Maintaining enthusiasm for the gym while the sun shines outdoors can be a challenge. Many will not want to be confined to interior spaces when the weather outside is sublime, especially since this can be a rarity in the UK’s climate.
In such instances, it can be a great idea to seek out an outdoor activity that will also allow individuals to maintain a certain routine and level of fitness. These activities can not only be great exercise and plenty of fun, but also social, turning the act of working out into a reason to meet up with friends too.
To inspire a summer of well-being, we’re sharing some of the best outdoor activities that will help to keep you in shape throughout the year’s hottest period.
Wild Swimming
Swimming is one of the best ways to exercise in the summer because it offers a low-impact full-body workout and encourages individuals to cool themselves off in beautiful natural locations. Beaches, lakes, and rivers each become available as a destination for working out, with dedicated wild swimming groups already well established across the country.
Cycling
Many will find cycling the easiest way to enjoy exercising outdoors during the summer because it can so easily become a part of a daily routine, replacing other methods of travel, especially if there is a professional commute that can be performed on two wheels. Cycling is also a great form of cardio and can help to both reduce body weight and lower cholesterol.
Paddleboarding
Another form of low-impact workout, one that has become widely popular in recent years, is paddleboarding. This watersport has a number of health benefits and a very small learning curve, being ideal for those just starting out on their fitness journey. If you’re looking for a way to experience natural landscapes and find serenity on the water, then this might be the activity for you.
Yoga
Fitness isn’t always about losing weight and, for many, their workout regime could involve relaxation, stretching, and destressing. Yoga may typically be practised indoors but it can very easily be transferred into the wild, with outdoor yoga being celebrated for bringing the benefits of the activity and nature together.
Body Weight Fitness
There are a number of gyms that are established outdoors. These free-to-use areas are generally found in public parks and offer a number of facilities that mimic the push and pull focus of body weight training. Search your local area and you are likely to find such facilities as being available, allowing you to very easily transfer the more intense elements of your strength routine to the outdoors.
Walking & Running
A number of individuals use the gym for their cardio, some of which is likely to be performed on a treadmill. Transferring these practices to the outdoors is simple, with hikes through nature and local running routes likely being well-noted among local groups. So, if you’re simply looking to spend more time outdoors and enjoy your cardio, you will often need little more than a good pair of shoes.
