Spring is here and just like all the new life pushing up from the ground, we are ready to be in the sun! Fill your water bottle, grab the sunscreen and an Orgain Organic Protein Bar and you’ll be ready for whatever the day brings. It’s time to take your workout outside and try something new with these warm weather workout ideas.
Yoga is a convenient workout option because you can go to a class or perfect your practice from the comfort of your own home. Feel free to move your mat to the backyard, porch, or patio and try a video like this fiery vinyasa flow for a perfect warm weather workout that strengthens and revitalizes. Research also shows yoga can help reduce anxiety and depression so if you had a particularly rough winter or struggle with Seasonal Affective Disorder, it might help those proverbial clouds lift.
Swimming offers a cardio workout that is gentler on the joints while strengthening long muscle groups. Swim laps at an outdoor or indoor pool or head to the lake or beach for a refreshing spring dip! Joining a swimming club is a great way to meet friends and stay fit and the occasional competitive event might give you the thrill you crave after all those laps.
Running is a year-round workout for many and while you may have spent the winter on a treadmill or an indoor track, it’s definitely time to switch things up and hit the pavement! Try running around the local park, through a historic part of town, or jogging through your neighborhood to stretch your legs and get some fresh air, rewarding yourself post-run with tasty, nourishing protein treats.
Hiking or trail running are fun workouts to do solo, with a friend, or with a group. Just be sure to stretch before and after hitting the trail and enjoy watching spring become summer in your favorite nature preserves, mountains, and hill areas. We’ve got some tasty ideas for the best snacks to bring on hikes and trail runs!
Stand up paddle boarding (SUP) is a great workout because it is such a fun way to spend the day and has many health benefits. Paddle out on a lake, pond, or in the ocean while strengthening your arms, core, legs, and improving your balance… and when your balance fails, enjoy a swim or a leisurely float on your board to regroup.
CrossFit or HIIT workouts are easy to take outdoors. Using very little equipment and focusing on body weight exercises, CrossFit and high intensity interval training (HIIT) workouts are challenging, fun, and toning. Use a HIIT app or a CrossFit Workout of the Day (WOD) app on your phone to keep moving or try a simple routine while you enjoy the scenery in your own backyard, the park, or the beach.
Bicycling is a versatile sport, from road biking to mountain biking, there are plenty of intensity levels to get you psyched on cycling. May is national bike month and finding ways to celebrate this mechanical companion of childhood is easy. Try biking to work instead of driving, cycling as a family, or take a relaxed cruise along the beach to enjoy the sunrise or sunset.
