7 ways to getting active outside this spring
As it warms up outside - there are just so many ways to get active throughout your day.. plus with the sun shining and no need for a big coat - I find myself looking forward to it a whole lot more!
Here are 7 of my favorite ways to get your heart rate up outside this spring
1. After work walks with Husband\baby\dog\friend, whomever!
When it starts to get nice enough outside we try to ALWAYS incorporate a family walk at the end of the day. (Can't say that we have had a chance at ALL this week.. where did the good weather go!?) It is the best way to all wind down after a busy day - Jett loves being in his stroller and he always zones out and is so quiet as he takes in the world around him. It also just allows Brandon and I to just talk and connect after a long day!
2. Mow the lawn!
Ok, maybe you will say I'm crazy.. but mowing the lawn has become one of my favorite summer chores! I first mowed the lawn when I was about 6 months pregnant last year... I was looking for a way to get some exercise and be outside to enjoy the nice weather and asked Brandon to show me how our mower worked. I put in one earbud and listened to music as I mowed both the front and back lawn.. and I was so surprised at how much I enjoyed it! It immediately became my Sunday workout all the way up until I was about 8 months pregnant! I remember a few neighbors came by on multiple occasions to ask if I wanted help (and to shame Brandon for "making me mow") when I had to assure them that it was ME who requested to do the task!
3. Go for a run!
Ok... obvi... this is probably the number one thing you think of when someone says "get exercise outside" Running was my ONLY form of exercise for years. I ran 5-6 days a week and loved starting my day with a morning run. I still love to run, but because I started to try several other forms of fitness - and discovered that I loved the MIX of different exercises... I have been running much less. But every spring and summer I start up again and will run once or twice a week!
4. Yoga on back patio
We used to have a great back patio that was a perfect spot to unroll my yoga mat and do an online yoga class in the summers. It was a great way to knock out a workout and some outside time all in one. My favorite online yoga classes are from dirtyyogaco.com. For unlimited online classes its 20$ a month but if you want to try it first its 5$ for 6 days. What I love about it is that it is "quick and dirty" meaning it gets right into it - and sort of cuts out the meditation element that a lot of forms of yoga have. (not that I don't love a flowing mind+body class! but this is good when you want to dive right in for a quick workout!)
5. HIIT workout at the park
I started incorporating my own HIIT workouts a couple years ago because I loved how I could get my heart rate up and burn a ton of calories in such a short amount of time! I would get ideas of different moves by watching fitness accounts on ig, and then planning out 4 or 5 to do (typically would do 1 move for 1 minute - do the whole series of exercises before having one minute of rest.. then starting from the top for about 4 or 5 rounds). I was doing them in our gym early in the mornings when the group fitness classes weren't using one of their rooms. But as soon as it got nice, I would find a park (or even go out to our backyard and do a 20-30 minute HIIT routine. (If you are looking for an example - here is a 15 minute - no equipment HIIT video to get an idea!)
6. Breakout your bike!
I fell in love with biking a few years back. And every year when it gets warm enough to get on my bike again, I forget how much I love it. I could bike for an hour and it feels like minutes - the time just flys by! When we lived in Boston, we didn't have a car, and the last two years we were there I started to bike to work. I found myself happier throughout the day and actually looked forward to my 15-20 minute bike commute! If you don't live in big biker-friendly community - trails are great too - you can usually do a google search of your area and see where there are good places to bike. As Jett gets older (one year is the standard for putting a baby in bike trailer)- we plan to get a bike trailer for him to ride around in so we can all bike together as a family!
7. Keep an eye out for free outside classes
A lot of the time in the summer I will see advertisements - whether that be at my local gym, or a flyer somewhere - about "yoga on the lawn" or some other class offered free outside. I honestly have yet to go to one, but its on my list this summer! Keep your eye out as its a great way to try out a workout or fitness studio you haven't yet tried!
Get out there & Happy Movin'!
