By SAND Member: Kaitlin Wiley
During the wonderful summer months of sunshine, pools, tanlines, shorts, and sandals, the gym is the last place most of us want to be. Why go inside when, 1) the weather’s great, while the gym is hot and stuffy; 2) you sweat enough just being outside; 4) yet, it’s boring to be inside; and 5) it’s the gym…need I say more? Just as easy as it is to find excuses not to go to the gym, it is difficult to find some for the following alternatives that keep you active and outside. Here are some of the many options in staying active over the summer without feeling cooped up:
Poolside Yoga
Free workout! No equipment needed, plus free tanning! (Pool not included.)
Laying out can get mundane and boring, so why not sneak in a little stretch here and there while getting your tan on? Instructions: place towel/mat on flat surface, lay out and tan, strike a few poses every twenty minutes or so, take a dip in the pool to cool off, repeat. Talk about killing two birds with one stone! Note: be careful of poses that are not bikini-friendly if you’re around others. Not from experience or anything…
Bonus: Bring a couple weights with you to turn it into a Pilates or resistance training session
Extra bonus: Swim a couple laps when you’re in the pool cooling off. “Wait…the pool isn’t just for floating?!” That’s right, get your hair wet and swim like the mermaid you are.
Park Workout
The park doesn’t have to be just for children! We didn’t know it when we were younger, but we used to “workout” on some of the things at the park. We didn’t realize it because we were having fun, and we had the energy of a rabbit. Try a few of these and create your own circuit!
-Monkey Bars (not as easy as when we were younger…sigh)
-Pull Ups
-Dips (find a bench if there aren’t parallel bars)
-Sprints (you can probably get a race going with some of the kids)
-Push Ups (you can use a bench or bar to do these, too)
-Lunges (put your back foot on a bar or bench to intensify)
-Abs (hang from a bar and pull your knees/legs up using your abdominals)
-Plank
-Step Ups
-Jump Squats
The possibilities are endless!
“All-Star” Games
Grab a couple friends, whatever equipment you need, and go play a pick up game! Doesn’t matter if you’re reliving your high school glory days or looking like a dog scrambling for a ball, you’ll get a good workout in and have fun while doing it. Find an open area and play soccer, Frisbee, softball, football, etc.
Friends Who Sweat Together…Stay Together?
Drag your friends outside for any of these activities to motivate each other and make things more fun! (Or suffer through it together because misery loves company, right?)
Additional Suggestions
-Go on a hike
-Go walk your dog or your cat
-Go on a bike ride
-Go rollerblading
-Be creative!
Reminders
Stay Hydrated: drink enough water to prevent thirst and always have some water handy.
Wear Sunscreen: even if you don’t think you’ll burn, you probably will.
Be Smart: if it’s extremely hot out, find an alternative and don’t overexert yourself.
Poolside Yoga
Free workout! No equipment needed, plus free tanning! (Pool not included.)
Laying out can get mundane and boring, so why not sneak in a little stretch here and there while getting your tan on? Instructions: place towel/mat on flat surface, lay out and tan, strike a few poses every twenty minutes or so, take a dip in the pool to cool off, repeat. Talk about killing two birds with one stone! Note: be careful of poses that are not bikini-friendly if you’re around others. Not from experience or anything…
Bonus: Bring a couple weights with you to turn it into a Pilates or resistance training session
Extra bonus: Swim a couple laps when you’re in the pool cooling off. “Wait…the pool isn’t just for floating?!” That’s right, get your hair wet and swim like the mermaid you are.
Park Workout
The park doesn’t have to be just for children! We didn’t know it when we were younger, but we used to “workout” on some of the things at the park. We didn’t realize it because we were having fun, and we had the energy of a rabbit. Try a few of these and create your own circuit!
-Monkey Bars (not as easy as when we were younger…sigh)
-Pull Ups
-Dips (find a bench if there aren’t parallel bars)
-Sprints (you can probably get a race going with some of the kids)
-Push Ups (you can use a bench or bar to do these, too)
-Lunges (put your back foot on a bar or bench to intensify)
-Abs (hang from a bar and pull your knees/legs up using your abdominals)
-Plank
-Step Ups
-Jump Squats
The possibilities are endless!
“All-Star” Games
Grab a couple friends, whatever equipment you need, and go play a pick up game! Doesn’t matter if you’re reliving your high school glory days or looking like a dog scrambling for a ball, you’ll get a good workout in and have fun while doing it. Find an open area and play soccer, Frisbee, softball, football, etc.
Friends Who Sweat Together…Stay Together?
Drag your friends outside for any of these activities to motivate each other and make things more fun! (Or suffer through it together because misery loves company, right?)
Additional Suggestions
-Go on a hike
-Go walk your dog or your cat
-Go on a bike ride
-Go rollerblading
-Be creative!
Reminders
Stay Hydrated: drink enough water to prevent thirst and always have some water handy.
Wear Sunscreen: even if you don’t think you’ll burn, you probably will.
Be Smart: if it’s extremely hot out, find an alternative and don’t overexert yourself.