Spring has definitely sprung in the valley and since the temperatures are so mild, it’s a good time to start taking your workouts outside. The change in scenery is a great way to curb boredom. And let’s not forget to mention how great it feels to breathe in all that fresh air!
There are several ways to get your heart pumping in the great outdoors without stretching your wallet too thin. Take the lake, for instance. You may not be able to walk across it anymore, but exploring the shoreline can actually be an effective workout. Where the rocks are minimal and the shore is mostly sand, intervals can be done by doing short and quick sprints. Try running or sprinting for 30 seconds and walking or jogging for 30 seconds. Repeat until you’ve completed 10 minutes.
Another option is to walk your kids to school and continue on from there. You could view the walk to school as your warm up and then simply continue on with a run or brisk walk afterwards. You could create a route, time yourself, and each week try to beat your time. Once that route becomes easy, you could challenge yourself by adding on to it, but still maintaining the same time it took you to complete the original route.
Have you checked out any of the bike trails in the area? Ranging from beginner to more advanced, the trail system is quite large and definitely worth exploring. Grab a friend or two and head out for a morning, afternoon, or evening ride. You may want to consider taking some bear spray and a trail book with you (which can be purchased at the local bike shops). If biking isn’t for you, there are also tons of hiking trails. From a walk in the park to scrambling up Mount Nelson, there is something for everyone’s skill level.
Tennis, gardening, walking to the store instead of driving… the list goes on. The trick is to get outside and find something you enjoy doing that just happens to be exercise. If time is a factor for you, consider doing small bursts of exercise. These bursts can be as short as 10 minutes in length, but are considered effective as a longer workout if done a few times throughout the day. When you look at it that way, there really is no excuse to skip a workout!
Set up a free consult and fitness assessment with Kate Atkinson (250-688-0221) and Hayley Wilson (250-688-0024), who are certified personal trainers with Fitness 4 Life. Visit their website at www.fitness4life.tv for current rates and specials.