It may have felt like it would NEVER arrive (at least here in Toronto!), but summer weather is FINALLY here in full effect! And with the sunshine comes the need to get outdoors and get moving.
Although it can be hot, hot, hot outside, summertime is actually the best time to get started on your fitness goals! Why? Because there are so many more activities to pick from! Who wants to be stuck inside on a boring treadmill when the sun is shining?!
On top of the fitness boost you’ll get, did you know that just being outdoors for even an hour a day can have positive effects on your mental health? So get out there and take advantage of those summer activities!
Here are some FUN outdoor activities to add to your workout regime – and since it’s SUMMER, I’ve made sure these will all keep you COOL while you burn calories!
Play on the Swings
You’re never too old to head to the playground! Jump on the swingset and pretend you’re a kid again – you can burn up to 200 calories just by swinging for an hour! Make sure you hold onto the chains, push hard with your legs to go higher and higher, and lean back to work your core. It’s a total-body workout, but as long as you swing fast enough, you’ll keep cool with the wind in your hair. Grab a friend for a swing & gossip sesh, and I bet you’ll forget all about the fact that you’re exercising.
Swim
Ahh, the quintessential summer activity. All winter long, we dream of jumping off that cottage dock into the cool lake waters once the temperature rises & the snow is a distant memory. But even the best Cardio Queen probably doesn’t realize that swimming is not just a fun summer must-do, it’s a workout…and a burn-up-to-700-calories-per-hour one, at that!
Swimming works your arms, legs, abs, back, and booty. It keeps you cool while your heart is pumping, it’s low impact for those of us with joint issues or with bad backs, and it’s a great mix of both cardio and strength training because of water resistance.
Add a flutterboard, pool noodle, or water dumbbells to kick it up a notch!
Run in Sprinklers
Think back on your favourite childhood summer memories. At least one of them has you running through the sprinklers in the yard, doesn’t it?
If you have one set up already, throw on your swimsuit & run some laps around the yard, jumping over and through your sprinklers to keep cool.
Or if you’re a jogger, do you dare jump through your neighbours’ sprinklers on your morning run?
Enjoy the experience of being a kid again and it will distract you from the monotony of your run, especially in humid weather.
Snorkel
You may have donned a snorkel to say hello to some tortugas on vacation (and if you’re like me, scraping the hell out of your legs on the coral…ouch!), but why not give it a try at home as part of your workout routine?
Since you’re diving and treading water, not just swimming, you’re working your entire body even more & can burn up to 350 calories per hour. Wearing flippers also acts as strength training for your legs.
Make it even more fun by setting goals for each snorkel session – How many species of sea life can you find? How many different underwater plants do you see?
Have a waterproof camera? Take it along & document your trek. Just be sure to also take a friend with you for safety (and fun!).
Water Balloons
Are you sensing a theme here? Kids sure do know how to keep cool and active in the summertime, while having a blast! Water balloons may be hands-down the most fun faux-fitness you can have.
There are so many options for how to make the most of it – grab a group of friends and play “dodgeball” with water balloons, or grab a partner and squat, toss the balloon to them, then stand up & take a step back. Don’t drop it or let it break! Or of course, just have an all-out water balloon fight at the park – you may even have strangers joining in!
Though a healthy lifestyle should be a year-round thing, grab a friend and take advantage of those lonnnng summer days to get your fitness on!
What’s your fave summer activity? Tell us below in the comments!