5 Tips for Sumertime Fitness Fun

Derek is a Professional Firefighter, Fitness Coach, and MAN Sports™ Sponsored Physique Athlete with a Lifetime of REAL WORLD Experience in the Fitness Industry! You can find Derek at 970Muscle and  Facebook.

It’s that time of year again; the weather is heating up, barbecues are starting, pools are opening, and it is time to get outside and have some FUN! Before you slip into those bikini’s and board shorts, there are a few things you need to know so that you can keep, or even improve, that FIT Body that you have worked so hard for! Above all else, you remember that life is about LOVING what you do and if you can do that, everything falls into place! Now… Let’s have some FUN!

1. Take It OUTSIDE!

There are SO many fitness activities for you to take part in outside that I would need to write a Book (or several) just to cover them all, but the main idea here is not to be afraid of mixing it up and heading outside for a workout or three! Outdoor workouts are a perfect to get a group of friends and have some FUN sweating together and breathing the fresh air! Head down to the local Track, Stadium, Park, or even someone’s yard and get creative; Go around in a circle and have each person choose an exercise, perform it for 30-45seconds, and then move on to the next person’s choice. Mix in a nice walk/jog to warm up, run some sprints, do some walking lunges, throw in some crunches, and you are guaranteed to get a great workout and have a great time! The key here is take it OUTSIDE, get CREATIVE, and have some FUN!

2. B.Y.O.B.

Uh oh! You got invited to a barbecue where there are going to be all kinds of temptations that could lead you to stray on your Diet… Whatever do you do? I’ll tell you – You GO and have a FUN time, that’s what! Sure it may take a bit of planning, but the last thing you want to do is have your fitness lifestyle work against your LIFE.

One of the best things that you can do is prepare a nice healthy dish (or several) that you feel comfortable eating and that others will enjoy and bring it to share. You’ll be a huge hit with the host and nobody will be the wiser 🙂 Along with that, bring some no calorie beverages or water so that you can stay hydrated and not be tempted to go for the other “beverages”. One of the best tricks that I use and recommend is to always have something in your hand, whether you are actively eating/drinking it or not. This controls your portions and allows you to avoid hovering and constantly snacking. It also shows that you are partaking and prevents others from asking you why you are not having anything.

3. Stay Hydrated!

One of the easiest things you can do to burn off more calories and increase performance is simply drinking more water and staying hydrated. This is even more important during the summer. Water controls nearly every process in your body and like the Earth, we are roughly 80% Water! By simply drinking COLD water, your body will increase Thermogenesis (think Fat Loss!) just to bring the water up to proper temperature for your body to utilize it.

Water detoxifies your body and keeps your skin hydrated, which will also keep that coveted Summer Tan looking great. Water also will help you control your appetite and cravings, by helping you stay full. Active individuals should be drinking at least a Gallon (128oz) of water each day, but this certainly should increase during the warmer months. Sound difficult? Well, it really isn’t… Just keep a water bottle with you at ALL times and constantly sip on it, increase your water consumption before, during, and after exercise. Try adding things like lemon, cucumber slices, or oranges to your water for a FUN and refreshing change.

4. Rise and Shine!

I hear people say all the time that they don’t want their fitness to interfere with their like. It most certainly doesn’t have to! Often times when you go to do things with a group or family you make more group decisions on what you all will be doing. Often, this doesn’t include working out. What to do? Simple… Get up a bit early and get after it! While everyone else is sleeping you can be getting your exercise out of the way for the day. There is always something available if you are willing to mix it up and get creative. Last I checked, EVERY multi-story Hotel has stairs (maybe it is the Firefighter in me noticing) and you know that Stair-Mill everyone loves? Guess where they got the idea! Even getting up and doing some push-ups, sit-ups, and leg-raises is MUCH better than nothing.

Try doing some form of Interval Training first thing in the morning to get your metabolism revved up for the whole day; Run a flight of stairs and then walk down, repeat for 5-10 minutes or until exhaustion. Do as many push-ups as you can in 30 seconds and then do 30 crunches, repeat 8-10 times or until exhaustion.

The point here is that you need to realize what you can and can’t control and getting up a few minutes early to set your entire day up for success (Mentally and Physically) is certainly within your control, have some FUN and step out of your same old routine a bit.

5. Keep A Bar On Your QUEST!

If only there was a perfect portable food that was always ready, provided high levels of protein, was healthy, tasted GREAT, and didn’t melt! Hmmm… Wait a second… There is!!! Quest Bars are absolutely perfect for this. One often overlooked problem with most bars is that they melt. That is not good with the Summer Activities that we are trying to partake in! Luckily for us… Quest Bars get even better (if that is possible) with heat. So, bring a bar with you on your quest at all times and you have absolutely no excuses for not being prepared to have a FIT and FUN time!

The possibilities really are endless and with these 5 Tips to get you started and a bit of creativity and planning, you are well on your way to having a FIT and FUN Summer! Gone are the days where your fitness needs to go by the wayside so you can partake in the FUN! Life is dynamic and so are we! Now get out there and start having some fun keeping it fit!

-Stay Strong; It’s more than Physical-