Today was a beautiful day here in Ohio, and they are few and far between during the winter months, so to say that everyone has spring and summer fevere here in the midwest is an understatement. Let’s just put it this way, everyone around my parts is wearing shorts at the first sign of the sun, that’s how desperate we get to rush summer here sometimes!
Of course, I may be exaggerating a tad, but my point is, around here, it’s a tossup whether you should spend your time outside on a gorgeous day such as today, or stay indoors and work out in your home gym on some of your exercise equipment, closed away from the beautiful sunshine, or forego the workout to soak up some rays.
Well, who says you can’t do both? Aside from the most obvious form of outdoor exercise, walking and running, what other outdoor sports can we play that actually give us a real workout? Tennis is a really good one. Not only are you working your legs out like crazy, but you’re also working your abs and your arms, big time.
The abs because when you twist to hit the ball with the racket, little do you know, you are really using those abdominal muscles to twist and get power from your core to wham the ball with some force.
Another outdoor summer sport is basketball. We have a basket ball hoop out in our driveway, and sometimes if we feel like getting outside, and know we still have to get a cardio workout that day, we’ll go out and shoot hoops for a half hour or more, which is great for your legs and arms, and provides a workout because you’re dribbling the ball and moving your legs around the whole time.
There are plenty of summer sports that can substitute your regular workout, you just have to get creative, and do something that you genuinely enjoy, which is the key to a long lasting fitness regimen. Also, make sure you wear that sunscreen, you’d be shocked how much sun you get while playing sports without even thinking about it. And don’t forget to fit in those comprehensive home workouts in between either, they’re still important!
This entry was posted on Friday, May 18th, 2007 at 8:45 pm and is filed under Workout Regimens, Fitness Advice. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.