Fun (Yes, We Said Fun) Ways to Stay in Shape This Summer
Want to slim down for summer, but hate going to the gym when it’s nice out? Is it too tough to prioritize your workouts when the kids home from school? One of the millions of reasons we love summer is that you can combine outdoor fitness and family fun and games to stay moving and keep in shape. Read on for tips on outdoor workouts, and fun games that can help you burn calories while enjoying the weather and kickin’ it with the people you love.
Outdoor Summer Workouts
- Look into outdoor fitness classes! Many boot camps, yoga studios, and other fitness facilities offer outside classes in the summer, often held at local parks or schools. (And if you find one you like and it’s not offering LifeBalance discounts, let us know and we’ll give ‘em a call!)
- Are you a runner? Do you want to be? Then look for running meet-up groups! For example, many running shoe stores, like Portland’s Foot Traffic, hold free group runs a few times a week that are attended by runners and walkers of all abilities. You’ll make a few friends, possibly get some running tips, and have a group to help hold you accountable!
- Walk… every chance you get. C’mon; it’s gorgeous out! Spend 30 minutes strolling the neighborhood before you head to work. Get your walking workouts in on your lunch break, during your daughter’s softball practice, or with a friend or loved one in the evening. Every step counts towards fitness.
- Got a bike? Bust it out! Ride to work. Or to the grocery store. Or as a family to get out of the house.
- If you want to cycle it up a notch, sign up for a cycling event, like Oregon’s beautiful Petal Pedal, or fun tour, like those offered by Bicycle Adventures. It’ll give you something to train for!
- Who needs the gym? If you’ve got a playground nearby, you’ve got all the equipment you need to tone up. Check out great playground workout ideas from Parents.com, Shape, and Men’s Fitness.
- If you’ve got a backyard or deck, use it to take a few minutes and do some energizing morning stretches, or some relaxing evening ones. Or get a whole workout in outside! If you need an idea, we love this “Spell Your Workout” calendar from Sisterhood of the Shrinking Jeans.
Getting Fit With Summer Recreation
Workouts are important, but here at LifeBalance, we think fitness is achieved through both breaking a sweat AND through plenty of plain old movin’ around — you know, cleaning, gardening, doing laundry, playing with the kids. In fact, even if we bust our buns at the gym (or the park), for those of us who sit all day, those workouts are often still not enough to maintain a healthy weight.
Which leads us to another awesome thing about summer: It provides tons fun ways to burn a few calories! Don’t believe us? We checked with MyFitnessPal to see what the estimated caloric burn is for performing just 30 minutes of entertaining summer activities that you can enjoy with friends and family. (The values below are estimates for someone weighing 170lbs.)
*MyFitnessPal didn’t have caloric estimates for playing cornhole or horseshoes, so we obtained those estimates from Max Fitness Fort Wayne and LA Fitness, respectively.
So now we know that finding time for a little more exercise doesn’t have to come at the cost of family fun. But let’s also remember that there are a few steps we need to take to stay safe when the temps start to soar.
- Stay hydrated. Get a water bottle that you love so that you can carry it with you during your outdoor workouts and activities. WebMD says to drink about two cups of water before exercising, a cup or so right before you start, and another cup every 15 minutes during your workout. And don’t stop there; women need at least 9 cups per day and men about 13, so keep sipping all day long.
- Stick to morning or late evening outdoor workouts when it’s super hot, or just play it safe and move your exercise back indoors.
- Listen to your body. Pushing yourself a little can be a good thing — but not when it means you’re taking chances with your health. Be aware of the the signs of heat exhaustion and take the appropriate steps if you start to feel them.
So be careful, but don’t be afraid to get outside and move! If you can, you may just find this season to be one of your most active and enjoyable summers yet!
Brought to you by The LifeBalance Staff
Disclaimer: As always, our articles aren’t intended to replace medical advice! If you’ve got health-related questions or concerns about exercising outdoors or performing any of the activities we mention above, we encourage you to talk to your doctor.
