3 Fun Workouts to Boost Summer Fitness

Summer break is rapidly approaching and if you have kids they might already be out of school. Which means in about 48 hours you’ll be serenaded by the sounds of “Mom, I’m boooooored!”

Whether you have kids, grandkids, or nieces and nephews, outdoor workouts are a great way to stay fit while also getting them involved and active. You’ll set a powerful example by having fun while taking care of your fitness and well-being.

Here are 3 Fun ways to challenge your fitness with your kids:

1. Call-Out Tag – We all know that interval training is one of the best ways to improve fitness and burn fat. Why not have fun while you’re doing it? Try this:

• Choose 3 “Call-Out” exercises that will be called out when someone gets tagged.
• One person is it at a time.
• If you get tagged, shout one of the “Call Out” exercises. Everyone playing stops and does 10 reps of that exercise.
• The same “Call Out” exercise cannot be called out in succession.
• Once you finish your reps, you’re free to play again and if you got tagged, you’re it — so the faster you move through your call-out exercise, the sooner you can catch someone still wrapping up their reps. It’s a great way to really kick it into high gear!
• Examples:
  • Burpees, Pushups, and Squat Jumps
  • Cross-Body Mountain Climber, Prisoner Squats, Jumping Jacks
  • Rolling Pin Planks, Lunge Jumps (or Reverse Lunges), Single-leg Hip Lifts

2. Playground Circuit – Playgrounds are a super place to get creative with your workouts. You’re challenged to move in ways you don’t normally move, which wakes up muscles that may not get a lot of action. Here’s what to do:

• Choose 5-7 exercises or activities that seem to flow through the playground or jungle gym like an obstacle course.
• Youngest goes first. Time how long it takes them to complete the course and the designated reps at each station.
• After everyone goes through once and marks their completion time, see if you can beat your time for one to two more rounds.
• Offer incentive with a special prize for whoever beats their best time at the end.
• Example:
  • Station 1: Swing across the Monkey Bars – one hand on each bar
  • Station 2: Do 10 Zombie Squats
  • Station 3: Zip down the nearest slide then turn around and do 10 Incline Pushups with hands on end of slide
  • Station 4: Sprint one lap around the playground or jungle gym
  • Station 5: Do 15 Mountain Climbers at the start point

3. Yoga in the park – Teaching kids to slow down, calm their minds, and connect with their breath might just be the most transformative habit you can teach them. Body awareness, strength, and flexibility are great tools to keep their bodies healthy as they grow up. Plus, with so many fun poses named after animals, they’ll have a ball playing this game. Here’s what to do:

•  Choose 12 poses with fun names of animals, objects, and plants.
•  Link 4 poses together into a mini-sequence. Make 3 mini-sequences using 4 poses for each.
• Repeat each mini-sequence 3 times through, focusing on deep rhythmic breathing.
• Tip: start with standing poses then move down onto the mat and finish with Corpse pose or Easy pose
• Example:
  • Sequence 1: Mountain Pose, Tree, Warrior 2, Eagle
  • Sequence 2: Cat/Cow, Downward Facing Dog, Plank, Cobra
  • Sequence 3: Cow Face, Butterfly, Bridge, Happy Baby
  • Finish in Corpse Pose or Easy Pose with hands at Heart Center.

Even if you don’t have kids to romp around the park or swing with on the playground, you can still use these ideas to get creative on how to break out of your summer routine.

Kids and adults alike love to game-ify everything — and it makes sense — games are fun! Might as well have fun while you’re staying fit!

In Love & Gratitude,

Missi Holt