Summer is like a battery for charging the rest of your exercise year. The long days and ample sunshine make spending time outside a no-brainer, and you get more out of your waking hours. The motivation and habits that come from the action of summer can be stretched into the months that follow.

Benefits

No matter your activity of choice, the summer has a lot to offer.

• Accessibility. Areas that were covered in snow or mud during the winter and spring might now be available. Trails, parks, outdoor pools, and natural areas are open for business.
• Togetherness. An upswing in community events bring people together to move and enjoy the weather. People are taking vacations from work, and the kids are out of school.
• Long days of productivity. There is literally more time (in daylight, that is) to exercise.  Everyone seems to be outside and getting things done. And you should too.
• Freedom of movement. Wearing less clothing makes it easier to exercise and sweat with abandon.

Summer workarounds

With the bounty of daylight comes higher temperatures, which can make exercise seem harder. I have been caught more than once trespassing into someone’s yard to feel the spray from a sprinkler during a run. In order to avoid over-heating, you can incorporate  these workarounds:

1. Timing your activity for earlier or later in the day, when temps are cooler
2. Finding shade
3. Being in, on, or near, water
4. Staying hydrated to mitigate the effects of heat
5. Finding fun, creative ways to stay cool

Summer Exercise Ideas

Walking, running, and hiking

Sunrise and sunset hikes

Seeing the sun rise or set is like magic, and it can be experienced twice a day! Find a viewpoint that inspires you and trek there. You can pack a breakfast, dinner, or a fancy box of wine and make a picnic.

Walking near water

The temperature-controlling effects of water makes some locations less hot in summer.  Find areas to walk near rivers, lakes, streams, wetlands, or the ocean. You will be blessed with cooler air, and possibly wind.

Made in the shade

When the heat of summer hits I find it most comfortable to run in the morning under the shade of trees. Finding nearby forest is easy in the Pacific Northwest. If your area is less abundant, try to find neighborhoods or roads lined with mature trees, tall buildings, or fences. If you strategize based on the position of the sun you can plan a run that is mostly shaded.

Don’t be embarrassed to use a parasol. I pack a small light-colored umbrella with me that can be used rain or shine on long walks or hikes. It has come in very handy when hiking with a sleeping baby in a backpack.

Water fun

If being near water helps you cool down, being IN water is even better! Swimming and other water sports are made for summer.  Whether you are swimming laps at the pool, canoeing on the lake, or surfing at the coast, water workouts can be whole-body experiences that use muscles you’ve never heard of. There are lots of ways to enjoy the water:

• Most parks and rec departments have public swimming pool sessions for a nominal fee. Some high school pools are open to the public during summer.  Don’t forget your apartment or HOA pools, or those at the gym you might belong to. Even doggy paddling burns mega calories.  Be nice to friends and enemies alike—it won’t matter which they are if they have a pool to share.
• Kayaking, paddle boarding, and canoeing are  good ways to get “rower’s arms”, and are available for all abilities. Here in Portland there are classes on the Willamette River.  I love tagging along with friends who own kayaks, to paddle amongst the lily pads of Mt. Hood’s Trillium Lake.
• Doing activities near the water gives you the option to get in and take a dip to cool off.  One of my favorite things is a challenging run or hike that ends in a crisp deluge. In my younger years I spent many hot afternoons ambling up rock cliffs to jump off into the cold river.

Move to eat

Humans are social eaters who survived on hunting and gathering until the recent past. We still get satisfaction from participating in the work it takes to get fed, and food is instinctively bound to exercise. When you are trying to live a healthy lifestyle it may sound counter-intuitive to link exercise with eating, but our existence once depended on it. We feel satisfied when we put effort into finding and creating our meals, and then sharing them with others.  Summer brings harvest and communal food activities. It is the perfect time to use our strength to provide for ourselves and our loved ones in the most basic ways.

Food gathering

I have spent many meditative hours in the fields picking blueberries. It was once my job, since my small hands and impoverished life made it a perfect match. Nowadays I can say food gathering is a choice—and that I love selecting fresh peaches, berries, or apples to take home to my family.  The repetitive motions involved can clear your head and give your muscles a challenge.

