Spring has sprung! It’s time to throw back the curtains, open the windows, clear the house of winter clutter, and pack away the sweatshirts in exchange for short sleeves. It’s also a great time to clean up your fitness routine. After months of stale gym air and temperatures to cold for outdoor exercise, our bodies and mental health are begging for some spring! Here are few tips to get you started.
- 1. Consider throwing away worn-out workout clothes and replacing them with breathable, wick fabrics. If you’ve been hitting the gym all winter, chances are you’re also due for a new pair of shoes. Not only will you look great in your new gear, but you’ll feel great too.
- 2. Try breaking up your routine with outdoor exercises like tennis, golf, hiking or kicking the soccer ball around the yard with your kids. Remember, all activity counts! Plus, varying your workouts can help improve performance and reduce risk of overuse injuries. By doing a variety of different activities, such as running, weight training, hiking, bootcamp classes or biking, you limit the stress on one specific muscle group because different activities use muscles in slightly different ways.
- 3. Add jumping rope to your workout and you can burn around 208 calories in just 20 minutes. Include other exercises like walking lunges, sprints, and jumping jacks, and you’ve got yourself a circuit program you can do right in your backyard. You can also include wrist and ankle weights to your daily routine. The resistance will help strengthen and tone up arm and leg muscles.
- 4. By drinking about two liters of water a day, and 17 ounces about two hours before activity, you can avoid muscle cramping and fatigue. If you’re headed outdoors for activity, take water with you. Keep in mind, the more you sweat, the more fluids you need to replace!
- 5. Add positive goals to your fitness routine such as a 5k, or mini triathlon. It will make you feel better and also give a purpose to your training other than just reaching a certain weight or size. Another fun option is to enlist a group of friends to join your quest. Try researching some of your local fun runs and obstacle courses (such as the warrior dash, color run and the foam fest)that are becoming so popular these days. Having a group of people to train with is way more fun and encouraging then going stag.
- 6. Remember, slow but steady wins the race. Try to get some activity at least 3-4 times per week, but adjust your intensity based on activity you’ve had over the winter. If you haven’t done much, it will take a few weeks to establish a good fitness base. If you’re taking your exercise from indoor to outdoor, remember a 2 mile run on the treadmill is going to feel different then a 2 mile run outside. Start small, and work up.
- 7. Keep in mind, spring training is a time for refreshing, light-hearted exercise. So relax and enjoy your activity. Consider a sports massage to pamper yourself, while alleviating toxins and speeding up muscle recovery. Most importantly, don’t forget to have fun!
Lori Withrow, B.S. Exercise Science