Taking Your Workout Outside
Summer in Canada is SHORT!!! I mean really short, so when it finally gets here I make the efforts to take my workout outside!
And even when it’s supposed to be summer, we are plagued with rainfall, mosquitos; or in my area a humidity that makes it less than ideal to train outside. So, when mother nature offers me a warm, dry, sunny day, I must take advantage of it.
Taking your workout outside is a great change both physically and mentally. It challenges you to think outside of the box, use your body in new ways and mentally is a great break from the routine of the gym. Find ways to use your bodyweight for resistance training and breathe in the fresh outdoor air. The fact that you can also include family and friends outdoors with you are is another added bonus too!
In our household, we have adopted a few new summer activities that have made us both healthier and happier on many levels. The T.V. rarely gets turned on at night, as we want to take advantage of the later sunset. Post dinner turns into a family bike ride or walk. By creating this new habit we are hitting a lot of home runs. Digestion is improved greatly by getting up and moving post-meal.
It is typical in my neighbourhood, even in the dead cold of Canadian Winter to see the Asian and European families walking after dinner. This is a cultural idea that we can all benefit from adopting (as opposed to eating and slumping right on to the couch, or even worse eating while watching TV). This also helps with not over-indulging, as just the thought of jumping on your bike and peddling away with a stomach full of sweets or excess food is not appealing what-so-ever. And of course, the memories you are creating for your family and doing something active together is a great way to spend the evening, not to mention it is quite hard to be scrolling instagram or answering emails while riding or walking. This forces you to disconnect with the online world, and reconnect with your real one.
It has been on our nightly walks and rides that we share our daily stories, laugh, make plans for the future and dream up crazy new goals. I must admit, some nights at 8pm, after working all day and running around, the big comfy couch looks a little more appealing, BUT, without failure, after coming home, we are all very happy we chose the stride over the sofa.
Use your backyard as well as your playground. Trampolines are becoming quite popular in backyards as a children’s activity, but getting on there and jumping along with them is fantastic for your daily steps, heart rate, cardiovascular and lymphatic systems and of course it’s TONS of fun!
The trampoline is fun and healthy for any age.
This past week, instead of having my girlfriends over for the typical wine and appetizers, I hired a local yoga teacher, set up the backyard with mats, a post-workout snack (see recipe for Your BeautyFuel Banana muffins below) and of course proper hydration
ProHydrate was the perfect choice as it is a sugar-free hydration drink with a whopping 20 grams of protein, sweetened with stevia and gluten free. It was the perfect treat to drink throughout an outdoor yoga class, or bike ride.
My outdoor group yoga class was the perfect break away from traditional indoor classes
I personally don’t like to perform yoga with food in my stomach for around 2-3 hours, but by drinking the ProHydrate during my session, I keep the stomach rumbles at bay and have enough energy for a rigorous class. It was fantastic having my friends participate alongside me, going through moments of laughter, challenging partner work, and gratitude and relaxation. I have already set up next week’s date!
Our partner challenge made for a beautiful photo op
Whether it be yoga, a walk, bike ride or bodyweight HIIT session on your patio, make sure to smell the roses, breathe in the fresh air, let the sun shine down on you for your dose of vitamin D and include your family and friends in your active life!
It will make it more sustainable, fun and remember the gym will always be there waiting for you!
YourBeautyFuel Vanilla Banana Muffins
Who wouldn’t want to chow down on these after a great workout?
Dry Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups Almond Meal
- 1/4 cup coconut flour
- 1 scoop Vegan Vanilla About TIme Protein powder (or whey)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
Wet Ingredients
- 4 to 5 ripe bananas
- 5 eggs
- vanilla extract (to taste)
Directions
In a mixer, beat wet ingredients for 2 minutes. Slowly add in dry ingredients until batter is smooth. Add to pre-lined muffin tins (makes 12 large muffins).
Bake at 375 for about 18 minutes or until toothpick comes out dry.
Turn out on a cooling rack until cool.
Keep up to 5 days in sealed tupperware if they last that long.
Perfect post workout treat!
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