Summer is a great time to easily burn extra calories and finally lose the weight you’ve been wanting to get rid of for a long time.
Forget the stationary bike, the elliptical trainer or the treadmill. Get out of the gym and into the fresh air. Take advantage of the fat burning weather by participating in great outdoor cardio activities like tennis, basketball, walking, jogging, swimming, road biking or in-line skating.
Enjoy Yourself While Working Out
You’ll find that participating in exercises like this won’t even feel like working out. You’ll enjoy yourself, the time will fly by, and you’ll most likely burn more calories than if you were sitting on a stationary bike in the gym.
The summer months are also a great time to take advantage of your cross training possibilities to keep from getting bored. You can pick a few different activities, like the one’s mentioned above.
There’s a whole lot more where they came from; fat burning cardio activities like backpacking, mountain biking, volleyball, and rock climbing.
Enjoyable outdoor fitness programs can really help to melt away the pounds and you’ll enjoy yourself while your at it. That’s an unbeatable combination.
Here’s a sample week of outdoor cross training cardio program for fat loss:
Week 1
- Monday: Walk for 40 minutes
- Tuesday: Jog for 20 minutes
- Wednesday: Play tennis for an hour
- Thursday: Road bike for 40 minutes
- Friday: In-line skating for 40 minutes
- Saturday: An hour of hiking
- Sunday: Road bike for 30 minutes
This is just a sample of what an outdoor cardio plan could look like for you. The activities will depend on your likes and dislikes and the length of the sessions will have to do with the current state of your cardio conditioning.
Increase the Time
As you get accustomed to your routine, try increasing the time you spend on certain activities, depending on your fat loss goals.
The more intense your exercise session the more calories you will burn. In other words, the harder you work, the better you’re going look. But remember, there’s a tipping point. You need to find that balance between frequency, duration and intensity. Overtraining will stop your progress cold.
There are 3,500 calories in a pound of fat. If you burn 500 calories a day through exercise, you’ll lose a pound of fat per week. This is true IF you were burning the same amount of calories you were taking in each day before adding the exercise regimen.
Consider implementing some outdoor activities while the weather is nice and you’ll be surprised at the extra calories you burn because you’re having fun while exercising.
Note From Brigadoon Fitness
Summer is one of the best times to get outside. Since you have more daylight you can enjoy the weather and to participate in outdoor activities. Just being outside, getting some fresh air, and thinking about past summers can make you feel nostalgic. So go ahead! Act like a kid again, run around, jump in the pool/lake/ocean, jump rope, visit a playground, play with your dog or kids. Take up a new activity like paddle boarding, kayaking, or even rock climbing. Just get outside, have fun, and enjoy yourself.
But watch out if it gets too hot. Exercising outdoors can put you at risk for dehydration and heat stroke. If it is very hot outside you may want to think twice about over extending yourself. On days where it is hot, or humid, or even raining, you will still want to get some action in. That is where a home gym is still a necessity. A treadmill, exercise bike, or elliptical will keep you moving and burning fat calories.
Once you’ve done you 30 minutes or more of exercise then go outside and enjoy the fresh air, play with your kids, or just take a relaxing walk around your neighborhood.
