3 Perfect Summer Exercises

As the weather turns warm in mid to late spring and we head into summer, now is the perfect time to take your workouts into the great outdoors. Why try to head back to your recently reopened gym when all your fitness and social distancing needs can be met without stepping foot inside? Here are 3 perfect summer exercises for you to work into your routine in the coming months.

• Outdoor Swimming

Swimming is great year round, but with warm weather and longer, sunnier days, swimming gets an upgrade this time of year. Not only will you get the normal benefits of swimming like building endurance, muscle and cardiovascular strength, but you also get the added benefit of absorbing all that delicious vitamin D while you’re doing it. If you want to mix things up even more, trade in the pool for an open water swim like in a lake or the ocean where you’ll have the added challenge of resistance from the currents. Regardless of where you choose to swim, give your body a break from land-based workouts and dive in.

• SUP Boarding (Stand-up Paddleboarding) or Kayaking

This is another great activity that’ll get you off of land and out onto the water. SUP boards and kayaks are a great way to explore lakes, rivers and oceans! SUP boarding will help you develop core strength and lean muscle tone while also strengthening your arms, legs, back and shoulders, not to mention help you with your balance. Kayaking will whip your upper body and even legs into shape! There’s even a practice called Boga, which incorporates doing yoga and other cardio exercises while balancing on your SUP. There’s a bit of a learning curve to using a SUP, but once you get a grasp of the fundamentals, you’ll be well on your way to hours of fun and fitness.

• Trail Running or Hiking

Why not take your daily jogs or walks to the next level and find a trail to mix things up? If you have the stamina (and joints) for the ever changing landscape of the trail, trail running and hiking can be a fun and exciting adventure during the warmer months. The unplanned changes in elevation, the unlevel ground and climate considerations can make for a very exciting run, jog or hike, keeping things exhilarating and sweaty!Now is the perfect time to add some adventure into your weekly workout routine. Maybe you don’t have time every day to go on a fitness adventure, but perhaps once a week you can make it a priority to mix up your routine and add in a summer-specific workout activity to spice things up. Whatever you do, make it a priority to get outside and get your fitness on!*Don't forget to log all your exercise activity in your iTrackBites app!