7 Ways to Fit Summer Exercise into Hot Busy Days

Are you finding it hard to fit summer exercise into a busy and HOT schedule?

Fit summer exercise in using 7 strategies to maximize workouts to your benefit.

Even though the hot summer days are longer, but it seems like they are filled to the brim with fun in the sun. But just because you sweat in the heat of summer does NOT mean you can opt out of raising that heart rate and moving that body for at least 30 minutes a day.

I know, I know. Every waking moment of the day is full of hard work, kids activities, BBQ's, fishing, etc. It's hard to fit summer exercise in, right? There's lots and lots of exciting opportunities for fun in the sun with your family.

But, I have found the answer to making sure you don't let exercise get pushed to the back burner this summer.

There's No Set Schedule

Like you, I too have a crazy summer schedule. Therefore, there is no "certain time" each day that I find to exercise but I am going to share with you how I fit it in to summer. It HAS to be what works for you.

The good thing is, the sun is up from 5:30 a.m. until 9 p.m. That's over 15 hours of time to try to fit summer exercise in! It should be completely doable for you to find the time.

For at least 30 minutes each and every day, you should make a point to find some way to raise that heart rate. There are so many ways to get your workout done.

One Hour of exercise per day is only 4% of your day! Keep this in mind when building a daily summer schedule and trying to find a workout time that works best for you.

Here are seven strategies to fit summer exercise in to those jam-packed long hot days of the season.

1. MAKE A PLAN ON SUNDAY NIGHTS

Planning your week out in advance helps to make scheduled time for your workouts.

Also, planning your workouts themselves enable you to have a secure plan about what you'll be doing that day, resulting in less time wasted and more time changing your body with that awesome workout.

I use my day planner to plan out my week. It has work engagements in it plus my daughter's activities, so I can just add in workout times. Sometimes, when I have a REALLY cray cray schedule, I write out a schedule for the next day on a blank sheet of paper hour by hour. I also make goals to achieve with my Fitbit, which motivates me as well.

I keep my schedule with me in my day planner so I can refer to it when I complete my current task. This helps me to know what I need to get done next in order to become more efficient with my time.

2. WAKE UP EARLIER

Ugh, I know it's hard! But at 5:30 a.m., the sun is coming up. So, why don't you try to hop out of bed and go for a quick run or something before your family wakes up?

I teach Les Mills BODYPUMP classes at 5:00 a.m. twice a week. I am out of bed at 3:45 a.m. to prepare myself for class and travel time. While you may think I'm crazy for waking up that early, I'm surprised to report to you how amazing I feel when I workout first thing in the morning.

The key part of staying focused and energized all day is to fuel yourself with great nutrition. I use Herbalife to supplement my need for good nutrition, including protein, vitamins and minerals. Herbalife allows me the energy to chase my two-year-old, work hard all day, and farm in the evenings.

I would suggest trying to get up at least 45 minutes earlier than normal twice per week. You can do it! Set that alarm and get out of bed the first time it goes off. The hardest part is getting started.

3. SWIM

Swimming is the best and easiest form of cardio out there. The water is so soothing plus it allows for great resistance training at low impact for all ages.

So, take the kids to the pool for some quality time and get into the water with them. Start a game of tag or Sharks & Whales. Teach the little ones how to tread water or how to breath stroke.

Challenge the kids to a treading contest. Who can tread water the longest?

Yes, it is possible to have a great workout with the whole family. Try to swim with the kids for at least 30 minutes. You'll be amazed how great and refreshed you feel.

4. HIKING

Another family friendly activity I enjoy is hiking. I'm sure there are trails in your neighborhood, so utilize them! We hike almost every evening through our pastures to check our livestock.

You could make a game with the kids on a hike as well. Just use your imagination. Work on colors with the little ones or have them count the number of a certain flower they see. Another fun thing to do is to take insect nets and catch some insects.

This is a more low impact activity if you're used to keeping up with the kids. It's so much fun, though!

5. GARDENING

Weeds, weeds and more weeds. That's all I've been seeing lately in my garden and I've been very busy trying to keep it clean. I don't use any chemicals in my garden, so I'm controlling the weeds and insects by hand. Hoeing and pulling weeds is actually exercise and also very therapeutic.

If you do not have a garden and want to try this, your area may have a community garden looking for volunteers. Try to seek out the coordinators of the community gardens to see if you can help them. Many gardens are for a good cause, so you'll be helping others as well as yourself.

Another perk is that you could get some free produce out of the deal, too!

6. BIKING

This is activity I love to do fast and furiously by myself and could be one you could accomplish in the early morning hours. I enjoy finding a path with lots of hills to get a great leg and butt workout. It also is awesome cardio!

For those of you who work, you can bike over the noon hour if you are ok with sweating. I'm ok with it and I do ride my bike hard and fast over the lunch hour. I just bring deodorant and a change of clothes to work - no big deal.

Then, later, you can take the kids out for a more leisurely ride together. You got your workout in, so kudos to you!

7. SPRINTING Or HILLS

If you're in town waiting for the kids' sports practice or a camp to be finished, you may consider bringing some running shoes and sprinting the nearby track or street.

Most of you think I'm crazy but I live for track sprinting in the summer. I sometimes do this workout over my lunch hour, but this workout can also be done early morning or late evening as well. I love to pair it with bleacher stairs or hills if possible.

I love sprinting the track plus running some sort of incline because it promotes some hard core muscle building and tightening. If you want a way to lose some inches and burn some fat, this is the way to go. To track progress, I use my Fitbit Charge HR Tracker.

These workouts are difficult and intense. But, you can do it. I know you can.

Fit Summer Exercise Somewhere Into Those Long Hot Days

Summer days are long. It really shouldn't be that hard to fit summer exercise in.

These 7 strategies to fit summer exercise in may not be rocket science, but they will keep you on track through the busy summer schedules. As you can see, there's many different ways to do it. You should have no excuses at all.

Find a way and go for it!

HOW DO YOU STAY IN SHAPE THROUGHOUT THE SUMMER?

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