Exercise should be fun. Think back to playing outside on long summer days (and evenings) when you were a little one. You were working your heart and lungs, using your body, developing strength and getting fit, and you didn't even know it. Fitness, health and strength weren't on your mind. What was? Having fun! Let's take a look at the fitness benefits of some childhood sports and games, and maybe you can try them out again this summer.
Rounders
Remember playing rounders at school? The game is perfect for big kids to play this summer. All you need is a bat and ball, four bases and four posts and here are all the health benefits you can expect:
- Exercising outside in the fresh air
- A chance to boost your Vitamin D
- Challenge your co-ordination, speed, reaction times and skill
- Short bursts of running act like interval training for fitness
- A fun, sociable game all ages and fitness levels can enjoy
Swimming
Swimming in your local pool or even in open water is a great form of summer exercise. The health benefits include:
- Can burn up to 400 calories per hour
- Works the entire body
- Allows you to focus on your shoulders and arms, or legs and glutes
- A great cardiovascular workout
- Can be adapted for endurance or for interval-style training
Chase
Playing chase in the park with friends, your kids or even your dog will seriously challenge your fitness levels and improve your health by:
- Short sprints boost cardiovascular fitness and burn fat
- EPOC (excess post-exercise oxygen consumption) of short sprints is high
- You can scale the exercise up or down
- Combine all-out sprints with fun, social activity
- Running on grass is low-impact but challenges your body
Football
Grab a ball and head to the local park or playing field to enjoy an informal game of the nation's favourite sport. Have fun and feel good about yourself knowing that you are reaping these benefits:
- Improving your balance, co-ordination and skill
- Burning calories with short bursts of sprint
- Twisting and turning motions tone up your body
- Kicking strengthens the legs
Skipping
Bring skipping out of the playground and learn why sportspeople, like boxers, love it for fitness for these reasons:
- Burn a serious amounts of calories
- Tones the arms, shoulders, back, legs, glutes and calves
- Challenges your co-ordination, timing, balance and skill
- A great way to get fit in a short amount of time
- Very little kit, space or time needed
- Can be done alone or with others, or mixed in with other exercises
It's time to rediscover your inner child this summer; run, play, catch and skip like you did all those years ago and enjoy yourself in the process. And if you have a passion for fitness, child-like or not, we, at The Training Room would love to help you turn that passion into your next big career move as a Personal Trainer!