TIP TUESday: Keeping up with your workouts when you DON’T want to!

Why, HELLO SUNSHINE!! This is the time of the year when you can retire the layers, winter coat, hiding indoors and head on outside to bask in all the glory of the beautiful warm weather. Personally, I am questioning myself why am I sitting inside having this affair with my desk and laptop…hmmm… anyway.

But with this new season, the desire to grab your runners and head to the gym starts to wane. I mean, who really wants to be stuck indoors a stinky, dark, cold gym when the sun is beckoning you through the glass windows right?

So, how do you keep up with all the hard work you have done in the last few months? Good weather is NOT an excuse to skip a workout here or there! In fact, it is almost MORE important for you to maintain…because, you know what follows spring? Yep, summer…and you know what that means right? Even more sun, and more skin!

A GREAT way to keep it up:

OUTDOOR TRAINING!

Such a simple concept..but it is harder than it seems. Where do you go to train? How do you train outdoors without the equipment you’re used to? Will passer bys look at me funny? Expect all those questions to arise…but don’t let them linger, its just your silly mind trying to build barriers to a new idea.

Boot camps are an excellent way to work around it. They seem to pop up in loads all over the city. Find one that is easy for you to get to, has an agreeable time, and hits the targets that you want (cardio, strength, flexibility..etc). You will be training with a group and most often, it will be outdoors- so the motivation is there and you also get to spend time in nature, double score!

If boot camp is not your thing (some people prefer smaller settings..like me), find a trainer who offers group training (which usually has 2-4 pple, depending) and will do it outdoors. Or, you can always stick with 1 on 1 training and request outdoor training on sunny days. With having a trainer, the worry about what exercises you can do or where or how to do it will be banished since they figure all that out for you. (you will be pleasantly surprised with all the different exercises you can do without ANY equipment) And all those people walking by and staring? Yah, I bet you that they’re all admiring your hard work and probably wishing that they had the determination and motivation to do what you are doing. Hey, maybe you would even inspire a few and they will head out next time with towel and bottle in hand and train a little bit as well, who knows.

Okay, what if you don’t have the means to hire a trainer or join a boot camp? Can you do it on your own? It may be hard, but with each time you force yourself to do it, it makes the next time just a little easier. Find yourself a park with a good run trail and go for a jog, stop every so often if you find rails and do a few sets of push ups before continuing the run. Another stop, do a few sets of squats, continue- get the idea? Run laps up and down a grass field, stop at each end, do core work (plank, crunches, knee ups..etc)..run again..etc. SO MANY OPTIONS!
Here is one of my favorite trails: Central Park in Burnaby. It boasts 3 different distances PLUS there are ‘stations’ throughout the course where you can stop and challenge yourself with strength training. I’ve done it myself one summer—and it is tough! Start with the smallest distance and work your way up. Once you’re really good, do two laps, go all way through, then turn around and go it backwards. Again, change it up-always making it fresh!

Until next time team, take advantage of the weather and train outdoors, rather than use the weather as an EXCUSE not to train indoors!

Health respect & happiness,
Beki