Here comes the sun: How weather shifts our workout routines

Not-so-hot take: We’re now living in a time of seemingly endless exercise options.

State-of-the-art fitness centers are in every town. Full-body workouts can be conducted through an app on your phone, and strength training suggestions are fed throughout our endless scrolls down Instagram and TikTok. It’s all so accessible…and more within our control than ever before.

But when it comes to our fitness regimens and how we navigate our days, there’s one thing we can’t control: the weather.

Regardless of how strict our routines, the weather—and the seasons that bring it—can alter everything. Sunnier days lure us outside, even if our indoor regimens of treadmills, spin bikes, and yoga adequately carry us through the wind and snow of winter. After months of captivity, we need to escape—and we’ll always look for ways to do it.

The Martin Group staff is no different. Across our four offices of fairly fit associates, there are plenty of us already adjusting our routines from indoor to outdoor for the summer months ahead. Weight training will transition to swimming and longer dog walks. Cardio in a musty gym basement will make way for exploring cities by bike, one mile at a time. And for members of our company’s annual Buffalo Marathon relay team, deadlifts and kettlebell curls at our neighborhood gym will soon be complemented by our 26.2-mile jog up and down Queen City streets.

However, everyone’s plan is different. For the following five team members, fitness histories and favorites may differ—but when the weather turns from an albatross to idyllic, each makes it a point to alter their exercise plans.

Here’s what they’re doing.

Bayley Ward, Senior Account Manager

First (exercise) love: Hot yoga
Favorite all-season exercise: Yoga
How to sweat through winter: Hot yoga, mat Pilates, weight training, and cycling
Summer routine: Walking outside with my dogs, paddleboarding, and swimming

For seven years, Bayley has leaned on yoga for exercise, calm, and a thankful disconnect from chaos. The change of seasons doesn’t change this. But once the temperature starts to rise, the Rochester-based yogi adds as many outdoor activities as she can—including accessing her gym’s outdoor pool—to an ongoing routine of Peloton classes (hello, Cody Rigsby), and a new treadmill desk that aids her daily quest to 10,000 steps. 

Bayley says: “When the weather changes, I want to be outside, and I rarely want to spend time inside at the gym or in my house.”

Dan Giacomini, Vice President of Stratgy

First (exercise) love: Football 
Favorite all-season exercise: Running 
How to sweat through winter: More running
Summer routine: Running and cycling—along with lawn mowing and kid chasing

It’s not easy to replace the competition and pace of college football. Dan—who played quarterback while at Hobart—has replaced the gridiron rush with everything from hockey to basketball to flag football. However, his most consistent activity continues to be long-distance running. This is how he connects the seasons; and this year, the East Aurora resident will add to a marathon resume that includes New York City and Rome, Italy with his sixth run of the Buffalo Marathon.  

Dan says: “The event I’m most looking forward to is the Buffalo Marathon. I haven’t run a full marathon since 2019, so I’m very excited to do it again this year.”

(Click here if you’d like to support Dan’s run and Kaleida Health’s best-in-class cardiac care.)  

Jessie Lewis, Media Coordinator

First (exercise) love: Horseback riding
Favorite all-season exercise: Group fitness classes
How to sweat through winter: Spin and strength/conditioning classes
Summer routine: Lots of spinning—and a little pickleball

As a spin instructor at Revolution Buffalo, you’d think Jessie is all set with her churn-and-burn specialty, no matter the season. But for the Buffalo resident who’s been a competitive horseback rider since elementary school, there’s never been just one way to ride. Whether jumping fences, guiding sweat-drenched cyclists under pulsating beats, or trading her winter’s strength and conditioning classes for a spot on Larkin Square’s pickleball courts, Jessie’s game—and just likes to keep things moving. 

Jessie says: “In the summer months, I like to stick with my routine at Rev (Revolution Buffalo), but I like to mix in some outdoor activities—and explore my new love of pickleball.”

Maggie Stalter, Project Manager

First (exercise) love: Basketball
Favorite all-season exercise: BODYPUMP classes
How to sweat through winter: Full-body workouts
Summer routine: Power walking and running through parks across New York City

A devoted baller from youth leagues to her club team at Providence College, Maggie might never be able to replace the earned exhilaration of nailing a three-pointer. But after moving on to The Martin Group’s New York City office this past year, she’s been excited about swapping the grind of her daily workouts at the New York Sports Club for walking and jogging routes throughout New York’s five boroughs. This way, she can finally take her fitness outside, all while absorbing the thrill new sights and sounds can bring.

Maggie says: “Running and walking is a great way to explore new parks, areas, and waterfronts! My favorite parts [in and around NYC] are Williamsburg, Greenpoint, Flushing Meadows–Corona Park, and Bryant Park.”

Neil Wright, Senior Creative Director

First (exercise) love: Surfing
Favorite all-season exercise: Swimming
How to sweat through winter: Skiing and snowboarding
Summer routine: Kayaking, paddleboarding and jet skiing

Growing up in the coastal resort town of Bournemouth, England, it makes sense that Neil’s first fitness love (surfing) would be something connected to the sea. Now living in New York’s Capitol Region, he still finds water in the winter, swimming indoors at his local YMCA between ski runs at local spots like Gore Mountain and Jiminy Peak. But when the weather turns, he finds New York’s lakes to host his favorite activities—and to reconnect to his waterfront roots.

Neil says: “We’re lucky to have a camp on Saratoga Lake, and look forward every spring to getting the dock in, enjoying activities on the water—and joining friends around the fire for some cocktails and BBQ.”

Want to learn more about the fitness routines and away-from-work interests of The Martin Group? Meet the whole team here.