HEALTHY LIVING: Summer Sizzles with Family Workouts

By SUSAN HOWARD | Special to the Palisadian-Post

There is no better time to break your normal routine and take advantage of all the offerings that vacations and beautiful weather have to offer. Summer sizzles with fun options to benefit the whole family.

Beat the summer workout blahs with low impact/high intensity activities that will give you the creative change you need to give your body rest from the regular routine, enjoy quality family time and spike new muscle activation to get the results you want.

Climb a mountain. Pack a picnic or load up the backpack for a day trip and go hiking or rock climbing with friends and family. A beautiful way to take in the scenery, awaken all senses to nature, let the mind recharge and get some good cardio.

Remember to wear proper footwear and light-weight, sun protective clothing that will breath easily. Always make sure to pack water to hydrate and a quick energy boost of trail mix or bar to keep you fueled.

Fly on a hammock. Try aerial art and feel like part of Cirque du Soleil. Besides being lots of fun for the whole family and a great post for social media, it increases your kinesthetic awareness, builds core strength, elongates your muscles and is a low-impact cardiovascular workout. There is something for everyone when trying the antigravity fitness hammock. Choose your speed with offerings of restorative yoga, aerial yoga, barre, suspension, Pilates, and fundamentals of tricks and poses.

Peddle on the bike path or trail. Put the tread to the bike path or trail to experience the benefits of a high-calorie-burning workout without the stress on the knees, ankles and spine. Biking is a great way to see a vacation spot and explore as a family or enjoy a sunny afternoon on the coast. Find the right intensity that will match your ability so it’s an enjoyable ride and everyone is happy with the hills and flats.

Pick up a game of beach volleyball. It takes a lot of extra work to move through the sand! Enjoy the fun of family team play, work your cardio and strengthen your core, glutes, thighs and calves. This low-impact, high-calorie-burning activity will give your arms, shoulders and upper back some toning attention. Agility and flexibility will see improvement, too.

Wake up your body with water sports. Paddleboarding, kayaking, surfing, body surfing, canoeing, water polo, snorkeling and swimming are all refreshing ways to spice up the cardio and challenge the core, arms, back and legs. The low-impact workout will be easier on the joints and give the body a heart-pumping workout. Make sure to wear sunscreen and take necessary precautions to have proper training if you are doing the sport for the first time.

Escape the heat with functional resistance group training workout indoors. Sometimes it’s just too hot outside, so find a cool place to get your cardio and strength conditioning done. This is the time that will help you to enjoy all the activities that you like to do outside.

Many benefits to resistance low-impact/high-intensity training include revving metabolism, toning up, strengthening the kinetic chain and proper body alignment. We all respond better to positive feedback and encouragement so find a studio that creates a community, support system and accountability for success. This way you look forward to the social time, and it’s fun and energizing.

So it’s time to shake it up and keep summer fresh. Make a move and enjoy all the family fitness options to heat up your intensity. Remember to try new things and train for life.

Note: Remember to always consult your physician before starting any program.

Susan Howard is a partner and general manager at Studio K in Pacific Palisades. Her philosophy of lifestyle performance training is to incorporate all of the functional movements in a creative, efficient program to help individuals train for life. Contact Studio K for more information regarding adult/children training and nutrition programs at 310-454-1048 or at studioktraining.com. The studio is located at 15207 Sunset Blvd. in the ClockTower Building in the Village.