Don’t waste the summer running on a treadmill; enjoy the great outdoors while meeting your fitness goals. Make the most of the gorgeous weather with these perfect summer workouts.
Hill Sprints
Revel in the beautiful summer weather with an outdoor run. To really make the most of your workout, try hill sprints. Find a steep incline and sprint on up. Brad Hudson, head coach at Hudson Training Systems, offers this advice in an article on Competitor.com: “Your very first session, performed after completion of an easy run, should consist of just one or two 8-second sprints on a steep incline of approximately six percent. If you don’t know what a six-percent gradient looks or feels like, get on a treadmill and adjust the incline to six percent. Then find a hill that matches it.” He recommends slowly working up to 12 second sprints on a 10 percent grade hill. Run your hill sprints after your regular outdoor run.
Beach Workout
Perfect your bikini body while spending the day with sand between your toes. A beach workout is a fun way to spice up your summer workout routine. Bring your exercise clothing along on that family trip to the beach and listen to the waves crash in the background as you exercise. These beachy HIIT workouts from Daily Burn don’t take a lot of time but they do provide maximum results. The 10-Minute Tone-Up can fit into even the busiest vacation schedule. Hit the beach and love your body … and your summer workouts!
Park Workout
This fun park workout from Men’s Fitness allows you to skip the gym and head to the park instead. It features three days of distinct workouts, performed as circuits or super sets (depending on the day), and no equipment is needed. Instead of smelling your over-cologned or under-deodorized gym peers, head to the park and breathe in the smell of the great outdoors.
Outdoor Yoga
Are you an aspiring yogi? Take your practice outside this summer and connect with Mother Nature. This article from Whole Living teaches you how to best practice yoga outdoors. It includes tips and a balanced yoga workout, which is perfect for an outdoor session. It is designed to “awaken your senses, enhance your focus, and help you reconnect to the natural world.” It features poses that connect you to the four elements—Earth, Wind, Fire, and Water—for an experience that unites body and nature.
Swimming Workouts
Nothing says summer more than a trip to the pool. Grab your suit and try a summer swim session. This whole-body workout from Fitness Magazine is designed to shape and sculpt the body from head to toe. Water is an excellent workout aid and, with more resistance than air, it can really pack on the fitness results. All you need for this workout is a kickboard, access to a pool, and the desire to get that six-pack back.
Don’t let your summer workouts bring you down. With these summer-themed exercises, you can enjoy the season and stay fit. For personalized advice and medically supervised weight loss programs, contact us at Total Body.
