Keep Moving: 5 Creative Ideas to Get You Active This Summer

The summer is the perfect time to get outside, enjoy the weather, and be more active in general. Who can resist the allure of the sunshine, anyways? Plus, staying physically active has a wide range of health benefits associated with it, such as helping to maintain a healthy body weight, reducing your risk of cardiovascular disease, mitigating the risk of certain cancers, strengthening your bones and muscles, and even boosting your mood.

To help you reap those benefits this sunshiney season, we’ve compiled a list of fun and creative ways to get out, get more exercise, and be more active.

Keep Moving: 5 Creative Ideas to Get You Active This Summer

A vigorous five-mile walk will do more good for an unhappy but otherwise healthy adult than all the medicine and psychology in the world.

- Paul Dudley White

1. Go for a swim

The summer provides the perfect conditions for a swim -- whether it be in a swimming pool, lake, or ocean (or all three!). Swimming is a great full-body workout: it helps you stay flexible, fights inflammation, lowers stress and depression, and has a myriad of other great benefits. After your swim, you can even take time to lay on a float and enjoy the weather as you bask in the sun, giving you even more motivation to hit the water.

2. Play lawn games

To go along with your backyard BBQ, throw in some fun lawn games to play with your family and friends as not only something exciting to do, but also as a great way to stay active. We’re talking classic games like croquet, frisbee, badminton, and capture-the-flag as well as games with a modern twist like water balloon dodgeball or Spikeball. Not only are these games the perfect way to bond with your family and friends, but they’ll keep everyone entertained and on the move.

3. Walk your dog

You’re not the only one that wants to get out of the house this summer, your pooch probably wants to enjoy the sunshine, too! Take him or her for a leisurely walk whenever you can to both enjoy the weather and spend quality time together. This will keep your pet in shape, they’ll be happy to be outside, and it’s the perfect way for you to get some steps in. Try changing up your route from one walk to the next to get a change of scenery.

4. Act like a kid again

Who says playgrounds are just for kids? Channel your youth by hitting up your neighborhood park or playground to run around, take in the sunshine, and enjoy the playground like you did when you were a wee one. Swing around on the monkey bars, go down the slide, or swing as high as you can to enjoy a bundle of fun all while squeezing in some exercise.

5. Beach sports

The beach is a place that’s great for kicking back and relaxing, but it’s also a quality spot to get some exercise in. From beach volleyball to paddleboarding to simply running on the beach, the possibilities of ways to be active as you listen to the gentle rhythm of the ocean are seemingly endless. Lather up with sunscreen and throw your bathing suit on, because the beach is the place to do it all!

Take advantage of the gorgeous weather and sunshine in order to be more active and thus healthier this summer. You’ll love spending time outdoors and there’s nothing better than the good mood that accompanies a great workout!