Summer time workouts!

Sleeping Bear Dunes, Michigan!

It's summer time!  Time to get outside and enjoy Mother Nature!  This weekend I was on vacation in beautiful Leland, Michigan and enjoyed doing just that.  Walking the beach, jogging through historic Fishtown, and my personal favorite, hiking Sleeping Bear Dunes are just a few of the outdoor activities that I enjoyed on my vacation!  For me, it felt so nice getting off the treadmill and out into the fresh air.  I love feeling the sun warm my skin (covered in SPF of course!) and the wind whipping through my hair: I just feel so exhilarated and refreshed after an outdoor workout!  What are some of your favorite outdoor workouts?

Diamond Workout

If you want to SWEAT, then this workout is for you!  I chose a ball field because it has intervals built right in (the bases), so its a perfect setup for interval training!  This workout is fun, you don't need any equipment, and you can adjust the level of intensity. 

Start out with a warmup:  Mine was a 10 min walk/ jog to the ball field, followed by some dynamic stretches.
Next, begin your intervals!:  (Below I listed a few ideas)  I recommend starting out with 5 min intervals, resting 2-3 min in between.  And building up to 7-10 min.  Aim for 20- 30 min total, not counting rest times.  So bring a timer or cell phone to keep time.
Remember to take breaks when needed, and bring water!!  *Interval training is alternating different exercises, usually different speeds or degrees of difficulty so keep that in mind when choosing your exercises.

Exercise Options: Just some ideas, but the options are endless!  *Put 4 exercises together at a time (Home Base to First Base, First to Second, Second to Third, and Third to Home). 

• Run, Sprint, Jog, Walk, Walking Lunges, High Knees, Butt Kickers, Cariover, Shuffle, Leap Frogs, Bear Crawl, Crab Walk, Walking Plank, Back Pedal, High Skip, Bounding Jump, 1 legged Hop, Hopscotch, Spiderman...

*You could also add exercises to the end of your base circuit: Example: Interval 1: Sprint, Jog, Spring, Jog- 5 pushups, 15 crunches.  Interval 2: Walking Lunge, Butt Kickers, Walking Lunge, High Knees- 10 pushups, 15 crunches...ect...

Have FUN!  Let me know it goes :)