The summer is rapidly coming to a close, but there are still many weeks of beautiful weather…perfect for exercising outdoors.  Living in the southeast has its advantages!  It’s often still hot enough in the afternoon that it’s probably preferable to engage in these activities early in the morning or in the evening, after 6pm, when it’s a little cooler.  The great part of being active outdoors is that the possibilities are endless.  You can walk or run…you can ride a bike…you can rollerblade, and the outdoor pools are still open if you enjoy swimming.  How about a little volleyball or softball or even soccer?  Live in a place that has great trails?  Go hiking with friends…give rock climbing a try…or take a rafting trip.  All of these are wonderful ways to enjoy the great outdoors, while giving your body a workout.

You also need to consider some other activities that you usually call  “chores,” which in reality are a great way to be active and productive at the same time.  Take some time to weed your garden.  How about planting some new flowers that will bloom in the fall?  Your grass is still growing…30-40 minutes of mowing your lawn will burn some calories (unless you are using a riding mower).  Throw open that garage door and give it a good cleaning.  Many suburbanites use their garages as a storage unit, rather than a place to park their car.  Items in it tend to pile up, so take some time to go through boxes and dispose of unwanted items.  Wash the car…or cars.  Make it even more physical by giving it a good waxing after it’s dried.  If you own a dog, take it for a long walk (20+ minutes) every day.  Every one of these are great ways to move your body, work your muscles, increase your heart rate as well as provide your body with vitamin D (which comes from exposure to the sunlight).  It doesn’t always have to be “formal” exercise to count.

I urge you to take advantage of the extended daylight…the moderate temperatures and the chance to enjoy the outdoors.  You might be tempted to take your iPod or MP3 player with you on these outings.  My advice is to skip it and just enjoy the sounds of your surroundings.  If any streets are involved, you need to be listening for cars, which wearing headsets might make difficult.  Try saving your music for those indoor workouts on the treadmill or elliptical.  I always think its fun to enjoy your surroundings on a walk or bike ride.  Sometimes you might notice something that you’ve never seen before, which can surprise and delight you.

It’s important to intentionally plan these activities.  Be sure that you do something 3-5 times per week. Put them on your calendar as a reminder.  Whenever possible, enlist a friend to go with you.  The camaraderie will provide you with stimulating conversation and make you more accountable.  It will make the time go faster too.  On the flip side…don’t put this off if you don’t have anyone who can join you.  Instead, challenge yourself and make the commitment to do it!  Marking it off on your kitchen calendar will make your accomplishment more visible.

If you still have school age children, don’t let the back to school rush cause you to give up exercise (with the promise to return to it in October).  If your child plays a fall sport, go to the games and walk around the field during the warm-ups.  See how many circuits you can complete before the game starts.  Invite your teenager to join you for your walks or bike rides.  Maybe even make an afternoon of yard work a parent/teen activity.  Doing things together will encourage conversation and provide some valuable family time.  It will also show your child that you care enough about yourself that you choose to be active!

