Today I am excited to share with you a guest post from Shelly Stinson. As summer will soon be here, Shelly is sharing some great warm weather workouts that will cool you down. You can follow Shelly on Twitter here.
Although many of us spend our winters dreaming of warm and sunny summer months, the reality is that, now that it’s spring, they’ll be here before we know it. This means that we should start thinking now about which warm weather workouts we want to do so we’re prepared once the temperatures start to rise. Here are a few to consider that will not only help you build a better body, but also keep you relatively cool at the same time.
Swimming
Of course, one of the best ways to fend off the high heats that are common in June, July, and August is to spend your time working out in the pool. This enables your body to stay cooler while still exercising your muscles and improving the fitness of your heart. Depending on your weight, what strokes you use, and how fast you get from one end of the pool to the other, you can burn anywhere from 400 to 1,000 calories in one hour of swimming. That’s a good workout in anyone’s book!
Running on the Beach
Another great warm weather workout is running on the beach. Taking your workouts to the sand provides many benefits. These include less impact on your knees, better build-up of the muscles in your feet and ankles as they are forced to stabilize you, and the water typically provides a nice cool breeze to keep you from overheating. Plus, if you get too warm, you can always take a quick dip to cool yourself. Of course, you can also save your swim for the end of your run, as a way to celebrate some exercise time well-spent.
Kayaking
You can also choose to take your workouts to the top of the water and go out kayaking instead. This is primarily an upper body workout as you use your arms more than your legs, but you’ll also likely feel it in your core as you fight to stay upright against the waves and current. And just like running on the beach, being near the water usually gives you a cool, crisp breeze to help lower your body temperature on days that feel overly warm.
Cave Hiking
Admittedly, this option isn’t available to everyone, but if you live in an area that has access to caves, you can get a great workout in without losing too much sweat by hiking down into them. As you reach lower levels of the earth, the temperatures will drop dramatically. Depending on where the cave is located, they can be anywhere from 50 to 70 degrees, which can feel pretty great if it’s 80 to 100 above ground.
Find Activities You Enjoy
The key to working out in warmer weather, or anytime really, is to choose activities you enjoy and that work well within your schedule. Or, as College News wrote for freshmen looking to avoid weight gain, “there is absolutely no one-size-fits-all approach to exercise.” Thus, by selecting workouts that fit your lifestyle, you’re more likely to stick to them consistently over time.
This is when they provide the greatest results—not only during the hot summer heat, but at other times of the year too. That makes this good advice no matter what the temperature outside. For while your activities may change, your commitment to fitness won’t. This means that you’ll stay in shape all year long!
What warm weather workouts do you enjoy? Feel free to share them below!
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