7 Summer Exercise Tips

As summer approaches, many people want to get in shape. Here are some exercise tips to help you lose weight during the summer months.

Tip #1: Walk and Talk

The summer months are great for being outdoors and walking is a great form of exercise for weight loss. Instead of sitting at Starbucks or your neighbor's house chatting get outside and walk and talk. Visiting with friends and family is important and fun, but who says you need to be stationary to enjoy someone's company.

Walking 1 mile burns around 100 calories (for someone that weighs 150 pounds), and walking and talking is a great way to kill two birds with one stone.

Tip #2: Buy a Bike

Like walking, biking is also a good low impact form of exercise. As a whole we drive too much, sometimes even just 2 miles or so to run a quick errand. Use your new bike to run errands close to home, save gas, and burn calories.

Tip #3: Picnic and Plan Outdoor Activities

Summer is a great time for picnics. Plan a picnic and of course pack healthy foods, but also pack a Frisbee, football, whiffle ball and baseball bat. It may not seem like a hard core workout, but tossing around a Frisbee or football burns more calories than watching TV, and all the extra activity adds up in the long run.

Tip #4: Start an Outdoor Project Around the House

There are so many outdoor projects that are perfect for the summer. You can build a deck or plant a garden. Exercise does not have to happen in a gym or in front of a television. What do you think people did before gyms were invented... that's right they worked on the land and on the house. Outdoor projects can be a sneaky way to get in more exercise during the summer.

Tip #5: Find a Summer Workout Partner

Having a workout partner helps to keep both people motivated. It can be hard to lose weight all by yourself, but if you have a workout partner with similar goals, you can push each other to stay committed to the exercise routine.

Tip #6: Take a Fitness Vacation

Most people gain weight when they go on vacation because they just want to go eat, drink, party and sleep on vacation. But, I'll challenge you to take a fitness oriented vacation.

If you go to the beach to relax, plan a 3-5 mile walk in the morning and a 3-5 mile walk in the evening before dinner (that could be an extra 600-1000 calories burned a day). Plan a hiking vacation, or a tennis vacation, or a swimming vacation. Get in the ocean or pool for 1-2 hours in the morning and 1-2 hours in the evening before dinner. Do activities you love. But make a plan to be active on everyday of your fitness vacation.

Tip #7: Consult with a Personal Trainer or Fitness
Professional

If you have motivation to exercise but you're not sure what to do consult with a personal trainer or fitness professional to get some guidance and structure. Structure really helps us to achieve goals and a health professional can help to provide structure to your workout routine so all you'll have to do is follow the plan.

If you're serious about losing weight, I recommend that you also incorporate healthy eating habits. Get started today and stick with it.