People are becoming more and more aware of the importance of fitness and exercise. Whether inside or outdoors, you’ll see people working to get and stay healthy. Outdoor exercise is a particularly good way to improve your health and enjoy life at the same time!
Gyms are a wonderful asset to people who can afford them, and for people who have the discipline to keep coming back after they’ve paid their membership dues. Home gyms are effective ways to work out for people with lots of space and money. Sports and organized activities are a good way for social types to take care of their health while they are “seeing” and “being seen.”
But what about those who live simply – who are happy playing with their kids or their dog, who don’t need or want the structure of a gym, who can’t afford expensive equipment, who can’t work out and talk at the same time, and who don’t like competition. Are they oddballs? No! Exercising outdoors is a fun, simple way to keep fit and enjoy nature.
Outdoor exercise doesn’t cost much. It doesn’t require a lot of preparation. And it is a healthy lifestyle choice for anyone. Among the many benefits of outdoor exercise are:
- you can do it without equipment
- you don’t have to mess with crowded gyms and obnoxious people
- you don’t have to make a long trip to get there
- you can breathe fresh air and feel the wind in your hair
- you don’t have to pay a membership fee or make a down-payment
- you don’t have to put on that special outfit
- you don’t have to wear makeup
- you do get lots of sunshine and vitamin D for health bones and skin
- you can do it anytime, anywhere you want to
Having established that outdoor exercise is a great way to stay fit and enjoy a healthy life, you might be wondering what to do when you get outside.
Here are seven popular outdoor exercises that will give you a good work out and leave you feeling sweaty, exhausted, and absolutely great!
1. Lunges
A wonderful outdoor exercise, this is a great way to work your bottom and hamstrings, lunges come in many different variations. This is the basic drop-knee style. Stand with your feet about three feet apart with your knees at a 90-degree angle. Bend your knees and lower back toward the ground, making sure your heel is flat to the ground and your knees are directly over the center of your feet. Keep your upper body straight as you push through the front heel and return to the starting position. Don’t lock your knees. Just repeat in a flowing motion.
2. Push-ups
Great for your upper body, push-ups also have many variations, including standard, wide, and close grips. They’re a perfect outdoor exercise, and if you rotate the three movements, you’ll work more muscle groups and get a better result. For easier motion, elevate your hands. For more resistance, elevate your feet. If you’re really brave, try clapping your hands as you bounce. Start with your back and knees straight and parallel to the ground. Slowly lower your body until your nose touches the ground and then return to your starting position with a quick upward press. Repeat as many times as you can without over-stressing.
3. Squats
Very easy to do for outdoor exercise, if they’re done the right way, squats have tremendous power. If done improperly, they’re less effective. Squats also have many variations – standing, one leg, wide-stance, pile, and overhead. As you do repetitions, you’ll feel your legs getting tired. This is a good thing. They’re great for developing your hips, butt, and thighs. Stand evenly with your feet apart. Keep your back straight and your stomach in. Your knees should be just behind your toes. Squat to the height of a chair, and squeeze your butt as you stand. Repeat. For more vigorous exercise, hold weights in your hands as you squat.
4. Step-ups
Done properly, this can be a brutal outdoor exercise. You can use a bench as your equipment. All you have to do is step up and down, being sure to hold your head up and your back straight. Stand behind the platform (weights in hand for more power). Put your right foot on the bench, transferring your weight to the heel as you come into the step. Use your right leg only, using your left leg for balance. Slowly step back. Repeat this at least 10 times with your right leg before switching to the left.
5. Chin-ups
Also known as pull-ups. You can use a tree branch or playground equipment. Grab your pull-up bar with an overhand grip. Your grip should be just wider than your shoulders. Left your body upward as high as you can, and return gently (don’t fall) to your starting position. Repeat the movement as many times as you can. This outdoor exercise will get the sweat going!
6. Uphill sprints
Only people who can do a 100-meter dash should try this one. The essential outdoor exercise, all you have to do is find a hillside, and run up it as fast as you can. Walk down and repeat.
7. Duck walks
For the un-embarrassed! Simple, but hard, this outdoor exercise will give you strong legs and endurance. Simply squat until your thighs are parallel to the ground. Walk in that position about ten steps, and then return. Repeat as much as you can (probably won’t be much!).
Doing outdoor exercise is a good workout. If done properly, these outdoor exercises will give you benefits as good, as not better, than you’ll get in the fanciest gym in town using the most expensive equipment on the floor. Outdoor exercise also lets you remember how great it is to be outside, rain or shine, breathing fresh air and listening to the birds sing. So, go to it! Try some outdoor exercise now!

How do you know which recreational sport is right for you? Though this is a simple question, it may not have a simple answer. Before answering this question, it makes sense to define what a recreational sport is. In layman terms, a recreational sport is any sport activity or event that one engages in during leisure time. In other words, it is a sport activity or event performed primarily for entertainment and fun. Though in some cases there may be monetary rewards associated with recreational sport, it is not usually the main goal. Other reasons associated with participating in a recreational sport includes: fitness, health, socialization, competition and sport support among others.

There are several options of recreational sports available for all age categories ranging from indoor to outdoor. Making the decision on which choice to pursue can be a real challenge and this varies significantly from one person to the other. For former professional athletes, the decision may be easier especially if they continue participating in their particular former professional sports, only at recreational level. The big task of choosing the right recreational sport is however on beginners. In order to make the right choice(s) if you are a beginner, it is important to consider the following general guidelines:

1.Choose a sport that you understand and passionate about: Recreational sport in a way becomes part of your lifestyle and therefore needs to be entertaining and enjoyable. Choosing something that you don’t like or have no knowledge about can be frustrating even if your friends adore it. It only makes sense to pursue something that you know the rules and regulations of the sport or game. However, this does not mean one cannot learn a new sport or game, but it easier to do so if you love the sport.

