The thought of working out in the summer might be daunting for some. It’s hot! Sweating your way through a sweltering outdoor jogging session sounds less ideal when you could be enjoying a nice air-conditioned gym.
But why limit yourself to the gym when there’s so many activities that you can participate in all while having fun, being active, and staying relatively cool?
Try a new water activity
Swimming is always a great cardio workout, but if you want to vary your training even more look to something you’ve never tried before like white water rafting, kayaking, or paddleboarding. All of these are not only excellent calorie torchers, but they are upper body and core builders as well. Activities like these simulate weight-training workouts you would do in the gym as they utilize strength through the repetitive rowing motions and balance required in your core when standing on the paddleboard or navigating currents.
For options near Williamsburg and Hampton Roads, check out Bay Country Kayaking or Richmond Raft. For more a more extensive excursion, take a weekend trip a couple hours north and venture through the Shenandoah and Potomac Rivers with Harpers Ferry Adventure Center in Purcellville, Va.
Take a hike
While the temperature on your thermometer might read 90 degrees, hiking through shaded woods is considerably cooler. Hiking in a mountainous area not only offers cooler temperatures, but it also provides an excellent cardio and resistance-training workout. Trails often have varying terrain which means you will likely navigate up and down hills, embankments, dirt, and sand. You will burn more calories this way rather than simply walking on a treadmill and you will also use your leg muscles more as you hike over the different surfaces.
For hiking and walking areas nearest you, consult this “Great City Walks” guide which offers various walking trails of differing difficulty levels throughout the Williamsburg area. You can also find an extensive list of area trails and parks on the Greater Williamsburg Chamber & Tourism Alliance website.
Run errands on a bike or skates
A workout doesn’t always have to be an incredibly intense activity. Simply running half of your errands in a week by biking or roller blading helps get you moving more and works your legs and core without being too tedious. Plus, these trips add up and you’ll significantly increase your calories burned by switching the way you travel. Map out the usual route you take when running errands. For further outings you’ll likely stick to using your car. For shorter trips, see how you could best incorporate a bike or skate path which would most safely get you to where you need to be.
The bottom line is that while summer can bring scorching temperatures, you can use this to your advantage when planning weather appropriate activities. In a few short months when it gets significantly cooler, you might be wishing that you had taken part in a refreshing kayak trip down the river!