11 Tips for Safe and Successful Summer Workouts

Posted on Balanced Body | July 2, 2009 | No Comments

This post was written by Anastasiya. Follow me on Twitter or StumbleUpon and keep your life balanced!

Summer is the best time of the year for exercise. Whether you just love being active or whether you have to exercise in order to lose those few extra pounds that can’t be camouflaged by your summer clothes, summer is still the time to work out. (For me personally both of these reasons are true ) From my point of view the best part about summer activities is that there are a hundred of different things that you can do outdoors and the excuse “Oh, it’s too cold to be outside” simply does not work. Some of the activities that come to my mind are playing basketball with your kids, swimming in the nearby pool, playing beach volleyball or throwing the Frisbee with your friends. Boot camp classes, running, nature trail hiking, and outdoor yoga are also a few more ways to really knock off those extra pounds. By being outside you supercharge your body with vitamin D that is so important for bone health, calcium absorption and a strong immune system. Oh and did I forget to mention that you also have fun? (just look at the girls below:-))

If you are ready to get outside and get moving then there are just a few things that I want to tell you about how to make your workouts safe and successful (because the last thing you probably want is to get injured or find your workouts discouraging). Here they are:

1. Always use sunscreen. Probably everybody has heard it a million times but for some reason most people still do not use it. Even if you have dark complexion it does not protect you against skin cancer. I personally prefer waterproof sunscreen sprays with maximum protection (40 SPF and up). Neutrogena Ultimate Sport and Coppertone Sport are my favorites. Do not forget to apply it 20-30 minutes before you go out in the sun and reapply every 2 hours.
2. Clothes with built-in sunscreen. A lot of brands offer outdoor sport clothing with built-in sunscreen of 30 SPF and up. That’s just one extra precaution.
3. Wear breathable, fast drying clothes. Choose something that will be comfortable for you. Most brands create special clothing lines suitable for every type of outdoor activities.
4. Good shoes. Whether you are running, hiking, playing basketball or any other sport you need good shoes that will improve your performance and protect your joints. I almost forgot how important it is until I got my last pair of running shoes. Only after I put them on I understood what a great difference a new pair of shoes makes (no knee discomfort, finally!). The best running shoes that I’ve ever had were Asics, New Balance and Reebok. When you choose your shoes pay attention to your comfort and not at how fashionable those shoes are. From my personal experience, Nike tends to focus more on fashion and not enough on making a good shoe.
5. Always use lip balm with sunscreen. Protecting your lips is extremely important because they get dry and dehydrated in a matter of minutes. I once decided to put my regular facial sunscreen on my lips to ensure maximum protection. (Yeah I know that was a stupid idea.) This horrible bitter taste in my mouth was chasing me all around the neighborhood while I was running. Do not repeat my mistake!
6. Do not lie down in the grass. Use a mat. Whether you exercise in the park and want to finish your workout with a few stretches or whether you are doing Yoga in your backyard you should still use a mat. First of all grass is a home to millions of insects who just want to feast on a little bit of your blood (ant leave you itching for the next few days). Secondly a lot of times grass is covered with chemicals and anti-bug sprays that can cause rashes all over your body. And lastly, after a workout you are probably all wet and sweaty which creates a perfect environment for all types of bacteria to thrive on your skin and cause skin infections. Enough with horror stories, let’s just agree that using your own mat will be much more comfortable.
7. Do not wear dark clothes. Dark colors attract sunlight and accumulate heat that makes you prone to overheating. Choose clothes of light colors that reflect sun rays and help you stay cooler.
8. Do not use water in plastic bottles. Plastic does not only pollute the environment but it also releases harmful substances when heated. Buy an aluminum or stainless steel bottle that will keep your water cooler longer and that is environmentally friendly, or do what my husband does and use an old fashioned mason jar.
9. Avoid working out between 10.00 a.m. and 3 p.m. Sun radiation is the strongest in those hours and the risks of overheating are pretty high too. Choose mornings or evenings for your workouts.
10. Be easy on yourself. If you’ve never exercised outside before then make your first few workouts shorter and less intensive then your regular routines. You never know how your body will react to heat and sun exposure. My body loves hot weather and I feel great when I go running when it’s 95 F with high humidity (I guess I can call myself a “heat freak” ). But for most people it might be too much. Everybody is different so pay attention to your body and how it feels while you exercise.
11. Drink water! Start with one or two glasses 15 minutes before your workout. Try to drink water every 15 minutes while you are working out and of course after you are done reward your body with a few more glasses of cool water. Unless you are a professional athlete and training for a marathon you do not need any sport drinks like Gatorade. Water is all your body needs.

I hope these tips will help you to get the maximum results out of your summer workouts and still be safe and healthy!

Keep it balanced!