2.Consider your goals and objectives: As mentioned above, there are different reasons that drive people into recreational sports. Choosing a sport that is in line with your goals, for example losing weight will only enrich the overall recreational experience. Some one looking for a recreational sport to aid in cutting down some extra body weight may benefit from running, jogging, walking, hiking or swimming among other high calorie burning sport activities as opposed to playing cards or video games. On the other hand somebody looking for a recreational sport that favors socialization may benefit from the latter.

3.Facilities, tools and equipment required: Different recreational sports may require different tools, facilities or equipment or in some cases may require none at all. These tools, facilities or equipment may also vary depending on the needs of every person. For example if you want to play golf for recreation, you will definitely have to purchase a golf club, balls and perhaps shoes. You will also need an available and accessible golf course to play. In some cases if you have more than one favorite recreational sport, you may have to choose what is more convenient based on availability of facilities. It makes more sense to go running at a nearby track especially if you get off work late in the evenings than having to drive for several miles to get to a golf course (i.e. if you like both golf and running).

4.Availability of time: Since a recreational sport is a pastime sport, choosing the right one may be dictated by how much free time is at one’s disposal. Some recreational sports are more time consuming than others. Additionally some of these sports must only be played outside. Where as some sports such as running, jogging, walking, playing tennis, playing basketball or swimming offers both indoor and outdoor options, some of them, for example playing golf, hiking, kayaking, surfing among other don’t. The more time one has, the more the options to choose from and the vice versa.

5.Seasonality: Though this may not be a big deal for people living along the equatorial climatic regions, it definitely affects people living in areas with winter and summer season. Some recreational sports such as those requiring snow may only be available during winter and only in some parts of the world. So if skiing is the only favorite recreational sport that one can participate in, it means there will be nothing to do for most of the year i.e. during the other seasons. When deciding on the right sport for recreation, it is advisable to have more than one option especially in a situation where one is affected by seasonal changes.

6.Number of participants required: Where as most recreational sports require participation of more than one person at one time, some can be pursued individually. If your schedule doesn’t allow group or team participation, choosing a sport that will enable you to participate alone is a good idea. Jogging, walking, swimming, biking and running are great examples.

As mentioned earlier, this is not an exhaustive list of guidelines, but it is only meant to give you an idea of how to pick the best sport that will make your recreational life a success. Remember the bottom line is fun and entertainment.

Have a great recreational sports life.

If competition motivates you, then golf could be just for you. The competitive spirit will always motivate someone to drive further, or improve their ball striking, or, perhaps putt better. There are many people who enjoy golf, and also many benefits to the sport. Exercise is one of the greatest benefits from playing golf and a key factor to play for certain people. If one was to walk an entire golf course, they would be covering a great distance, thus providing themselves with a healthy exercise. This activity does not only require walking, it also adds more exercise by swinging the golf club, and by carrying a golf bag. One single person can lose a superb amount of 370 calories for every one hour spent playing golf. Many people also find friends and are able to interact with others while playing golf. For the most part, golf is played in pairs or groups, thus creating valuable time to interact and compete with your friends. Cycling also is a beneficial activity to participate in. In most places, you are able to cycle year-round, by using your bicycle as a means for transportation. Cycling long-term provides a more healthy lifestyle. Sunlight is also quite beneficial and available outdoors, which produces vitamin D and can help prevent many serious risks. Cycling is also very good for the heart, it strengthens your heart regularly, and can positively effect blood circulation. Cycling greatly diminishes the risk of arthritis, by keeping your muscles and cartilage healthy and strong. Cycling and moderate exercise has proven to be effective in reducing stress. Cycling can also lead to considerable weight loss, and it greatly increases a person’s metabolism.

For more information on golf, visit http://www.golf-course.asia.

For more information on cycling, visit http://www.bicycling.asia.

