Top Outdoor Activities to Get fit

During the COVID lockdown, exercise probably wasn’t the first thing on your mind, especially if you were watching young children while still trying to hold down a full-time job working at home. Now that we’re well into summer and the restrictions are lifting a bit, it’s not too late to get motivated and work to show off a late summer beach body. Here are the top outdoor activities to take part in this summer for an extra exercise boost.

Bicycling

The champion of outdoor health and wellness for more than 100 years, bicycling clubs are popping up everywhere. No longer the exclusive province of athletes and racing enthusiasts, the new cycling clubs are about casual workouts and social interaction. Even individuals not affiliated with clubs put in their daily and nightly miles on the road, grabbing a few minutes of choice fitness time whenever the mood strikes. One reason bicycling has stayed at the top of the outdoor activity list is because people enjoy it so much. Kids have always been the staple of the biking demographic, the past two decades have seen adults take to the activity in droves.

Fresh Air Workouts

Maybe it’s a reaction to the closed-in quality of the computer age or something else entirely, but there seems to have been a surge in the popularity of outdoor exercise. English outdoor fitness gyms, for instance, offer all the amenities of indoor workouts but with the advantage of inhaling real air and enjoying the invigorating feeling that comes with it. Both public and private institutions have gotten in on the act, too. Corporate wellness programs often feature outside facilities where workers can take breaks while they walk on a paved trail or use some exercise equipment. Public schools are also adding multiple outdoor playground areas and avoiding using indoor gyms for recess and children’s sports.

Hiking

Anyone who like to walk can supercharge that otherwise mundane activity by hiking up a mountain, through a nature trail, or through nearby woods. The simplicity and adaptability of the sport makes it ideal for groups, couples, and lone enthusiasts. Plus, hiking clubs are everywhere, for all ages, and cost little or nothing to join. All you need are a good pair of shoes and a small backpack. Some of the world’s larger hiking organizations have been in existence since the late 1800s. That says something about the universal appeal of the sport.

Swimming

Where there are pools, there are swimmers. There’s something about the glistening water and refreshing feel of pools that make them magnets for people of all ages. In addition to thousands of swim clubs all over the world, millions of individuals head to neighborhood or private pools to get their regular dose of exercise. There’s nothing more exhilarating than jumping into a cool swimming pool and doing a few laps on a hot summer day.

Team Sports

Group, league, and all kinds of team sports have long been the go-to social way to stay in shape, meet new friends, and have a ton of fun at the same time. Drive through any urban or suburban area on a weeknight and you’re bound to see dozens of examples of team sport taking place right before your eyes. It’s hard to miss the bright lights of high school football and soccer games going on just about everywhere, tennis doubles match under their own bright beams, track clubs running through city streets to log their daily miles, and baseball games for little league and adult clubs. Individual exercise can be fun and challenging but taking part in a team effort has its own unique kind of charm and camaraderie.