Around the world, summertime often coincides with a general trend toward more outdoor activity. However, when you start exercising again after being cooped up inside for many months, you want to do so safely and effectively. The last thing you want is to experience pain or injury.
Below, we offer our top tips for getting and staying fit prior to engaging in the many fun summer activities we all love. What should you know?
Tip #1: Mind Your Posture
If you want to remain healthy and injury-free, you should strive to develop good postural awareness. Poor posture during activities is a recipe for disaster.
Take, for example, the posture required for swimming laps. If you go to the local pool and swim 100 laps without regard for your posture, you’re likely to be sidelined for the next few days or weeks while your shoulders recover.
Alternatively, you may enjoy sailing on the open waters during your summer breaks. But if you’re not keeping your back flat and using your legs while you load all of your sailing gear, you’re setting yourself up for injury.
Whatever you end up doing this summer, it’s critical that you pay attention to your posture while participating in any fun activities.
Tip #2: Involve the Whole Family
Unfortunately, recent years have demonstrated a trend toward inactivity in children. Hopscotch and tag have largely been replaced by video games and other various digital activities. As a result, many children are not developing the necessary strength, flexibility, and coordination for participation in active pursuits.
For this reason, it’s crucial to encourage family activities. Be sure to demonstrate the importance of getting outside and enjoying the warm weather during these summer months. In doing so, you’ll help your children develop essential skills and abilities that will lead to a healthier, happier life.
Tip #3: Stay Hydrated
In many areas, the warmer months often lead to increased sweating. This, in turn, can cause dehydration. Dehydration is dangerous for multiple reasons, many of which are fairly intuitive. For instance, not having enough water in our system can make it hard for the heart to pump blood where it’s needed. Also, being dehydrated often leads to decreased cognitive function, meaning you might not make the best decisions.
It’s important to hydrate all throughout the year, but you should pay special attention to your fluid intake during the summer months. You’ll be happy you did!
Tip #4: Build Up Your Strength Slowly
As a society, we have a general desire to achieve our goals as quickly as possible. We try diet intense restrictive fad diets and exercise challenges with the hope we’ll reach our ideal body in just a couple of weeks.
However, this is not the best way to reach any body goal, especially those related to strength, tone, and athletic performance. It’s very important to take your time when working toward gaining strength, endurance, and flexibility. Trying to do too much too fast will often lead to injury, burnout, and unmet goals. It can also end up being hard to sustain.
Are you looking for a tune-up before starting off your summer? If so, consider visiting your local chiropractor at Bradford House Chiropractic & Wellness Centre. Contact us today to uncover more summer exercise tips specific to you and your health.
