Summer is right around the corner, and there's no better time to get outside. While laying on the beach is great, the warm weather and longer days call for action! Here are five easy and fun ways to stay moving this summer:
Commit to a fitness program with a friend.
Everything is more fun with someone else by your side! Pick a friend, pick a program, and do it!
Two options are:
Kayla Itsines’ Beach Body Guide (BBG)
A series of 12 week guides that consist of high-intensity half-hour circuits.
These circuits have grown extremely popular because of their crowd-proven results seen on Kayla Itsines' Instagram and for the strong community of encouragement. We like attending the New England BBG meet-ups!
MapMyRun
MapMyRun is an app that tracks running distances and workouts (along with a variety of other health-focused aspects) and it offers challenges sponsored by big brands like Under Armour.
These challenges typically ask that you log a certain amount of workouts in a time period to enter to win huge prizes. You can also monitor your friends' activities if you add each others' accounts.
Need an extra boost to fuel your fitness?
Pick a destination race.
When you sign up and pay for an event, you're much more likely to train for it.
Aim for a distance that is longer than you would typically run, so if you're comfortable running three miles, sign up for a 10K. If you're a regular 5 or 6 miler, pick a half-marathon that looks fun. When looking through courses, challenge yourself and pick a new area that you've never been - it'll make race day that much more exciting!
Johnny and Ali recently ran the Boston Marathon, which was a huge but rewarding challenge for both of them.
Alternatively, if you don't feel like paying to run, find a new smoothie place and end your long run there. That will give you inspiration throughout your run and a great way to refuel after - just watch out for places that add sugar to their smoothies.
Try a brand new activity.
No seriously - try anything new that you've never done. You might find that you love it!
Examples:
- The November Project (which is available all year round and also founded by Northeastern alumni)
- Swimming
- Yoga
- Kayaking
- Paddleboarding
- Cycling
- Hiking
- Zumba
- Beach volleyball
Find an event that forces you to explore.
Cotopaxi throws an annual event called Questival, which is a 24-hour adventure race that encourages participants to explore their cities in ways they never have before. It's currently available in Boston, Portland, Seattle, Chicago, San Diego, San Francisco, and Phoenix.
Boston's Questival is coming up this weekend so if you don't have any Memorial Day plans, it's not too late to sign up!
Spend as much time outside as you possibly can.
Bike to work, read in your backyard, take your dog on a walk... The opportunities are endless.
Research shows that people tend to exercise more when it's warm out, but if you're sitting inside with the AC blasting, you're much less likely to get up and be active. Especially here in New England, it's not possible to enjoy the day outside all year long, so take advantage of these summer days!
