatry 24, 571 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888-024-06013-6
Overtraining Syndrome. Cleveland Clinic. Updated September 14, 2023. Accessed January 25, 2026.https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/overtraining-syndrome