Well squirrels, it is time to shed the winter coat get ready for the summer season. As I explained in the last blog, this is the time for athletes to prepare for the next season. Please take the time to improve your strength and conditioning. Read some of my earlier posts. You have to work. Lift heavier weights, run faster sprints or increase your mileage during the summer.
Many of you who started out ready to get fit and lose fat at the beginning of the year. The weight room was busy in January and February; however, the numbers have declined in March and April. I know exams, papers, projects take up your time this time of year. Summer is a great time to get back into your fitness program. Virginia is a beautiful state with a lot of hiking trails. There are many Civil War battlefields that can be explored. Get out and walk. You don't need special equipment or expensive running shoes. Watch your calorie intake. Stay away from sweets and fats. Enjoy the many fruits and vegetables that are available during the summer months. Snack on a peach rather than a piece of pie. If you can, get to a weight room and get stronger. If you can't get to a weight room, take your little brother or sister to the park. Do some pull-ups on the monkey bars. Do step-ups on a bench. You can do push-ups and sit-ups any where and any time.
Go to the local pool. Swimming is a great way to burn calories. If you can't swim, walk back and forth in the shallow end at a brisk pace. The resistance of the water increases the difficulty of the exercise. Investigate a new sport. Tennis is a good sport to take up and it is a sport that you can play the rest of your life. Go to the park and shoot baskets. The only thing that can stop you from increasing your fitness level this summer is you. Stop making excuses and start your fitness program.
Two notes of caution for summer fun. One, watch the sun exposure. A dark tan may look good, but you are setting yourself up for skin cancer. It amazes me that many athletes would never consider smoking because they don't want to face lung cancer. Yet, those same athletes will spend hours in the sun without sunscreen and face skin cancer. Two, keep hydrated. Drink water. Most of you do need sports drinks unless you are performing a high intensity workout for over 30 minutes. Sports drinks have calories to fuel intense workouts. If you don't burn those calories, they will be stored as fat.
