As we enter the summer months, it’s a great time to start something new in your fitness journey, or make adjustments that will ensure your continued success. New ideas and strategies help invigorate your motivation and prevent boredom. Hot weather or smoky air can derail things, so it’s helpful to look at your plan and switch things up.
Are you ready to feel healthy and kick off your summer fitness goals? Let’s get going!
1. Try a different route – whether you walk, run, bike, or hike, trying a different route is a fun way to refresh your routine. New scenery can be a nice distraction, making the time go quickly.
2. Track your progress on a map, trail, or app. Apps like Map My Run, Nike+ Run Club, and Human track your route on a map and show you your results and statistics afterward. Some of these apps nudge you to complete your goals, and they also allow you to connect with others who are using the app to create leaderboards or see who’s exercising nearby.
3. Take a park fitness class – check with the Parks & Recreation Department or health clubs in your town. Some are offering outdoor group fitness classes. Invite a friend, or meet new friends there.
4. Outdoor yoga – summer is short in Montana, so get outside and enjoy it while you can. Take your yoga mat and tablet outside to a shady place in your yard and try a free online class. Two great options are Yoga for Courage and 18-minute Outdoor Yoga Flow. If you’re feeling a little unsure, try this No Fear Yoga. You can also check your local area for Yoga classes in the park.
5. Bodyweight exercises – We can all benefit from adding more strength training into our routines. The great part is it can be done anywhere, at any time with minimal equipment, or just your own bodyweight! Options include: squats, lunges, push-ups, dips, sit-ups or crunches, jump rope, jumping jacks, and burpees. Mix up your regular walk or cardio exercise by switching to two days a week of bodyweight exercises. Your body will thank you! Try this full body playground workout or this park bench workout below:
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6. Add music or update your playlist – finding some new fun music or shuffling what you have can bring a new spring to your step.
7. Try an audiobook or podcast – listening to a book or podcast while exercising can make the time fly. If you’re like me, you have a stack of books you’d like to read and no time to read them. An audiobook helps you blaze through your titles. Podcasting has exploded lately, and you can find every topic under the sun, including selections by your favorite celebrities.
8. Swim! There is no better way to beat the heat than to jump in a refreshing lake or pool. Find your local pool’s lap swim time and put it on your calendar. Everyone who loves swimming wishes they went more often.
9. Try a new activity – tennis, pickleball, bicycling, disc golf, regular golf, basketball – there are many opportunities to exercise while having fun. What have you always wanted to try or used to enjoy that you’d like to do again?
10. Stadium stair climb – Climbing stairs is one of the best workouts. It offers cardio, core, and lower body strengthening all at the same time. Whether your local high school, college, or minor league baseball stadium, when they are empty, take the opportunity to do a weekly stair climb. If it’s hot outside, try an indoor basketball stadium or air-conditioned public building.
When exercising outdoors in the summer, take precautions to stay safe. Stay hydrated, drink lots of water, use sunscreen and proper clothing. Know the best time to exercise outdoors – early in the morning with the crisp air, or at the end of the day when the sun is lower in the sky, and it starts to cool off.
Enjoy our beautiful Montana summer; it will be over before we know it!
