Why Summer Is the Hardest Time of Year to Stay Active – According to Kent’s Best Pilates Studio
As schools prepare to break up and holiday season gets underway, an award-winning Kent Pilates studio is encouraging people to rethink what staying active looks like during the summer months.
According to Kesson, class attendance can drop by as much as 30% during summer as holidays, childcare commitments, travel plans, social events and warmer weather disrupt regular routines.
While many people assume they’ll “get back on track in September”, the physio-led team behind Kesson believes this all-or-nothing approach can make it harder to maintain long-term health and wellbeing.
“We see it every year,” says Denise Kesson, owner and Physiotherapist at Kesson.
“People spend months building positive habits and then summer arrives. Children are off school, routines get disrupted overnight, people travel more, the weather gets hotter and suddenly their normal exercise schedule feels impossible to maintain.
“But that’s completely normal, and it doesn’t mean all of that progress has been lost.
“The mistake many people make is thinking they need to keep exactly the same routine they have during the rest of the year for it to count. The reality is that consistency doesn’t have to mean perfection.”
Sophie Dillow, Studio Lead at Kesson Studios Canterbury, says uncertainty is one of the biggest barriers to exercise during the summer months.
“People don’t know which weeks they’ll be away, when family will visit or what childcare they’ll have available, which can lead to them abandoning routines altogether.
“But the people who stay active over summer aren’t necessarily doing the most; they’re the ones who find flexible ways to keep moving.
“One class is better than none. A short walk is better than deciding the day is a write-off because you’ve missed your workout. It’s often these small actions that help people feel stronger, healthier and more motivated when September arrives.”
The advice comes from Kesson, a second-generation, family-run business that has been helping people Move Better, Live Better since 1983 through its physiotherapy and movement services in Kent.
In January 2025, the business opened its first stand alone Reformer Pilates studio in Canterbury and has already welcomed more than 17,000 class visits. Despite being one of the newest studios in the county, Kesson Studios has been voted Best Pilates & Yoga Studio in Kent in the Muddy Stilettos Awards for both 2025 and 2026.
In response to the challenges many members face during summer, Kesson has launched a new Summer Bundle designed to provide greater flexibility around holidays, childcare and changing schedules.
The package allows members to continue attending classes throughout the summer without the pressure of a fixed monthly routine, helping them maintain momentum until regular schedules return in September.
“We know summer isn’t the season for perfect routines,” says Denise.
“And movement doesn’t need to be perfect to be valuable.
“If we can help people stay connected to their bodies through the busiest months of the year, we’ve done our job. Every bit of movement counts, and finding a way to keep moving that works for your life is something worth celebrating.”
For more information visit www.kessonphysio.co.uk/canterbury or contact contact@kessonphysio.co.uk.
