When the summer months come, it can be difficult to find the motivation to exercise. Between the high heat, occasional humidity and the tendency to think of summer time as vacation time, you may find your exercise sessions lessening in frequency and intensity. Keep fit and healthy all summer by employing some techniques to get you through the summer exercise doldrums.
Workout Indoors
You may find it too difficult to workout in the summer due to the heat, frequent summer storms or the change in your child's school schedule. Change your workout location from outdoors to indoors to avoid the heat and give yourself a change of pace. Joining a gym or using your community center's workout room is a good choice, if you enjoy using the workout machines, taking group cycle or step classes and weight training with other people. If joining a gym or working out with other people makes you uncomfortable, try indoor rock climbing or use an exercise DVD to keep your body fit.
Change The Time
One advantage to exercising in the summer is that there are more daylight hours available for your workouts, reminds Indiana University's News Room. Avoid exercising in the dark or the extreme daytime heat by scheduling your workout early in the morning or late in the evening. Change your work schedule slightly to accommodate your workouts. Get up a half-hour earlier to exercise before work and work a few minutes late, if necessary. Arrange for your partner or friend to watch your children while you walk, run or ride your bike.
Avoid Overheating
Staying hydrated and avoiding heat exhaustion is an important consideration when exercising in the summer. MayoClinic.com recommends drinking water during your workout and using sports drinks if your workout runs over an hour. When you sweat, your body loses water and your heart rate increases. Pay attention to how you feel when exercising outdoors and move inside if your heart starts to race or you begin to feel weak. Wear lightweight clothes that wick sweat away from your body rather than cotton workout clothes that stay damp.
Get Wet
Summer time is the perfect season to make use of your community or gym pool. Swim laps using the front crawl, breaststroke or backstroke. Begin by swimming for 10 minutes at a time and gradually increase the time until you can swim for 30 minutes. Join a water aerobics class or exercise on your own. Stand in chest-deep water and walk, march and jog in the water. The University of Utah Health Care website recommends jumping jacks, aerobic moves and weighted flotation devices to vary your water workout.
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