The Benefits of Boot Camp Workouts for Women
Until recent times, few women thought of boot camp workouts as a solution to their fitness and weight loss problems, but recently the many benefits of fitness boot camps have prompted more women to reexamine the advantages of enrolling in boot camp to get into shape. No matter what your current fitness level is, it is difficult to beat the many health benefits women can receive with a regular boot camp workout.
One of the main motivating factors in women choosing fitness boot camp to help them get into shape and lose weight is that fitness boot camp offers one of the best workouts for weight loss – even if you’ve had problems losing weight before. A well-designed boot camp class will offer a progression of each exercise for novice, intermediate and advanced boot camp participants. As you gain fitness and strength, the progressive difficulty of each exercise will continue to challenge you
One reason that boot camp workouts work so well for weight loss and toning muscle is that these fitness workouts are based on exercise science and physiology, using the proven techniques of resistance and cardiovascular training, as well as specific weight training exercises. Building muscle is essential to boosting the body’s metabolism and effectively and efficiently losing weight by burning more calories throughout the day.
Another reason that fitness boot camps are such a great way to get into shape and lose weight is that they provide structure and consistency. Without having structure to your fitness program, and consistently participating, your chances of reaching your goal of having a great looking and fit body are greatly reduced. With a fitness boot camp, not only are the workouts intense enough to provide you with the results you want, but you will find that the personal trainers and instructors help provide the necessary motivation to keep you consistent.
Fitness boot camps also provide significant health benefits. One of the most important health concerns for women is heart disease; so cardiovascular health should be one of the main goals when choosing an exercise program. Boot camp workouts provide enough cardio exercise to help keep a heart healthy and reducing the chance of suffering a heart attack or stroke. Another benefit of the boot camp classes is the decreasing risk of osteoporosis by improving bone density. The weight-bearing exercises often found in a boot camp workout are important in increasing a woman’s bone density.
Time management is another attractive feature of fitness boot camp for women. In most cases one can get a vigorous total body workout in a short 45 minute to one-hour session while burning over 700 calories. These workouts are usually far better than other exercise programs that take twice as long to participate in. This high-calorie burning workout is an advantage to the modern woman who is often short on time.
The benefits of fitness boot camps are for women of all fitness levels. If you are looking for an effective method of getting into shape, consider enrolling in a fitness boot camp for one of the best ways to lose weight and shapeup.

Extreme sports are those which are characteristically thrilling, owing to the high level of risk involved. They often include extremes of physical exertion or speed, or height. Danger is always present, and this adds to the thrills experienced. Many people enjoy watching extreme sports, rather than participating themselves. The popularity of extreme sports has increased in recent years, especially amongst young people.
One reason behind the evolution of extreme sports is the technological development which has made them possible. Most people do not experience much risk in everyday life, and this too adds to their attraction. People seek the thrill, and enjoy the attention it receives as well.
The Ten Most Popular Extreme Sports
Surfing
The surfer uses a board to glide along on a breaking wave. There are now two classifications of surfing, based on the design of the board and riding style. These are short and long boarding. Surfing is said to have been developed long ago in Polynesia, and came to the rest of the world when Europeans first observed it.
Windsurfing
This sport uses a surfboard with a sail, by means of which the rider can skim across the surface of the water. Thus it combines elements of surfing and sailing. The sport developed in the latter part of the twentieth century.
Hot Air Ballooning
This technology was the first form of human air transport. The balloon contains a bag which holds the hot air, and the passengers are carried in a wicker basket which hangs underneath. Hot air ballooning is now a sport, and modern structure includes fire resistant materials for the mouth of the balloon.
Mountain Biking
In this sport the bike rider rides over rough ground on a mountain bike or hybrid road bike. There are four classifications in mountain biking: street riding, downhill, freeride and cross country. Mountain biking has now developed as an extreme sport, and there is now a hall of fame to celebrate the achievements of early mountain bikers.
Hang Gliding
A hang glider is an aircraft which you can launch yourself, and which you then guide in the air by means of shifting your weight. You can also steer them by means of aircraft control technology. Modern hang gliders can perform aerobatic stunts and can fly long distances and at significant height.
Paragliding
The techniques of flying and launching a paraglider are similar to those in hang gliding. There are no solid supports in a paraglider. The paraglider pilot needs to possess understanding of relevant engineering technology and aircraft design, as well as weather conditions. Rough weather can cause a high degree of risk in this sport.
Skydiving
Skydiving, or parachuting, is when a person falls (on purpose) from a height, supported by a parachute. Early jumps were from hot air balloons in the eighteenth century, and it became an international sport in the mid twentieth century. It is now popular both as a recreation and as a sport.
Mountaineering
This sport is enjoyed as a recreational activity as well as a sport, and combines elements of hiking, trekking and walking. The original intention was to reach high places, where no one had trekked previously. It then developed into a physically demanding sport. Some people enjoy mountaineering in the snow, others prefer rocky climbs.
Ice Climbing
This sport means climbing up icefalls and ice covered rock faces. There are two variations, water ice climbing (on cliffs or under waterfalls), and alpine ice climbing (in the mountains). The equipment used varies according to things such as the type of slope and ice texture.
Bungee Jumping
This extreme sport involves jumping from a height, whilst attached from above by a long elastic cord. The jumper usually jumps from a structure such as a crane, bridge or high building. The jumper falls free until caught and bounced up and down by the cord, and this provides lots of thrill.