Rest, Don’t Rust: How to Grow Without Wasting Your Summer
By Mind & Muscle Academy. Newsletter nº43 ; 30/06/2025.
Summer is here.
The pressure’s off. No deadlines. No homework. No alarms.
And that’s a beautiful thing.
But let’s be honest, how many times have we reached the end of summer… and regretted it?
Regretted how we let everything slide?
How we went from sharp to sluggish?
From strong to slow?
How we woke up in September feeling like we had to rebuild ourselves from scratch?
This newsletter isn’t here to ruin your break. It’s here to help you protect it and come out the other side better than you went in.
What’s In This Week’s Article?
Summer Is for Rest, But Not Regression
Small Effort = Big Edge
Build Routines That Feel Like Freedom
Showing Up Without Pressure
☀️ Summer Is for Rest, But Not Regression
We need rest. It’s not just allowed: it’s essential.
When you’ve spent months grinding, waking up early, training hard, and studying late, your mind and body crave a break. In fact, recovery is where growth actually happens. Sleep and rest consolidate learning, repair your muscles, regulate hormones, and reset your nervous system.
But too much of a good thing becomes destructive.
Stop moving for too long, and your body starts to lose muscle mass, aerobic fitness, and power. This process is called detraining, and it can begin as quickly as 7–14 days after stopping exercise, especially in highly trained individuals.
According to research published in The Journal of Applied Physiology, VO₂ max (a measure of aerobic capacity) can decline by up to 10% in just 2–3 weeks of inactivity.1 (Matsuo et al.) Strength and muscle mass decline more slowly, but neuromuscular coordination, your ability to move with speed, power, and precision, fades quickly.
It’s not just your body that slows down.
A study from the American Educational Research Association found that over summer break, students lose approximately 25–30% of their academic gains in subjects like maths and reading if they don’t stay engaged.2 (Eglitis et al.)
So yes, rest. But don’t let yourself rust
.
🔁 Small Effort = Big Edge
You don’t need to train 6 days a week or study for hours.
You just need to stay moving, mentally and physically.
Here’s the secret: the Minimum Effective Dose.
That’s the smallest amount of effort that still creates growth. 20-minute bodyweight workouts. 15 pages of a book. A short daily journal. These little things, repeated consistently, keep your muscles, your brain, and your habits ticking.
Neuroscience backs this up: the brain strengthens the neural pathways it uses the most. It’s called neuroplasticity, and it’s not about quantity; it’s about consistency. If you stay mentally and physically engaged, even at a low intensity, you maintain the sharpness you’ve built all year.
🌿 Build Routines That Feel Like Freedom
Let go of rigid schedules.
Instead, build routines that blend into your summer naturally:
Go for walks or bike rides while listening to an audiobook or podcast.
Do quick workouts in the garden, at the park, or even on holiday.
Journal in the morning with your iced coffee.
Read something that excites you, not because you have to, but because you want to.
You’re not trying to be perfect. You’re just building quiet consistency.
💪 Real Power? Showing Up Without Pressure
During term-time, everything is fuelled by stress: exams, deadlines, games. But summer gives you something better: freedom.
This is your chance to build habits without pressure.
To work on yourself because you care about your goals, not because someone else is forcing you.
That’s real discipline. That’s what builds identity.
When you get in your reps, read your book, move your body, and take care of your mind with no one watching and no reward in sight, you're becoming someone stronger than motivation alone can create.
🎯 In September, Be Proud, Not Panicked
Picture yourself in September.
What version of you do you want to see in the mirror?
What habits do you want to already have in place?
This is your chance to protect your future while enjoying your present.
You don’t need to sacrifice your summer to grow.
You just need to show up a little, each day.
That way, when school, sports, or life come back in full force, you’ll be ready.
You’ll be rested.
But not rusty.
And you’ll be proud of yourself for making summer count.
—
This Week’s Takeaway:
Summer is a rest stop, not a stop sign.
Stay consistent. Stay sharp. Stay light.
Enjoy your break. But don’t lose yourself in it.
Stay tuned for more tips, stories, and advice in our upcoming newsletters, and feel free to check out the last editions!
As always, I’m open to new ideas or suggestions you may have, so feel free to leave a comment, and ask any questions! I’d be glad to help!
Thank you all for joining me today, and I wish you a pleasant rest of your day.
Quote of the Day:
“When the sun is shining, I can do anything; no mountain is too high, no trouble too difficult to overcome.”
-Wilma Rudolph
Best regards,
Ruben
Founder, Mind & Muscle Academy
Matsuo, Tomoaki, et al. “Estimation Methods For Detecting Changes In Cardiorespiratory Fitness Due To Exercise Training And Subsequent Detraining.” Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, vol. 55, no. 9S, Sept. 2023, p. 702, https://doi.org/10.1249/01.mss.0000986456.67170.6f.
Eglitis, Emily, et al. “Children’s Health, Wellbeing and Academic Outcomes over the Summer Holidays: A Scoping Review.” Children (Basel), vol. 11, Feb. 2024, https://doi.org/10.3390/children11030287.