Make Hay While the Sun is Shining!

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Its August, and as my husband’s grandmother would say, “make hay while the sun is shining!” What does that have to do with fitness? (Besides the fact that making hay is an all day event that you would definitely leave you sore.) Most of us aren’t farmers but can still take this saying to heart. It is summer and there are so many opportunities to be outside doing... something! Winter will be here before you know it and all those opportunities for random activity will be gone. Take advantage of the warm weather by getting more active! Swimming, walking, biking, gardening, hiking, fishing and golfing are all great summer time activities. All that exercise you have done in the gym last winter was just for this!

I usually suggest getting inside at least once a week to maintain your strength and muscle tone. Studies have shown that you can maintain muscle mass and strength gains with as little as one or two days a week in the gym. You want to make sure you are still getting some general strength training during the summer months so that you are staying healthy and your muscles are balanced in strength.

Drink More Water!!

One of the big things I see in people as they start going outside and increasing their activity levels is they do not increase their water consumption. You expend a lot of water simply walking around outside; humidity is a huge factor in how our bodies expend energy by making us work harder. You may not feel like you sweated very much or did too much “work,” but you still need to be drinking water before, during and after any activity.

There is a lot of discussion about how much water you should have a day, without any definite answers. A good indicator is that if you are feeling thirsty, you are already behind the eight ball when it comes to hydration. Make sure that you are drinking water throughout the day and you will likely stay hydrated as much as you need. If you start feeling run down or you fatigue easily, try drinking more water and see what happens!

Article Written By:

Zoe Carr
Certified Personal Trainer at Mount Nittany Health Fit for Play