Your Fitness: Take It Outside!

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Your Fitness: Take It Outside! :

Jun 08, 2007

Kick off an exercise and nutrition program with help from eDiets and you'll look forward to summer and showing off the new you! Click here to get started.

With warm weather in full swing, many people are anxious to get outside. Spring offers a great opportunity to change your workout to maximize results . Itā€™s time to think outside the box!

The great outdoors provide a wide choice of "equipment" to help vary your workouts. No matter where you live, creativity will help you get a great workout, compliments of Mother Nature.

As always, safety first. Here are some tips for a safe, effective outdoor workout:

Start slowly. After being cooped up all winter, your body needs to adjust to the hotter, more humid spring and summer weather. Increase time and intensity over a period of a week or more.

Take more frequent rest periods as needed.

It's important to know the signs of heat stress -- dizziness, cramps, clammy skin and extreme weakness. If you experience any of these symptoms, stop activity immediately.

Have plenty of water handy to prevent dehydration.

Apply a sunscreen product.

Dress in layers. Wear light-colored, loose-fitting clothing when exercising in the heat.

Wear clothing that whisks perspiration away from your body. Cotton or the newer specialized fabrics are recommended.

Wear proper, supportive footwear.

Asthmatics should be sure to have their inhaler with them.

Public parks offer an array of opportunities. Trees can be used to measure sprints and for chin-ups. Childrenā€™s equipment can be used for pull-ups and chin-ups. Park benches can be used for dips. Use walls and large rocks for push-ups.

Use curbs as a balance beam to improve core strength, balance and coordination. Stadium stair-climbing will have you screaming for mercy. Sounds like fun, huh?

Many local parks have sports fields including soccer, baseball, basketball, tennis, handball, etc. Join a local softball team. Get a game going on Saturday or Sunday afternoon. You can organize a picnic to get the whole family involved.

Open fields can be used for walking lunges, interval training or footwork drills. You're only limited by your imagination.

Handball courts are great for practicing your tennis forehand and backhand and getting your heart rate up in the process. After all, the ball always comes back! Itā€™s also a great backboard for medicine ball throws, which can work the obliques and upper body.