Spring is upon us and it’s time to start thinking about coming out of your winter hibernation and enjoying the warmer temperatures, greening scenery and the fresh, spring air. Staying physically fit can be simple and exciting when you mix in some sunshine. Try these fun fitness activities for spring to keep you moving, trying new things, and enjoying this beautiful season.
Take a Hike
Walking is an ideal activity for enjoying the beautiful weather while burning calories. If you’re ready to step up your fitness this spring, try pushing yourself to accomplish a few hiking expeditions. Finding a challenging trail that suits your fitness level and desired intensity level can help you burn hundreds of calories while reconnecting you with nature. Not only does this have the fitness-related benefits of improved cardiovascular and leg strength, but time spent in natural environments has also been shown to reduce stress and improve mood.
Fun Fitness Activities for Spring: If you live in a more urban setting, try finding a new park with more elevation variation than you typically encounter. The goal is to see some nature and, if possible, achieve some vertical steps. Perfect for getting the kids physically active this spring, you can get creative by premapping out a “trail” to follow and having a list of flowers, animals or types of trees to keep your eyes peeled for.
Find Some Wheels
Nothing brings back the joys of childhood like strapping on some skates or riding a bicycle. The average person will burn upward of 500 calories while roller skating for an hour. Even a short skate around the neighborhood or park can be an efficient and effective calorie-busting, fat-burning workout that is loads of fun too. If riding a bike is more your style, remember to challenge yourself with resistance settings or hilly terrain and try to maintain pedaling the majority of your ride. You’ll love the fresh spring air cooling you from your surprisingly awesome workout, but don’t forget to wear appropriate safety gear as accidents can happen anytime anywhere.
Gardening and Landscaping
For many, spring means planting. If you have outdoor projects you’ve been considering like a new flower bed, stone path or vegetable garden, now’s the time to start. It’s easy to see how activities like landscaping and gardening are capable of keeping you physically fit as you consider lifting and spreading heavy bags of soil, mulch or rock. Digging, raking, pulling weeds and even mowing the lawn can all become ways of finding fitness this spring. Most landscaping- or gardening-related outdoor projects will result in upward of 200 calories burned per hour, depending on how strenuous the activity is. If you have decided to embark on growing a vegetable garden, with any luck, you’ll have the added benefit of fresh, homegrown, highly nutritious foods to eat.
Get Fit in the Park
You might start noticing ads for various outdoor group fitness classes this spring. Some popular options include yoga, fitness boot camp and mom-focused stroller fitness groups. These kinds of classes allow you to take full advantage of beautiful spring days while not skipping out on the fitness class atmosphere. Finding a fun group class to participate in is a terrific way to spend time outside, meet new people and improve your fitness. Typically, classes like these are either membership-based or sold in packages so that you can participate at your own pace. If you’re bored with your fitness norm and wanting to get a little more sunshine into your routine, find an outdoor fitness class that works for you.
Get Sporty
Outdoor sports are an ideal way to get fit and fully experience the beautiful spring weather. Even if you aren’t a natural athlete, it’s easy to find ways to enjoy sports. Try a fun game of tennis with your kids or a friend to burn between 250 and 500 calories per hour. Playing a round of golf — walking the course, of course — joining an adult softball league or putting up an inexpensive volleyball net in the backyard are all great ways to enjoy some pure, energetic fun with family and friends this spring. You might find that you fall in love with a sport you’ve never tried before and create a lifelong, fun-filled habit.
Leash Up
Your four-legged friend may be just as interested in enjoying the new season as you are. An incredibly fun way to improve both yours and your dog’s fitness is by exercising together. If you have a high-energy breed, activities like interval running and obstacle training can be incredibly fulfilling and exhausting. Dog parks often have doggy obstacles, but making your own with some simple household items is another great way to go. Even challenging yourself to walk your dog at least three times a week can help you both get and stay fit while also creating a bonding experience. Let your best friend motivate you to stay more active this spring.
Water Sports
While it may still be too cold outside to consider swimming, other fun water sports are an excellent way to enjoy the water and burn some serious calories. Stand-up paddle boarding and kayaking are big calorie busters and also tons of fun. Check to see if a local lake or river has rentals and get out on the water this spring. Studies have shown that just looking at water for several minutes a day has a stress-relieving impact on the body. Even if you find that water sports aren’t your thing, you’ll surely enjoy some time spent away from technology and reconnecting with nature.
Try Couch to 5K
If you’re new to fitness or running but want a safe and fun way to get in shape this spring, consider trying a couch to 5K routine. Known for its ability to create running addicts, couch to 5K is a method for beginner runners to go from next to no activity (couch) to running a 5K race distance in about nine weeks. Download an app or find a routine online to follow. Typically, your workouts consist of about 30 minutes that begin as mostly walking and gradually add in more and more running intervals until you can run the entire distance. Before spring is over, you might become a bona fide runner.
You Can’t Go Wrong
You’re thinking about fun and fitness for the season and that’s a great start. Let the changing weather and beautiful scenery motivate you to get outside this spring and improve your mental and physical fitness. No matter what activities you choose, you can’t go wrong trying any or all of these fun fitness activities for spring.
For your guide to the best foods to heal your body, check out The Best Foods that Rapidly Slim & Heal in 7 Days, here!
