Looking for a great workout to do this summer? We’ve thought of five off the top of our head. Almost anyone can do these five workouts, and they will help you stay fit on vacation whether you stay near home, hop on a plane, or hit the road.
1. Go for a walk, a jog, or a run. Hit the pavement, the beach, or the trail. A good run can get your blood pumping and your endorphins dumping!
2. Take a swim. In the ocean, in the pool – it doesn’t matter. If you can find a pool with a wave machine it makes it more challenging. Whether you are surrounded by tile or sand, a great swim is amazingly refreshing and is a low impact workout.
3. Do yoga or Pilates in the park. A lot of fitness centers have outdoor classes in the summer, so take advantage of the chance to get outside.
4. Skip rope. This is a great exercise that lets you use coordination as well as getting your heart rate up. You can even learn a few tricks to impress onlookers.
5. Take a bike ride. Cycling can let you explore the surrounding area and you can meet some great people who also enjoy riding the trails or roads.
Of course, being outside in summertime means you should be wearing protection against the sun. Your sunscreen should shield your skin from a variety of harmful rays, so it’s time to get educated about what to look for in a product.
- First, watch out for chemicals that can absorb into your skin and cause possible health hazards. Oxybenzone is an active ingredient in approximately 50% of sunscreens on the market, yet this hormone disruptor has been linked to conditions like low infant birth weight and endometriosis. Retinyl palminate is another would be culprit – although it is a form of Vitamin A, it can make skin lesions and tumors grow more quickly.
- Second, understand the difference between UVB and UVA rays. SPF only guards against the former – the kind that cause instant sunburning – not the latter, which sink below the surface of the skin can contribute to skin cancer.
Sunscreen over SPF 50 has no additional benefits, so stick with lower SPF but apply more often even if you aren’t burning in the sun.
- Third, look for natural alternatives. Coconut oil has an SPF of 4-5, which blocks 75% of harmful rays, and it’s adequate for time you are in the sun only for a short time period or when you are outside but in the shade like on a tree surrounded hiking trail or in the early morning or late evening.
Share these tips with your fitness clients, and remember to keep your personal trainer insurance in effect to protect yourself as well as clients when working out outside.
