Beat the Heat With These Low-Impact Workout Options
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Summertime can be glorious: the sun, the call of the great outdoors, long days, and warm nights. But it can also mean blazing-hot temperatures, humidity, and clouds of gnats and mosquitoes that make working out a challenge. One of the best ways to make sure you survive your Summer workouts is to choose a low-impact version of your favorite format. Instead of running, try walking, or find a low-impact cardio routine you can do indoors or in the shade. You can also switch things up with a pool workout or even some poolside yoga. Read on for more ideas for your Summer fitness journey.
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The Pool Is Your Friend
Just because it's hot outside doesn't mean you have to retreat inside. If you aren't into lap swimming, there are other great water-based workouts you can do instead. Whether in your own backyard, your community center, or your gym, these low-impact workouts are easy to slip in during an otherwise chill day on the pool deck.
In addition to its cooling effect, water provides some natural resistance to movement, which makes you work harder than you normally would in order to execute moves like leg lifts or underwater crunches. You can even do yoga in the pool!
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Embrace Low-Impact Cardio
People often confuse "low impact" with "low intensity." When you train in a low-impact format, the only thing that decreases is the wear and tear on your joints; intensity of movement, speed, and muscular recruitment all remain high.
In challenging weather, it's important to be able to calibrate your workouts for success. For example, instead of a jump squat, do a regular squat. To keep the intensity, either deepen the range of motion or increase the frequency. You're still accessing the same muscle groups, and going faster or lower in the squat will keep the intensity up. Try a low-impact cardio workout like this one for a safe but effective Summer sweat session.
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Take Your Mat Outside!
One of the best aspects of yoga is that it can be done anywhere. So while the weather is cooperating and making the outdoors that much more appealing, take your mat outside for your flow! If it's hot, treat it like a Bikram yoga session and save yourself the $20 fee you'd pay at your local studio — just make sure you hydrate before, during, and after.
Yoga can be as challenging or as gentle as you need it to be, but all approaches are designed to go easy on your joints by limiting impact and sudden movements.
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Make Your Own Breeze
If you're committed to your indoor cycling classes, here's your chance to put your bike fitness to the test. All the benefits of cycling — cardio, muscle strengthening, and low-impact movements — translate from inside to outside. Plus, there's nothing like speeding along an open road or rocketing down a trail to create a little natural air-conditioning. Aim for the early morning or early evening to avoid the most intense rays of the day.