Lace up your sneakers, and let’s get moving with these fun summer exercises!
What’s the best kind of exercise? The kind that doesn’t feel like exercise at all. The kind that feels like play! Thankfully, warm, sunny summer days make it easy to get outside and enjoy being active without it feeling like a chore.
1) Swimming & Water Aerobics: Low-Impact, High-Reward
Swimming is one of the most quintessential summer activities. But instead of simply enjoying a lazy day by the pool or seaside, why not make enjoy a whole-body workout?
Anyone can enjoy the benefits of swimming, whether you’re just starting out or are used to putting in a few laps. Swimming and water aerobics work muscles in almost every part of the body, from the shoulders and back to the core, arms, and legs. Even splashing around with the kids gets your cardiovascular system pumping before you even realize you’re “exercising.”
Swimming also increases your lung capacity, endurance, and tones your muscles without putting too much strain on your body. In fact, swimming and water aerobics are perfect summer exercises for those with muscle or joint pain. Being in the water reduces the impact and weight on your joints, but you still get a full-body workout. You’ll notice less pain and more flexible muscles since swimming encourages better blood circulation through the body.
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2) Pickleball: Summer Fun on the Court
Do prefer your fun with a side of friendly competition? Pickleball might be the perfect summer exercise for you.
If you haven’t caught on to the pickleball craze yet, imagine a sport that’s a mix of tennis, badminton, and ping-pong. It requires just as much strategy and endurance as it does quick, reactive movements and good form.
Even for beginners, a good pickleball game will stimulate a wide range of muscles and get your heart pumping. The most common movements in pickleball are plyometrics – speedy and forceful movements that build muscle power. You’ll engage your arms, legs, core, and even your brain when playing pickleball. Games are fun and move quickly, which means you’ll conquer a whole-body workout before you know it.
3) Hiking: Get Fit in the Great Outdoors
Hiking is one of the best ways to enjoy the great outdoors while you improve your strength, stamina, and balance. Plus, it’s an easy way to get the whole family involved in a few hours of healthy activity.
On an average wooded hike, you’ll test your strength and balance while improving your lung capacity and engaging your core. Hiking benefits your heart health, brain health, and overall endurance.
If you’re looking to lose weight this summer, hiking might be the perfect fun exercise for you. Hiking keeps your heart rate in the optimal “fat-burning” zone and burns a good amount of calories without wearing you out. It also tones your leg muscles and increases your overall metabolism. Play with different walking speeds and varied gradients to see what challenges you best.
Beyond improving physical health, hiking also supports your mental health. Research shows that spending time in nature decreases stress levels and improves our overall sense of happiness and well-being. This is partially due to the release of feel-good endorphins that occurs during exercises like hiking. Some studies suggest that taking up a hiking hobby can decrease your risk of depression by 18%.
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4) Stand-Up Paddle Board (SUP) Yoga: A Mind-Body Challenge
If you love being on the water and have a little yoga experience, why not try this summer activity that will have you so focused that you won’t even realize how hard you’re exercising!
SUP yoga takes both SUP and yoga to the next level. Being on the water makes sticking those balancing poses a bigger challenge. Your body will have to work harder to stabilize itself on the board, which leads to more muscle growth and toning.
This exercise is like boot camp for your core. But you won’t even notice, because you’ll have a laser focus on staying afloat, all while taking in your beautiful surroundings.
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5) Rollerblading or Inline Skating: Breeze through Your Workout
Did you know that rollerblading is one of the best ways to burn calories and tone your legs and core?
The beauty of rollerblading is that you don’t realize how hard your muscles are working while you’re gracefully gliding and feeling the wind flow through your hair. And if you struggle with knee or ankle pain, rollerblading offers a low-impact way to get your cardio in.
Along with boosting your heart health and toning your muscles, rollerblading also improves your dynamic balance, coordination, and agility.
6) Play a Childhood Game: Laugh Yourself Fit
What better way to infuse fun into your summer exercise than taking a walk down memory lane? Some of the games we played as kids were excellent cardio exercises, but we didn’t notice because of how much fun we were having!
Gather your friends and family around for a game of kickball, Capture the Flag, Red Rover, or soccer. Most of these games can be modified to your fitness level and get your heart pumping quickly. Plus, they tend to encourage lots of playfulness and laughter – other great health benefits of having some good old-fashioned fun in the sun!
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Make this Your Summer of Fitness with AlignLife
If you want to get fit this summer, but still want to have fun, these playful summertime activities are for you. But remember: the best exercise is the one you will do. Try different activities to discover what types of exercise work best for your body, and leave you wanting more.
Don’t forget that staying active requires rest and self-care, too. If you are in pain or overdo it, you won’t be able to enjoy these exercises, no matter how fun they are.
Chiropractic care can help. AlignLife Chiropractor can help you alleviate the underlying causes of your pain so you can enjoy a fit and healthy summer. And if you do happen to go “overboard” on the fun summer activities, chiropractic care can help your body bounce back fast.
Your summer of fitness starts with a healthy spine. Book now to schedule a visit with your local AlignLife Chiropractor today to check your spine health and get even more healthy exercise tips!
