The sun is shining. The birds are chirping. The grass is a deep green color after the winter rain has come and gone. So why are you still working out indoors? With springtime here, it’s the perfect opportunity to jump, pedal and even sun salutation your way to good health, and all while enjoying the bright blue sky above you.
No matter where you live, there is always an opportunity to have fun while sweating off last night’s high calorie dinner. Make fun part of your next workout, and shed the fat while taking in some serious vitamin D, naturally! Here are some easy ways to add some variety into your springtime workout – the only protocol is to have a blast doing it!
Yoga in the Park
If you’re a yogi, or if you aren’t, is there anything better than stretching, improving your balance and reconnecting with your higher being than while doing it in the outdoors? Yoga – be it Hatha, Vinyasa, or Corepower are all good…and all great for you. Be on the lookout for fliers posted at your gym for an upcoming Yoga in the park session, or start one of your own. Trust us – everyone gets something out of outdoors yoga, from the fresh air, to the endorphin release each pose brings on.
Kayak Your Heart Out
Canoes are so last season. This year, it’s all about kayaking single, as a couple or as part of a team. The rage in nearly every city across America are ‘kayak dates’ and ‘kayak and a movie’ (where you actually bring popcorn and watch a movie while kayaking!) Now, merge two great loves in your life together – kayaking and exercise.
Enjoy this upper body workout while you race your BFF from one side of the lake to another. Take a leisurely paddling session when you need a rest, and then work on your deltoids (all by a simple paddling motion!) that has any shoulder press machine at your gym, beat!
Take a Hike (A Challenging One!)
It’s springtime, which means that everything looks bright, happy and new again. This goes double for your workout, and your body. Take it up a notch by taking a hike…literally! Find a new and unexplored trail in your state park, or keep it local and hike up a hill or two.
Hiking is one of those amazing, endorphin-pumping exercises that are high intensity, but pack a punch. It will leave you breathless, but feeling as though you could limb Mt. Kilimanjaro next. Feeling empowered to take your fitness to a whole new level? Sure, and that’s what a good old hike can do for you.
Springtime is the best time of year to work out, and feel energized to recommit to your fitness. After all, this is the only body you’ve got, and this moment is yours. Make it count, and while you sweat, lunge and mountain pose your way to health and wellness, enjoy a dose of nature – it’s a win/win!
