Warm-Weather Workouts

Now that the weather has finished being unpredictable on us and it’s consistently warm, it’s time to get outside! Here are a few ideas for some fun activities that get you moving and help you on the way to achieving your health goals.

Frisbee (Disc) Golf

Official Website

It’s time to teach the world the difference between ultimate frisbee and frisbee golf! Ultimate Frisbee is an intense field sport that combines elements of football, soccer and team handball:

Frisbee golf, while it can be competitive, is more laid-back and the goal is to get the disc into one of these:

Much like golf, you start at a tee area with the goal of getting your disc into the ‘hole’ or metal basket. Just as golf has different drivers, so do you have different discs to choose from in frisbee golf – drivers, putters, etc. There are almost always obstacles in the way and you run the danger of chucking your disc into a tree, bush or ditch if you aren’t careful!

Overall, frisbee golf is a very relaxing way to spend around an hour or 2 with family and friends, especially when the weather is nice out! Not only is it relaxing and great fun, but you’ll probably end up walking a few miles as well. (Or more, depending on how many times your disc goes the opposite direction you wanted)

There are several different locations in the Triangle area to play frisbee golf – here are just a few (click for links):

Hiking

Hiking doesn’t have to be an all-day endeavor! (Though it certainly can be if you want) We are fortunate enough to live in an area filled with parks and protected forests with plenty of family-friendly events and activities. Here are just a few local parks and forests that offer a variety of trips that can range from half hours to day-long endeavors (click for links)!

Eno River State Park (Make sure to check out the “events” and “activities” tabs on the left! There are almost always a lot of interesting events occurring here)
Umstead State Park
Duke Forest
My personal favorite during the summer is the Eno River Rock Quarry! A quick 15-25 minute hike brings you to a gorgeous lake perfect for swimming and relaxing: Eno River Rock Quarry

Hill Sprints

Need to get in a workout, but short on time? Try doing a quick hill sprint workout! The only pieces of equipment you need are:

Feet.
A hill.

You want your sprint to last from 20-30 seconds. Sprint on the way up and walk on the way down – that’s your rest! Try for 3-5 rounds to start with. As you progress, however there are a few different ways to make this conditioning workout harder:

Increase the number of rounds
Find a steeper hill!
You don’t want to exceed ~30 seconds on your sprint, so if you’re looking for more of a challenge, try to cover more ground in 30 seconds than you did before. Place markers to measure your progress!
Wear a backpack with books or other heavy objects.

There are, of course, many other activities and outdoor adventures in the summer months, but this is just a short list to get you started! Get moving and we’ll see you on the trails!

Kat Whitfield

B.S., NASM-CPT