FRESH AIR FITNESS
You’ve been cooped up indoors all winter, and hiding holiday pounds under sweaters and scarves. Now that the weather is getting warmer, it’s time to peel off those extra layers and kick-start your fitness routine for the spring. Instead of staying cloistered in the gym, why not take advantage of the warmer weather and bring your workout outdoors? With these fun and easy fitness ideas, you can get your heart rate up and your jeans size down, while enjoying everything that Mother Nature has to offer.
Walk it Off
Taking a stroll for at least 20 minutes a day offers a host of health benefits, from lowering blood pressure and LDL cholesterol to reducing your risk of heart disease. A brisk walk burns 150 calories per hour while toning your legs and backside, and walking during daytime hours can give your body a much-needed vitamin D fix. What’s more, research shows that it also boosts your mood by releasing feel-good endorphins, helping stress melt away with each step.
Hit the Playground
Get in a full-body workout for free by building muscle at your neighborhood park. To target your abs, sit in a swing and lean back at a 45-degree angle, holding onto the chains. Extend your legs straight in front of you and crisscross them 20 times. For well-toned arms and legs, use a park bench to do an alternating circuit of incline pushups, triceps dips and step-ups both to the front and to the side.
Release Your Inner Child
Feel like a kid again as you hop, skip and jump your way to a great cardio workout. Start with three minutes of jumping rope, which burns a whopping 10-16 calories a minute. Then tone your core with three minutes of hula-hooping to strengthen your abs while improving your balance and motor skills. (Not to mention the fact that hooping burns 400 calories per hour!) Tack on two minutes of stretching to cool down after finishing three sets of each activity for a powerhouse 20-minute workout that builds agility and benefits heart health.
If you took a break from your fitness routine over the holidays, getting back into the swing of things can feel challenging at times. Taking Peppermint Vitality™ Essential Oil as a dietary supplement may help support your performance during physical activity, while a post-workout massage using traditional Peppermint Essential Oil diluted with V-6™ Vegetable Oil Complex or one of Young Living’s proprietary massage oils like Ortho Ease® or Dragon Time™ to unwind after your workout.
