The sun is out, the days are long and it feels like everyone is outside exercising. Building a fitness habit requires commitment and creativity, and summer is the perfect time to start.
Being disciplined about movement doesn’t mean you have to be a gym rat or marathon runner; part of developing a routine that sticks is finding a way to move that makes you happy.
The first step, of course, happens before you even lace up your shoes. We all have our favorite excuses for why we don’t work out enough, and some of them can be paralyzing. The way through starts with setting comfortable expectations and just creating some accountability. You might have to hack your brain now and then to get started, but the most important thing is to be persistent and forgiving of yourself when you backslide.
Here are a few of our favorite workouts so far this year — whether your goal is to bench 230 pounds, up your pickleball game or just squeeze in a high-intensity routine when you barely have time to exercise.
Building strength
Power Hungry
We’ve written a lot about the importance of building and maintaining strength, especially as one gets older. But you don’t just need strength, you also need power, or the ability to deploy strength quickly. Strength helps you dig a shovelful of snow, power helps you dump it. Strength lowers you into a chair, but power gets you out again.
Building power doesn’t have to be hard, but it does require concerted effort. First, try our 30-second power test to see how you stack up. Then check out our short workout to get started on a path to real power.
Break Your Strength Rut
Even for those who strength train twice a week, every week, it’s easy to fall into a routine and plateau. And while any form strength training is good, it’s important to know how to build on it too.
If you want to break through to the next level, the key is what experts call “progressive overload.” It’s a simple concept — just consistently increase the weight or intensity of your exercise each week — but it can be hard to actually pull off. Here’s a three-month program to help you know how far to push yourself without overdoing it.
Exercise Like an Animal
Over the past decade, there has been a quiet revolution in exercise circles. Maybe your trainer suggested an exercise where you crawl around like a bear, or your favorite HIIT workout now includes a crab walk.
These animal-inspired exercises go by many names, but they can be an excellent way to build functional strength that can help you during everyday activities. They may look a little silly at first, but they generally don’t require any equipment and can be done just about anywhere. This workout can help you get you started.
Getting better at …
… Pickleball
Anyone who has tried pickleball can tell you it’s fun, bordering on addictive. And it’s pretty good for your fitness, what with all the short sprints and side-to-side movement. But, like any form of exercise, it doesn’t cover everything.
In this article, we give you a series of exercises meant to improve your pickleball game while also filling in some of the gaps — like strength training and endurance cardio — that everyone’s favorite paddle game might leave in your exercise regimen.
… Biking
A lazy summer bike ride down to your favorite picnic spot is one of the great joys of summer. But, if you’re honest, it’s not strenuous exercise, is it?
If you enjoy riding but have never tried any kind of serious bike training, consider upping your a game a bit. Any bike will do; with the right strategy, even that dusty old cruiser in your garage can become an effective fitness tool.
… Sex
Sex isn’t something you can (or should) do at the gym, but it’s still exercise. It requires stamina, strength and the ability to perform brief bursts of intensity.
And, as such, you can train to get better at it. Yes, increasing your cardio is important, but how strong are your pelvic floor muscles? What about your hips and core? If you want to set yourself up for more satisfying sexual experiences, try adding a few of these exercises into your regimen.
Working out quickly
Pilates on the Go
Pilates is generally associated with fancy studios and spring-loaded devices — but you can get in a quick session without leaving the house or buying any specialized equipment.
Here’s a 10-minute routine you can do in place of a studio workout when you’re pressed for time.
HIIT That Doesn’t Hurt
Looking for something a little tougher? High-intensity interval training might be the most efficient, exhausting workout available. But not everybody is up for the jumping and other high-impact moves that make up most HIIT routines.
High intensity, low impact interval training, or HILIT, can be an effective alternative. Our 20-minute workout is just as intense as HIIT, but it focuses on movements that are gentler on your bones and joints.
A Sprint, not a Marathon
One of the most effective workouts is also the simplest: Just run as fast as you can. For some of us, jogging just doesn’t cut it. We want to feel the wind in our hair as we sprint, all-out.
If you crave speed in your workout, you can do it safely if you train your body properly. Like any intense exercise, sprinting requires planning and careful attention to your body’s signals. And stay off the local track — at least at first.