Summer is in full swing, and you know what that means: it’s scalding hot outside! ‘Tis the season to stay inside, crank up the A/C, and stay hydrated. Hiding out from the sun comes with downsides: for one thing, your vitamin D levels will torpedo without a daily dose of direct sunlight, and your fitness routines may take a hit if you normally work out outdoors. The good news is that those are fixable problems: you can take vitamin D supplements and as for working out, your living room, office, garage, or shaded backyard can do double duty as a gym. Read on as we break down a few things you can do at home to stay healthy.
Make a Reservation
Consistency is key for good fitness. A great way to motivate yourself and ensure you stay on top of your at-home workouts is to carve out specific days and times to work out. Like working from home, it can be hard to mentally shift gears without having some defined schedule or “rituals” (like stretching and/or changing into workout clothes) to get you into the zone. Try to plot out your home training sessions at least 1-2 weeks in advance so you’re not scrambling each day to figure out when you’re hitting “the gym.”
Prepare a Space
Find a place in your home that affords you some privacy. If you live with family or roommates, you don’t want to work out in a common area where you might get interrupted. An ideal location doesn’t have windows or has window treatments that let you block out bright sunlight. There should be enough room that you can lay out a yoga mat and whatever fitness equipment you need while providing enough room for you to do full body stretches and move around.
You’ll want to work out on top of a foam or rubber surface. Working out on carpet or hardwood can be dangerous: the former can be slippery while the latter is high-impact and could cause stress on your joints and bones (especially if you do jump roping or running in place).
Hydrate, Hydrate, Hydrate
You may feel like you don’t have to drink as much water because you’re indoors and not melting beneath the sun’s relentless heat. That couldn’t be further from the truth. You lose a lot of water while you’re working out, even while you’re staying cool in the process. It’s important to drink plenty of water during your workouts and especially before and afterward. If you’re feeling thirsty, you’re already dehydrated.
Field Trips
If you feel stir crazy and want to get your blood moving outside the house, go to your nearest shopping mall! Malls offer a large, indoor, air-conditioned space where you can walk loops for hours without being bothered or sunburned. If there're no mall in your area, a large, big box store like a Target or Walmart offers just enough floor space to get a few laps in.
Another alternative is walking in museums. Most museums offer free or discounted days each month. Schedule yourself a field trip to take a few long walks inside your local museum while also taking in some rewarding sights.
Buddy System
Just because you’re at home doesn’t mean you have to work out alone. There are plenty of fitness tracking apps out there that let you share workout information. You and a few friends could track each other’s progress and use that as a way to motivate yourself and each other. Take online fitness classes together or play against each other in fitness video games. If you have enough space in your home, you could also invite friends over to do yoga, aerobics, or use your home gym equipment. Adding a social component to your summer workouts can help you stay on task while also staving off the lonely shut-in summer blues.
Stretch Yourself Before You Wreck Yourself
Don’t forget to warm up! No matter where you choose to work out, don’t skip your stretching session. You want to make sure that you’re relaxed and limber before you start pushing your body. It’s also very important that you do a cool-down as you wind down your at-home workout so your body temperature and heart rate can return to their normal levels.
Article by Austin Brietta
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