Stay Active While Avoiding the Summer Heat

Stay Active While Avoiding the Summer Heat

One of the biggest barriers to physical activity and exercise are the outside weather conditions. If someone is even slightly motivated to put in a few minutes of physical activity he/she can look outside and then think of a reason not to. People have any amazing ability to talk themselves into (and out of) anything. Think about it: ‘I would go for a walk but it’s too blazing hot outside,’ or ‘I would love to go for a bike ride but it’s too cold and rainy.’ Has this ever happened to you?
The key to staying on track with a healthy lifestyle (or losing weight) is to be consistent with healthy behaviors…and if you slip, make sure you get right back on track after the slip. Hence, if you have a usual time you do physical activity make every effort to stick to your plan and if you miss a day be sure to get back on track the following day. Since summer will be here soon, here are some tips to stay on track with your physical activity and beat the heat:
• Go for a walk indoors where there is air conditioning in a mall, sports complex, or recreation center. Malls are a fantastic way to get physical activity in a space that is air conditioned and have a smooth surface for walking. Several malls actually open early to allow people to walk the length of the mall before all of the stores open.

• Take a swim in a public pool or local recreation center indoor pool. Swimming or simply walking in a pool burns twice the number of calories as walking on pavement. An added perk- it’s refreshing!

• Watch fitness videos at home. Currently, there are a number of ways to access fitness and exercise videos. In addition to purchasing your favorite video, you can get exercise DVD’s from your local library, stream fitness videos from online providers, or look online for tutorials.

• If the weather cools down in the evenings, go for a walk with a friend. Exercising with another person is one of the best ways to stick to your goals. The other person keeps you on track and makes you accountable to show up for physical activity.

• If all else fails, you can always get a cost effective gym membership. This way you can utilize different types of equipment to meet your fitness needs, while being indoors and out of the weather.

No matter your preference, try some of these tips to keep you on track this summer. The key is to make a physical activity plan and stick to it. Do you have any other suggestions to add to the list?