Inspiration to help make your summer move

We’re helping women get active this summer with a series of tips and stories to inspire you to ‘Make Your Summer Move’.

In a new survey of more than 1,000 women, nearly half (45%) told us that they’re worried about showing their body while being active in the summer.

Again, almost half (48%) are worried they felt too unfit, while two in five (40%) are worried about being good enough and a third (33%) concerned about getting sweaty.

We’ve spoken to psychotherapist Cate Campbell to create some top tips to help women overcome these barriers and our Make Your Summer Move webpage can also give you some inspiration to get active with stories from women just like you.

We’re also helping you to move this summer with our new range of activewear, available exclusively in Tesco stores now, and our director of marketing Kate Dale hopes you can find the inspiration you need to Make Your Summer Move.

“From jogs with friends over a catch-up to solo strolls or family bike rides, summer is a brilliant time to reap the benefits of moving your body while enjoying the great outdoors,” she said.

“Since This Girl Can was born in 2015, we’ve been helping women to battle the deep-rooted fear of judgement.

“While we’ve made significant strides, it’s an ongoing fight. We exist to support women in overcoming these types of emotional barriers, so they can enjoy getting active the way they deserve.

“This is our reminder to women – of all shapes, sizes, ability and age – that nothing should hold us back from enjoying getting active this summer.

“Our new activewear range carries the powerful This Girl Can logo.

“We hope this empowers more women to get active and reminds them that sweat, menopause or periods shouldn’t hold them back; they absolutely can make the most of the summer.”

The new study also showed that more than a quarter (27%) of those surveyed have concerns about being menopausal and a quarter (25%) are anxious about getting active while on their period.

All of these factors contribute to the ‘enjoyment gap’ that we’re trying to close, with the help of National Lottery funding, and Cate’s top tips are designed to help you along the way.

They are:

• challenge your inner critic
• get experimental
• fight the fear of judgement
• move for you, and benefit those around you.

So, however you choose to get active this summer, remember that you’re doing it for the way it makes you feel – just like Sarah, who after years of battling an unhealthy relationship with food and exercise, took up paddle boarding during the pandemic and hasn’t looked back.

“Picking up paddle boarding has changed my life,” she said.

“I move for my mental health. For the first time in my life, I am enjoying movement for the way it makes me feel strong and capable, rather than the number of calories that it burns.”