If you are lucky enough to have your own garden space, you can do this steps from your door. Tending your garden is physical and brings you the freshest, most nutritious food you can find.

Farmers markets

The parking situation always sucks at our local farmers markets, but that’s ok.  I park away from the crazy zone and enjoy the walk, or I amble all the way there from my house (3-4 miles to the nearest one). Bringing a wagon, stroller, or backpack keeps the food and wares from getting withered or melted on the way back.

While at the market, my family and I enjoy strolling booth to booth and listening to live music. We always run into people we know. It is a familiar and comfortable place, and the food is top-quality, local, and inspiring. Some of our nearby markets also have water fountains for the kids to cool off in.

Destination tastings

Every place has its “best of” regional foods that you can incorporate into an active day of movement and experiences.  A quick internet search can give you a map of places you want to sample, and you can make a day of walking to them.

My own Portland area boasts so many ways to do destination eating. From food carts to food tours, there are endless excuses to eat incredible things outdoors (as if you needed one). Brewery and wine tours attract people from everywhere, and are opportunities to walk and socialize, along with tasting the latest offerings. There are hiking and biking excursions with a vineyard focus. Some people like to burn off their beer calories with a brew cycle tour. It might be a great way to entertain out-of-town summer house guests (or piss them off, depending).

Attend a race or community event

Summer is peak season for sports and fitness events. There are races, friendly competitions, and fitness camps. To find an activity of interest near you, try a site like active.com, which lets you search for upcoming events in your area.  My city holds open track meets on Wednesdays during July and August for anyone who over 5 years old who wants to join.

Festivals and community gatherings are also in full swing.  Many of these events have a run, walk, or other fitness competition scheduled in conjunction with the celebration, but sometimes it is enough to walk all day enjoying the fun of the festival itself.  I kinda want to check out the Elephant Garlic Festival run and the garlic that goes along with it!

Vacation exercise

Whether you go anywhere away from home or not, taking a break from the uszh is a good idea. Much to my husband’s annoyance, I tend to plan physical outings into every vacation. I can’t wait to hike everywhere I visit, or at least spend most of our waking hours outdoors seeing the sites. I feel SO sorry for him: he has had to go through the Yucatán jungle to see ancient Mayan ruins, been swimming with Hawaiian sea turtles, and seen the breath-taking colors of Yellowstone’s hot springs. Now, as I write, we are on an epic National Parks road trip through Arizona and Utah. There will be hiking, oh yes…there will be hiking!

If you are super intense, or want a life-changing experience, consider doing a vacation where your muscles get you where you want to go—for the long haul.  Long cycling and backpacking trips might be best done in summer when weather conditions allow, depending on your region.

There is no better way to experience a place or its culture than to take in the natural wonders or walk in the path of the locals. The excitement of seeing something for the first time is an excellent motivator for moving.

If you want a staycation this summer, visit places you’ve been wanting to see next door. Or, serve as tour guide to someone you want to share your hometown with.

Hometown parks and schoolyards

I hate being bored. Exercising the same way, with the same scenery, day after day gets old. For me, a little novelty goes a long way. During the summer I try to pump up the jam by taking the kids to different parks and schoolyards. With classes done for the year, summer turns schoolyards, which tend to boast open spaces, into parks (as long as your district allows public access in the off season).

In a 5-mile radius from my house there are at least 3 dozen places to walk, play frisbee, or do some crazy exercises at the jungle gym.  (Watch these 21 Playground Exercises For An Outdoor Workout.) The playground equipment is great for dips and pull ups. (As if I can do either, but I see other badasses doing these! I have been paying my kids $5 once they can do a pull up. It has motivated them.)

Living an active lifestyle doesn’t only mean hitting your target heart rate for 150 minutes a week, although this helps.  It means keeping your body strong and capable.  Summertime is the perfect season to build the habit of moving everyday, or to try something new and fun. It is a time to foster your relationships by getting out and doing things you love with people you adore.

Get some sun, some fresh air, and charge your exercise batteries with good memories and getting fit. Stay cool, Friends!