Staying Active for the Summer
It’s a well-known fact around here that I love summer. Like, you can find me outside probably 90% of the time, soaking up the sunshine. Do you remember that old elementary book, Frederick, where the mouse doesn’t work or do anything and the other mice are like what’re ya doing over there? ‘cuz he just sits in the sun all day and soaks it in so that he’ll stay warm for the winter? Yeah, that’s me. And it is 100% worth it. :) Sometimes, I let other things fall by the wayside so I can spend more time enjoying the outdoors, but one thing I try not to skimp on is exercise. Most days consist of one, some, or all of these three things:
YouTube Workouts! - I usually forego the gym for home workouts or a run outside, and some of my favorite workouts lately have been by Pamela Reif! That girl has a bomb body and she is deceivingly strong. Her workouts are so effective! Plus, she has the best, most efficient ab workouts I have ever done. I love that her workouts aren’t super time consuming and get right to the point. Her 7 min ab challenge is killer!
Caroline Girvan is another YouTuber that I love and her workouts are KILLER. She does a lot of burnout reps that will make you want cry. Haha. And she is a beast. Seriously. I have never been able to keep up with her, but I always notice a difference in my strength really quickly afterwards!
Jogging! - I know some people dislike it, but I’ve always enjoyed running and I ran track back in high school (hurdles, actually…no idea why considering I’m only 5’2”! I probs shoulda stuck to soccer, lol), but I really only run during the summer months, so an option I really love using when I get started again is the Aaptiv app for long jogs because you can choose the distance you want to run and they help you train and reach your goals! A trainer will come on at each milestone and tell you how to pace yourself and remind you of your form, etc. It’s actually very cool and so helpful especially when I get tired. I hardly ever run during the winter because it’s too icy most days, and after breaking my tailbone twice I have a major fear of slipping… I also just don’t like running on the treadmill! I would always choose to run outside if I could, so I trade in my running shoes for cycling shoes and hop on the Peloton for endurance training during the colder months. But during the heat of the summer, I love to hike or walk the trails behind our house and jog around our neighborhood! There is a HUGE hill east of my house and I try to jog up it at least a few times a summer on days where I’m feeling extra motivated. It kills me every time though and I wonder why I did this to myself, haha.
Daily walks! - The kids and I try to get out every morning if we can and go for a walk or a bike ride to the park. Sometimes I bring my coffee and we just make an entire morning adventure of it! It’s so peaceful and cool and quiet here in the a.m. and it makes me so happy. This fanny pack has been so handy keeping my hands free (especially when I have Tucker with me) and I can keep my phone, sunscreen, chapstick and LOTS of extra bandaids in it for those skinned up knees. Plus, it has double mesh pockets inside to store your phone or keys or other small items, and I love that the waist band is very adjustable and stays put! I even jogged with it the other day and it stayed tight the whole time! I find it super annoying when you have to keep re-adjusting the strap because it slides down or is bouncing around while you’re trying to run. This one stayed on great and hardly moved at all! I could go on and on about these shorts, but let’s just say that I have them about 6 colors and they are the BEST $28 bucks you’ll spend all year.
