Labor Day Fun
Labor Day … it’s the last official hurrah of the summer! Here are a few tips to make this one healthy and fun! (more…)
5 Ways to Celebrate National Get Outdoors Day
In case you didn’t know, June 13th, 2015, is the 8th Annual National Get Outdoors Day! There are a number of “official” events being held to encourage active, outdoor fun for everyone, but if aren’t attending one of these official events, it would be a great idea to get creative with your own family and friends.
Here are five ways that you can get outdoors and celebrate:
- Visit a park – What a great way to be inspired by nature AND be active! Check out a walking trail or the playground for good family fun!
- Get your feet wet – Cool off by planning a day at the lake, beach, or pool and incorporate some fun family games in the early evening when it’s not so hot outside. There may be a sand volleyball court or even find a net and play some volleyball in the pool.
- Go on a hike – For some great exercise and family fun, head out early before it gets too hot and go for a hike! Use this as an opportunity to familiarize the kids with things in nature, too!
- Host a “mini-Olympics” – Grab some neighborhood friends and feature jump rope and hula hoop contests, sack races, and relay races. Finish up with some healthy snacks and an awards ceremony!
- Ride your bikes – Gather up the family for an evening bike ride after a healthy dinner! This is a great way to be active and enjoy time together!
Try one of these simple things to get outdoors and be active! You will enjoy the time spent together with friends and family and feel good that you have gotten in some physical activity and fresh air!
How do you plan to celebrate National Get Outdoors Day?
How to be Active and Beat the Heat on Vacation
It’s summer time and with that comes the hot temperatures and best of all, vacations! It’s easy to abandon your regular healthy workout routine when you go on vacation, but it’s a good idea to make sure and get in a little bit of exercise while away so that when you return it won’t be as difficult to get back into it. Believe it or not, there are some very simple ways to be active (without realizing you are exercising!) and beat the summer heat while on vacation. Here are some of our recommendations:
- Plan Ahead – Create a few basic workouts ahead of time that don’t require equipment (i.e., lunges, squats, and pushups). Take time here and there to fit these into your day, or wake up early and knock out your whole workout before everyone else is awake!
- Use site amenities – Figure out what is offered at your vacation spot. Is there a gym? Are there walking paths or bike trails? What kinds of group activities may be offered at the site? You can walk 9 holes of golf or even rent some bikes to get around. Take advantage of all that is offered!
- Take an early stroll on the beach – Get out and moving before the heat rolls in. Go for an early morning run or walk on the beach (take your pets if you brought them). With the beautiful scenery and the sound of waves crashing on the beach, you will have gone a couple of miles before you know it!
- Engage in family fun – If there are tennis courts, basketball courts, or even a sand volleyball court, gather up the family for some friendly competition. If you want to beat the heat, find a local rock climbing wall, an indoor roller or ice skating rink, or even a trampoline park. These are great opportunities for family bonding in atypical situations.
Of course, we always like to remind you to drink LOTS of water while you are out being active to rehydrate during the hot days!
Last year, guest blogger and wellness consultant, Melodie Griffin shared some more fun ways to be active on vacation. Make sure and check them out as well!
So tell us, what is your favorite way to stay active and beat the heat during your summer vacation?
How a Trampoline Can Be Good For Your Health
OrganWise Andrew here! I’m back with an all new activity that you may want to add to your exercise repertoire! I was fortunate enough to have a trampoline in my backyard throughout my childhood. While there was plenty of fun to be had on one trampoline, I had heard stories of trampoline parks that contained wall-to-wall trampolines. It only took me 25 years to find one, but I finally did. Here in Georgia, there are several chains of trampoline parks that not only have wall-to-wall trampolines, they even have trampolines ON the walls!
I was excited to get jumping and, while l felt like a kid again, the stamina was certainly not where it once was. This was the most exhausting activity I’ve done since playing team sports! While I was bouncing I didn’t realize how tired I was. However, once I stopped, it would hit me like a ton of bricks. Windy, the lungs was struggling! This made me realize that I need to make sure I pamper Windy and Madame Muscle a whole lot more by taking them out to exercise. I never realized just how good a trampoline could be for my health!
I would love to hear more about how you take care of Windy, the lungs and Madame Muscle. Will you share with me your activities so I may try them?
How to Make March Madness a Family Affair
It’s that exciting time of the year for all college basketball fans … March Madness! Last week marked the beginning of the exciting journey to crown the Men’s and Women’s NCAA Basketball Champions. One of the most anticipated parts of the tournament is filling out your bracket and watching it implode (well, that may not be as fun). One other way to make the tournament fun is to include the entire family in the madness.
